We've found 4297 phrases for W (0.147 seconds):

a bad workman always blames his tools »    It is not the tools we use which make us good, but rather how we employ them.

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 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 closed mouth gathers no feet »    One who does not speak can be certain he won't say anything embarrassing.

a cold day in Hell »    An event that will never happen.

a cut below »    Inferior to; of a lower quality than.

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

a dime's worth »    An insignificant amount.

a dumb priest never got a parish »    (Irish) Those who fail to speak up fail to get what they want.

a few sandwiches short of a picnic »    Exhibiting disquiet or unsoundness of mind; not sane; mad.

a friend in need is a friend indeed »    A true friend is one who helps you when you are in need.

a good man is hard to find »    Men who make good husbands or workers are rare.

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 lie has no legs »    You can't get away with a lie, the truth will always come out.

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

a little bird told me »    Of information which was gathered from a source not to be overtly exposed.

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

a miss is as good as a mile »    A failure remains a failure, regardless of how close to success one has actually come.

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

a nod is as good as a wink »    The hint, suggestion etc can be understood without further explaining.

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 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".

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

a rising tide lifts all boats »    Benefits provided to a few may lead to conditions that are beneficial to all.

a rolling stone gathers no moss »    A person who never settles in one place will never be successful.A person who does not keep active will grow mouldy.

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 stopped clock is right twice a day »    A normally unreliable person or instrument can occasionally provide correct information, even if only by accident.

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

a watched pot never boils »    A process appears to go more slowly if one waits for it rather than engaging in other activities.

abide by »    To accept a decision or law and act in accordance with it; to conform to; to acquiesce; as, to abide by an award.

abide with »    To remain or live with someone.

abominable snowman »    yeti

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 »    An about face; a military command to a formation of soldiers to reverse the direction in which they are facing.

above one's bend »    Out of one's control or power.

above the law »    Exempt from the laws that apply to everyone else.

absence makes the heart grow fonder »    When someone or something is faraway, you realise how much you love (or miss) them or it.

abstract nonsense »    Details which involve diagram chasing.

accident of birth »    Reference to the fact that various benefits or detriments to the life of a person arise from the circumstances into which that person was born, these being entirely beyond his control.

accident waiting to happen »    A thing or situation which is almost certain to eventually lead to an accident.

according to »    According to him, every person was to be bought. - Thomas Babington Macaulay.

according to »    Based on what is said or stated.

according to »    Our zeal should be according to knowledge. - Thomas Sprat.

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

account for »    To explain by relating circumstances; to show that some one, thing or members of a group are present or have been processed.

ace up one's sleeve »    A surprise advantage of which others are not aware.

ache for »    To desire, or want something, or someone, very much.

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

acknowledge the corn »    To cop a plea; to admit to a small error but not a larger one.

across the board »    A racing bet where one bets that the same competitor will place in first, second and third.

actions speak louder than words »    It is more effective to act directly than to speak of action.

adams ale »    water

add fuel to fire »    To inflame a situation, to make a situation worse.

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

add insult to injury »    To further a loss with mockery or indignity.

Adds up »    To enhance. " werlawofattraction.com">Law of attraction adds up to the success in life."

admiral of the blue »    A landlord or publican wearing a blue apron, as was formerly the custom among men of that vocation.

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

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.

against the grain »    Unwillingly, reluctantly. It went much against the grain with him, i.e. it was much against his inclination, or against his pluck.

age before beauty »    A phrase said to allow older people to go before younger ones.

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.

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

albatross »    Any of various large seabirds of the family Diomedeidae ranging widely in the Southern Ocean and the North Pacific and having a hooked beak and long narrow wings.

all along »    The entire time; always.

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 »    Awaiting an explanation.

all eyes »    Watching alertly or attentively.

all fur coat and no knickers »    Of superficial appearance and with no real substance beneath.

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

all holiday »    A saying signifying that it is all over with the business or person spoken of or alluded to/.

all hollow »    As a foregone conclusion.

all hollow »    Common misspelling of all hallow.

all in a day's work »    A nonchalant dismissal of a significant accomplishment.

all it's cracked up to be »    As good as claims or reputation would suggest.

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 over hell's half acre »    All over the place; everywhere.

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 »    Everywhere, especially chaotically or in such a way as to make a mess.

all over the shop »    Everywhere, scattered, disorganised.

all over with »    Completely finished; over.

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 the same »    Anyway; nevertheless; nonetheless.

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

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

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 thumbs »    Clumsy; awkward; not dextrous.

all told »    With everything included, counted or summed.

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

all very well »    True, as far as it goes.

all walks of life »    All professions, lifestyles or social classes.

all well and good »    Basically good, but with some shortcoming or limitation.

all wet »    Thoroughly soaked; drenched.

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 fair in love and war »    unpleasant behavior is acceptable during love and conflict.

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

allow for »    To take into account when making plans.

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 keeps the doctor away »    Apples are healthy and stave off illness.Eat healthy and you won't get sick.

an axe to grind »    A grievance, with implications of confrontation.

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 counting »    Used to show that the number previously mentioned is continuously changing, i.e. increasing or decreasing.

and how »    Used to strongly confirm preceding utterance.

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.

angle for farthings »    To beg out of a prison window with a cap, or box, let down at the end of a long string.

another nail in one's coffin »    One in a series of factors which lead, or purport to lead, to downfall.

answer back »    To reply impertinently; to talk back.

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 be held responsible for.

answer for »    To guarantee.

answer on a postcard »    To give a brief answer or opinion.

any way one slices it »    From any perspective; in every case.

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 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 dumplin shop »    A woman's bosom.

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.

are your ears burning »    Said of somebody who was not present but was the topic of discussion.

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 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 »    Barely within reach.

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.

arse over tit »    Tumbling; falling; upside-down; unstable or unbalanced.

arsy varsey »    Tumbling upside down; head over heels.

as best one can »    In the best possible way, given the circumstances.

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

as far as one knows »    To the best of one's knowledge.

as for »    with reference to

as good as one's word »    Faithful to a promise one has made.

as long as »    While; for some period of time.

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

as the crow flies »    In a straight line distance between two locations, as opposed to the road distance or over land distance.

as well »    In addition; also.

as well »    To the same effect.

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.

ash wednesday »    first day of lent

ask for it »    To provoke an unwanted action.

ask my arse »    A common reply to any question; still deemed wit at sea, and formerly at court, under the denomination of selling bargains.

asleep at the switch »    Neglectful of an important task, responsibility, or opportunity.

asphalt jungle »    A city or urban area, where the landscape is covered by pavement and the environment is alienating and unsafe.

ass over teakettle »    Tumbling upside down.

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 loss »    Below the cost or price of purchase.

at a loss for words »    Having nothing to say; stunned to the point of speechlessness.

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

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

at 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 arm's length »    At a distance, away from one's body.

At ease with nudity »    ISM free identification with nude recreation

at hand »    Readily available; within easy reach; nearby.

at heart »    In spirit; according to one's beliefs, views or feelings; deep down, really, fundamentally.

at large »    In general; as a whole.

at once »    Immediately; now; right away.

at one with »    United with; in tune with.

at peace »    Free of worries; peaceful.

at peace with »    Not disturbed or upset by.

at peace with »    Not menacing or hostile toward.

at sea »    Confused, lost, or adrift; bewildered.

at that »    In addition to what has been said; furthermore; moreover.

at that »    Now that it has been mentioned.

at the drop of a hat »    Without any hesitation; instantly.

at the mercy of »    In the power of; defenceless/defenseless against.

at the momont »    now

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

at the wheel »    Driving; in control of a vehicle.

at the wheel »    In control of the situation; in charge.

at this point in time »    Right now.

at will »    At one's preference; as one sees fit.

at work »    At one's workplace.

at work »    Working, in the process of doing work.

atom bomb »    nuclear weapon

autem bawler »    A parson.

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

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

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.

away with the fairies »    Not with it, dreaming, not all there.

babe in the woods »    A person who is innocent, naive, inexperienced, or helpless.

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

babes in the wood »    Criminals in the stocks, or pillory.

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

back burner »    A section of a stove used to keep some pots warm while one focuses on others.

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

back down »    To take a less aggressive position in a conflict than one previously has or has planned to.

back in the day »    In the past; at one time, especially a time which is fondly remembered.

back into »    To back up or walk backwards and hit something.

back off »    To move backwards away from something.

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

back off »    To lower the setting of.

back out »    To withdraw from something one has promised to do.

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

back up »    To move backwards, especially for a vehicle to do so.

back up »    To move a vehicle backwards.

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 up »    So as to stop the ball, and prevent overthrows.

back water »    A very remote, rural area.

back-assward »    Alternative form of bass-ackwards.

back-asswards »    Alternative form of bass-ackwards.

back-burner »    Having low urgency; not currently important.

back-cloth star »    An actor who stands upstage, forcing the other actors to face him and turn their backs to the audience, in order to gain more attention to himself.

back-to-back »    With one's back facing somebody else's back.

backassward »    Alternative form of bass-ackwards.

backasswards »    Alternative form of bass-ackwards.

backseat driver »    A passenger in a car who insists on giving the driver directions.

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

bad apple »    A person who is not wholesome, honest, or trustworthy, especially one who has an adverse influence on others.

bad blood »    Feelings of hostility or ill will.

bad egg »    Someone whose behaviour is reprehensible or irresponsible; a rogue.

bad money drives out good »    Debased coinage (with low levels of precious metals) replaces purer coinage (with higher levels of precious metals).(metaphorically) Mediocre talent drives away real talent.

bad news »    An irritating, troublesome, or harmful person, situation, or thing.

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

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

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

bag of wind »    A windbag.

baggage »    Heavy baggage; women and children. Also a familiar epithet for a woman; as, cunning baggage, wanton baggage, &c.

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

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

bail out »    To exit an aircraft while in flight.

ball-breaker »    A person or task which is excessively demanding or punishing.

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

ballpoint pen »    writing implement

balls-up »    Something which becomes muddled or botched in some way.

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

bang about »    To make a lot of percussive noise while doing an activity.

bang around »    To make a lot of percussive noise while doing an activity.

bang straw »    A nick name for a thresher, but applied to all the servants of a farmer.

bang up cove »    A dashing fellow who spends his money freely.

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

banged up »    Physically injured or wounded.

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.

bankers' hours »    Any easy job, especially one with a short working day.

bankers' hours »    The period between 10am and 3pm.

banyan day »    In British naval tradition, this originally referred to a day of the week when galley kitchens served no meat on board ship.

banyan day »    In modern usage it refers to a picnic or cookout for the ship's crew.

baptism by fire »    A trying ordeal that was not experienced before.

bar fly »    A person who frequents bars or lounges to get drunk.

bar none »    Without exception; excluding nothing else of the same kind.

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 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 metallic tube, as of a gun, from which a projectile is discharged.

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 solid drum, or a hollow cylinder or case.

barrel »    A waste receptacle.

barrel »    A wave that breaks with a hollow compartment.

barrel »    The hollow basal part of a feather.

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 »    That which is enjoyable or entertaining.

barrel of laughs »    That which is immature, embarrassing, or disgraceful.

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.

basket case »    One made powerless or ineffective, as by nerves, panic or stress.

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 an eyelash »    To react in any slight way; to respond.

bat an eyelid »    To react in any slight way; to respond.

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

bat away »    To knock an object, usually a ball.

bat away »    To avoid by diverting the focus of a discussion.

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.

battle cry »    Something the troops yell out when going to war or battle.

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

bawl out »    To deliver a loud, hard scolding or lecture; to reprimand.

bawl out »    To have a serious argument accompanied with shouting.

be at one's beck and call »    To be in the position of serving someone in any way they desire, usually unwillingly.

be left holding the baby »    To be left with the responsibility of resolving a problem.

be my guest »    Do as you wish; go ahead; help yourself; go for it!.

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

be off »    To be working against a present or former addiction to.

be off »    To be away from.

be on the edge of one's seat »    To be in suspense; to wait eagerly or anxiously for some resolution.

be still my heart »    Calm down, this situation is too exciting or overly distressing.

be that as it may »    Even if that is the case; whether that is true or not; nevertheless.

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 there or be square »    Used to encourage someone to go somewhere.

bear down »    To approach another vessel from windward.

bear down »    To press down on someone.

bear down »    To intensify one's efforts.

bear down »    When giving birth, to push.

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

bear hug »    wrestling hold

bear in with »    Nearer.

bear up »    To sail close to the wind.

bear with »    To be patient with.

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

beat down »    To strike with great force.

beat down »    To haggle someone to sell at a lower price.

beat down »    To severely beat someone up.

beat it »    To go away.

beat off »    To drive something away with blows.

beat off »    To waste time.

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

beat out »    To win by a narrow margin.

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

beat up »    To feel badly guilty and accuse oneself over something. Usually followed by over.

beats me »    I don't know; I have no idea.

beauty is in the eye of the beholder »    Individuals have different inclinations on what is beautiful. Individuals have different beauty standards.

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

beaver away »    To busily undertake a large task.

bed down »    To lie down to sleep for the night, usually of livestock or machinery.

bed down »    To put an animal to rest for the night.

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

beef to the hoof »    Fat, chubby, particularly with fat legs.

beefed out »    Muscular, often in an exaggerated way.

been there, done that »    An assertion that the speaker has personal experience or knowledge of a particular place or topic and is now bored.

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

beg off »    To avoid, or cancel some event that one has previously arranged with someone.

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 somebody's back »    Without somebody's knowledge; secretly.

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

behind the scenes »    In secret; out of public view.

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

bells and whistles »    Extra features added for show rather than function; fancy additions or features.

below par »    Having a price below its face value.

below par »    Less than par for the hole or course.

below par »    Not up to the average or normal standard.

below the belt »    Of a punch, landing illegally, below the opponent's waist.

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

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.

bend one's elbow »    To drink alcoholic beverages, especially at a public house or bar.

bend over backwards »    To make a great effort; to take extraordinary care; to go to great lengths.

bend somebody's ear »    Sorry to bend your ear with the whole story, but I think you ought to know.

best laid plans »    A proverbial expression used to signify the futility of making detailed plans when the outcome is uncertain.

best of both worlds »    A combination of two seemingly contradictory benefits.

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

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 Scylla and Charybdis »    Similar in meaning to between a rock and a hard place.

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

betwixt and between »    Neither one thing nor the other.

big boys »    The people or bodies with the most influence and/or power.

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 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 shot »    A person with a reputation of importance or power.

big wheel »    A person with a great deal of power or influence, especially a high-ranking person in an organization.

big wheel »    Ferris wheel.

bigwig »    A person of importance to a group or organization.

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

bird of one's own brain »    One's own idea or conception.

bird's-eye view »    The view from directly or high above.

birds of a feather »    C1710, Jonathan Swift, "A Conference," lines 11-12.

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 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 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.

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

black »    Overcrowded.

black »    Without light.

black babies »    Third world charities, the missions.

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

black sheep »    A disliked person; one who is disfavored.

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.

blaze a trail »    To set precedent or do something novel; to break new ground.

blaze a trail »    To show the way or proceed rapidly.

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.

blind »    A covering for a window to keep out light. The covering may be made of cloth or of narrow slats that can block light or allow it to pass.

blind »    A player who is or was forced to make a bet.

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 one's copy book »    To damage one's own reputation through bad behavior.

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

blow a gasket »    To become very angry or upset.

blow a kiss »    To kiss one's hand, then blow on the hand in a direction towards the recipient.

blow away »    Flabbergast; scintillate; impress greatly.

blow away »    To be dispersed as a result of being blown.

blow away »    To cause to go away by blowing.

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

blow chunks »    To suffer from explosive diarrhea.

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 it »    To fail at something; to mess up; to make a mistake.

blow off »    To pass gas; to break wind.

blow off »    To vent, usually, to reduce pressure in a container.

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 chances »    To forfeit opportunities to achieve some goal.

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 over »    To blow on something causing it to topple.

blow over »    To pass naturally; to go away; to settle or calm down.

blow smoke »    To speak with a lack of credibility, sense, purpose, or truth; to speak nonsense.

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

blow someone's mind »    To astonish someone, to flabbergast someone.

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 the whistle »    To make a piercing sound which signals a referee's action or the end of a game.

blow this pop stand »    To exit or remove oneself from a less than exciting location or environment.

blow this popsicle stand »    To leave an establishment speedily.

blow up »    To explode or be destroyed by explosion.

blow up »    To explode something or somebody or destroy something or injure or kill somebody by explosion.

blow up »    To inflate or fill with air.

blow up »    To enlarge or zoom in.

blow up »    To fail disastrously.

blow up »    To become popular very quickly.

blow up »    To suddenly get very angry.

blow up in one's face »    To fail disastrously.

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

blue devils »    Low spirits; depression.

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

blue whale »    largest mammal

bluewash »    To tout a business or organization's commitment to social responsibility, and to use this perception for public relations and economic gain; to present a humanitarian front in this manner.

bluewash »    To use a blue paint or glaze.

blurt out »    To say suddenly, without thinking.

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

bogged down »    Stuck, as if in a bog.

bogged down »    Stuck; mired, as in detail, difficulty; delayed or made slower.

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.

boil down to »    to be equivalent to; to reduce to.

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.

bone up »    To study or cram, especially in order to refresh one's knowledge of a topic.

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

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

borganism »    An organization of autonomous organisms that exhibit collectivism: individual "units" that have merged to yield a unified construct. Such an amalgam may possess a collective consciousness, arguably an emergent phenomenon of social networking.

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

born in a barn »    Of humble birth, especially when referring to Jesus Christ.

born with a silver spoon in one's mouth »    Born rich or in a wealthy family.

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.

boss about »    To act in a bossy manner with another person, ordering them to do things, whether or not one is actually their superior.

boss around »    To act in a bossy manner with another person, ordering them to do things, whether or not one is actually their superior.

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

bottoming the house »    The process by where someone cleans their house 'from top to bottom'. It is a very thorough clean indeed, even more so than 'spring cleaning'.

bounce back »    To recover from a negative without seemingly any damage.

bouncing off the walls »    Moving hyperactively.

bow out »    To resign, or leave, with one's credibility still intact.

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

bowl of cherries »    An enjoyable experience.

bowl out »    And thus end their innings.

bowl over »    To overwhelm with astonishment or wonder; to flabbergast.

bowled over »    to be astonished; overwhelmed; surprised; shocked

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-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.

boxer shorts »    underwear

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.

brace of shakes »    The time taken for a sail to shake or shiver twice as a ship comes into the wind.

brain surgeon »    Someone who does brain surgery.

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

brass farthing »    Something worthless or of small value.

brass monkey »    A cocktail of vodka, rum and orange juice, sometimes with the addition of galliano.

brass monkey »    Said of the weather when it is very cold.

brass neck »    A person with gall.

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.

breadwinner »    The member of a household who earns all or most of the income

break a leg »    A wish for a successful performance; primarily a valediction to an actor wishing him or her a successful theatrical stage performance.

break a leg »    To perform well in a theatrical production or comparable endeavor.

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

break a sweat »    January 2008, The Age - Walkovers blaze a trail for women's equal-pay theory.

break a sweat »    To put effort into something.

break a sweat »    To start sweating.

break away »    To leave suddenly.

break down »    To fail.

break down »    To become unstable, mentally or otherwise.

break down »    To decay.

break down »    To give more detail.

break ground »    To begin digging in the earth at the start of a new construction, or, originally, for cultivation.

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

break ground »    To lift off the sea bottom when being weighed.

break in »    New function more naturally through use or wear.

break in the case »    A new discovery in a case.

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

break new ground »    To begin excavating and levelling earth for a new building, or, originally, for cultivation.

break off »    To remove a piece from a whole by breaking or snapping.

break the bank »    To win more money than is available to be paid.

break the buck »    Fall below the value of one dollar per share.[1].

break the ice »    To start to get to know people, by avoiding awkwardness.

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.

breath of fresh air »    Something relieving, refreshing, or new.

breathe down someone's neck »    To follow someone too closely, making it uncomfortable for them.

brick wall »    An obstacle.

brickbat »    A piece of brick used as a weapon, especially if thrown, or placed in something like a sock and used as a club.

brickbat »    A criticism or uncomplimentary remark hurled at artwork or other recipient.

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

bridge »    A particular form of one hand placed on the table to support the cue when making a shot in cue sports.

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

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.

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

brim over »    To overflow over the brim.

bring back »    To reenact an old rule or law.

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

bring down »    To reduce.

bring down »    To make something flying fall to the ground. Usually by firing a weapon of some kind.

bring down »    To make someone feel bad emotionally.

bring down the house »    To garner enthusiastic or wild applause.

bring forward »    To call up for consideration.

bring forward »    To make something happen earlier than originally planned.

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

bring in »    To return a verdict in a court of law.

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 owls to Athens »    Perhaps we have not been sufficiently aware that talking about access and its implications in Scandinavia is like bringing owls to Athens. — Herbert Burkert.

bring owls to Athens »    To undertake a pointless venture, one that is redundant, unnecessary, superfluous, or highly uneconomical.

bring owls to Athens »    Who brings owls to Athens? — Euelpides, in Aristophanes' Birds.

bring round »    To bring something when coming.

bring up »    To bring from a lower position to a higher position.

bring up »    To turn on power or start, as of a machine.

broad across the beam »    Without fat on the hips and the bottom.

broad church »    A wide scope of philosophies and ideas.

broad in the beam »    Without fat on the hips and the bottom.

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

bros before hoes »    (US, informal) A man should prioritize his male friends over his girlfriend or wife.

brown bag »    A short presentation or seminar on a given subject, especially one given at lunchtime.

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

brown noser »    One who sucks up; a bootlicker, ass-kisser, sycophant.

brown power »    The production of electricity made from conventional sources, such as coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear power.

brown thumb »    Lack of skill at growing plants; something possessed by a poor gardener.

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

brush up »    To review; to improve an existing but rusty or under-developed skill.

bucket down »    To rain heavily.

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

buckle down »    To put forth the needed effort; to focus; become serious; apply oneself.

bug out »    To abandon someone without warning.

bugger off »    Go away.

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

built like a brick shithouse »    Of a person, with an exceptionally well-developed chest.

built like a tank »    Sturdy; exceptionally well constructed.

bull's eye »    sweet

bulletproof »    Capable of withstanding a direct shot by a bullet fired from a gun.

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

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 into »    To collide with something.

bundle of energy »    One who is especially lively, continually active, or industrious.

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

bundle of joy »    A newborn baby.

bundle of nerves »    A person with an especially nervous, excitable, or fearful disposition.

bung up »    To close an opening with a cork, cork like object or other improvised obstruction.

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

bunny hop »    A jump made where both wheels leave the ground.

bunny hug »    A sweatshirt with a hood.

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 down »    To burn to nothing.

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

burn one's candle at both ends »    To work extremely or excessively hard; to work too hard for good health or peace of mind.

burn out »    To tire due to overwork.

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

burst someone's bubble »    To disillusion; to disabuse someone of a false notion or rationalization that has grown comfortable.

bury the lead »    To begin a story with details of secondary importance to the reader while postponing more essential points or facts.

bury the lede »    To begin a story with details of secondary importance to the reader while postponing more essential points or facts.

bush league »    A low-ranking or inferior level among groups, professions, organizations, etc.

bush league »    A professional sports association at the lower levels of minor league organization.

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 before pleasure »    An admonishment that discharging one's obligations must take precedence over devoting time to pursuits meant solely for one's own gratification.

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 young woman employed in business or office work.

busman's holiday »    A holiday or vacation during which you do the same thing that you do for your usual work.

bust one's butt »    To work exceptionally hard.

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 beaver »    Someone who is very busy or hard-working.

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 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 heads »    To argue uncompromisingly with someone.

butt-naked »    With the buttocks bared.

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.

button-down »    Conservative; conventional; unimaginative.

button-down »    Of a collar, able to be buttoned down to the shirt, as over a necktie.

button-down »    Serious; staid; businesslike.

buttoned-down »    Alternative form of button-down.

buy out »    To purchase the ownership of a company.

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

buzz off »    Used to tell someone to go away.

buzz up »    To allow entrance into a building from a higher floor by triggering an electronic lock.

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

by and large »    Mostly, generally; with few exceptions.

by hand »    Manually; without the use of automation or machines.

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

by hook or by crook »    By any means possible; one way or another.

by one's own hand »    As a result of one's own actions, especially with reference to death by suicide.

by oneself »    Alone; without assistance, accompaniment, or help from others.

by the book »    In a manner which adheres strictly to rules, legal requirements, or official procedures.

by the by »    Used to introduce a new topic; incidentally.

by the numbers »    To do something exactly, precisely, or in a formulaic way.

by the same token »    For a similar reason; in a similar manner; similarly; likewise; along the same lines.

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

by the time »    When.

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 'em as one sees 'em »    To candidly and honestly express an opinion or viewpoint.

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

call in »    To withdraw something from sale or circulation.

call it a night »    To cease what one has been doing for the night.

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's nose »    A metaphor for a situation where the permitting of some small act will lead consequently to a larger undesirable act or circumstance.

can of worms »    A complex, troublesome situation arising when a decision or action produces considerable subsequent problems.

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.

Cannon fodder »    Military personnel who are regarded as expendable when attacking the enemy.

cap over the windmill »    In a crazed manner.

captain of industry »    A prominent business person who owns or is the highest-ranking executive of one or more major firms, especially one who has considerable wealth and influence.

carpe diem cras »    seize the day tomorrow, make the most of tomorrow

carried away »    Made excessively emotional or excited.

carrot and stick »    Simultaneous rewards for good behavior and punishments for bad behavior.

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

carry away »    To break under sudden pressure of violent wind.

carry coals to Newcastle »    To do something that is unneeded or redundant.

carry off »    Knowledge, confidence, or familiarity.

carry off »    To transport away.

carry one's own weight »    A variant of carry one's weight.

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

carry out »    To hold while moving something out.

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

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.

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

cash cow »    Someone or something which is a dependable source of appreciable amounts of money; a moneymaker.

cast away »    To discard.

cast away »    To abandon or maroon.

cast off »    To let go a cable or rope securing a vessel to a buoy, wharf etc so that she may proceed.

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

cast on »    To start the first row of knitting by putting stitches on a needle.

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

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 got someone's tongue »    Why are you not saying anything?.

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 meow »    A self-satisfied person.

cat's pyjamas »    That new car was really the cat's pyjamas.

catch a cold »    To become infected with cold.

catch fire »    Become engulfed with flames.

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

catch up »    To provide with news.

catch up »    To get news.

catch up »    get level with

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.

cattle call »    An audition which is open to the public and thus draws a large number of applicants, many of whom are inexperienced.

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.

caught in the act »    To be found doing something that you weren't supposed to be doing, while you're doing it.

caught with one's hand in the cookie jar »    Observed or apprehended while committing a theft, especially while embezzling money.

caught with one's pants down »    Caught off guard, unprepared, or in an embarrassing situation.

cave in »    The location where something has caved in.

caveat lector »    Reader beware.

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.

chain reaction »    A nuclear reaction in which particles produced by the fission of one atom trigger fissions of other atoms.

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.

champ at the bit »    To show impatience or frustration when delayed.

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.

change horses in midstream »    To change plans or approaches at an inopportune time, such as when an effort is already underway, generally considered an inadvisable thing to do.

change one's mind »    To convince someone to make a decision differing from what a previous one.

charge up »    To recharge, to give electrical power to something.

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 a rainbow »    To pursue something illusory, impractical, or impossible.

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

chase down »    To pursue and apprehend someone.

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 sera sera »    Used to express a personal philosophy of fatalism1604, Christopher Marlowe, Doctor Faustus:Why then belike we must sin, / And so consequently die. / Aye, we must die an everlasting death. / What doctrine call you this ? Che, sera, sera: / What will be*, shall be; Divinity adieu. / These Metaphysics of Magicians, / And necromantic books, are heavenly.

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

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

cheek by jowl »    In close proximity; crammed uncomfortably close together.

cheese down »    To coil the tail of a rope on deck so as to present a neat appearance.

cheese it »    A minced oath used as a warning to stop, hide, or flee.

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.

chew out »    To lecture, scold, reprimand, or rebuke.

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.

chicken out »    To shy away from a daring task; to decline, refuse, or avoid something due to fear or uncertainty.

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

children should be seen and not heard »    Children should behave well and be quiet, especially in the presence of adults.

chinese gooseberry »    kiwi fruit

chip in »    To make a contribution; help in a small way; especially, to pay for a part of something.

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

chip on one's shoulder »    A form of challenge in the same spirit as a medieval knight throwing down his gauntlet.

chomp at the bit »    To show impatience or frustration when delayed.

chopped liver »    A Jewish food made by frying liver and onions in schmaltz.

chopped liver »    A person or object which is not worthy of being noticed; someone or something insignificant.

chow down »    To eat, especially to eat vigorously.

chrome horn »    The front bumper of a car when used to bump another vehicle, usually to inform the driver of the other vehicle, that the first car would like to pass.

chuck away »    To discard, or throw away.

chuck it down »    To rain heavily.

chump change »    An amount of remuneration, reward, or other monetary recompense considered to be insultingly small.

circle the wagons »    To draw a wagon train into a circle to allow the wagons to provide cover when under attack.

circle the wagons »    To prepare to defend against an attack.

claim to fame »    That for which one has bragging rights; one's reason for being well-known or famous.

clamp down on »    To take measures to stop something; to put an end to.

class clown »    A student who frequently makes jokes or pokes fun; a wiseacre.

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 »    An earth material with ductile qualities.

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

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.

clean up »    To make a large profit; to win by a large margin, or to win a large amount, especially in gambling. Also clean house.

clear cut »    Straightforward, obvious, simple, or basic.

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.

climbing the walls »    Present participle of climb the walls.

clock in »    To begin work.

clogs to clogs in three generations »    (UK) Wealth earned in one generation seldom lasts through the third (grandchild

close as wax »    Miserly.

close down »    To stop trading as a business.

close down »    To surround someone, as to impede their movement.

close enough for government work »    It is not worth investing additional time on perfecting this thing.

close in on »    To catch up with in a chase; to near the end of a pursuit.

close to home »    Affecting people close to, or within, ones family circle.

close up »    To heal a cut or other wound.

close up shop »    To shut down a shop; to end a business activity.

clout list »    A usually secret list containing the names of people who are to be given special access, benefits, or influence in a political or social situation, especially as a result of having personal, professional, or financial relationships with those in authority.

clue stick »    A metaphorical stick used to beat information or understanding into a slow learner.

clutter up »    To fill with rubbish.

coals to Newcastle »    A pointless venture, in the sense of sending something to a place where it's made, or where they already have an abundance.

cock a snook »    To spread one hand, place the thumb on the nose and wriggle some of the fingers as a gesture of disrespect.

cock of the walk »    A proud or conceited person.

cock of the walk »    W:The Pogues - w:The Irish Rover.

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

cold comfort »    C. 1594, William Shakespeare, The Taming of the Shrew, act 4, sc. 1.

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 snap »    A period of exceptionally cold weather.

cold turkey »    The physiological effects of such a withdrawal.

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

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 by »    To obtain; to get, now especially by chance or involuntarily.

come down »    To descend.

come down »    To recover from drug-induced euphoria.

come down to »    To reach by moving down or reducing.

come down to »    To depend upon, basically, ultimately or in essence.

come down to us »    To survive to the present day; to be extant in some form.

come down with »    To contract or get; to show symptoms of a minor illness.

come hell or high water »    Regardless of the hardships.

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 of age »    To reach a specific age where one is legally considered to be an adult.

come out »    To walk onto the field at the beginning of an innings.

come out in the wash »    Of problems or difficulties, to work out, resolve, or become understood eventually and naturally.

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 of the woodwork »    To appear or emerge as though out of nowhere, frequently in large numbers or quantity.

come out with »    To say something unexpected.

come through »    Not to let somebody down, keep one's promise.

come to »    To stop a sailing vessel, especially by turning into the wind. See also come about.

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 grips »    To confront or deal with directly.

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

come up »    To come towards, to approach.

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

company »    A group of individuals with a common purpose, as in a company of actors.

company »    A military unit, typically consisting of two or three platoons.

company »    As he had worked for the CIA for over 30 years, he would soon take retirement from the company.

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

company »    The entire crew of a ship.

comply with »    To abide by a set of rules.

con man »    swindler

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.

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

cooking with gas »    Now doing something in an effective way.

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 it »    Calm down, relax, take a time out.

cop on »    Grow up.

cop-out »    A person who cops out.

cop-out »    An excuse made in order to avoid performing a task or duty; a reason offered when someone cops out.

copious free time »    A hypothetical time set aside for performing time-consuming tasks, however insinuating that the speaker really has no free time.

copper-bottomed »    Having lower parts made of or covered by copper.

copy typist »    office worker

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.

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.

country mile »    A long way, a great distance.

cowgirl position »    A sex position in which the man lies on his back, and the woman sits on top of him facing him.

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

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.

crack down »    To enforce more stringently or more thoroughly.

crack down on »    To enforce laws or punish more vigilantly.

crack of dawn »    The first moment of daylight; sunrise.

crack up »    To become insane; to suffer a mental breakdown.

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 increase, as the volume, power or energy of something.

crap out »    To break down.

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

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

creep into »    To enter something or somewhere by creeping.

creep up »    To advance with stealth, unnoticed.

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

cross off »    To strike out; to cross out; to draw a line through.

cross out »    To strike out; to draw a line through.

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

cross that bridge when one comes to it »    To deal with a problem or situation only when it arises.

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 Rubicon »    To make an irreversible decision or to take an action with consequences.

crown jewels »    A part of a company sought by another in a hostile takeover.

crown jewels »    A prized possession or asset.

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

crown jewels »    The male genitalia.

crowned heads »    monarchs

cruising for a bruising »    Following a course of action likely to result in injury or other trouble for oneself.

cry all the way to the bank »    To be happy due to the receipt of money, although expressing sorrow about the cause of such receipt.

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 off »    To cancel something that one has previously arranged with someone.

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

cry someone a river »    To weep profusely or excessively in the presence of another person.

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

cry wolf »    To raise a false alarm; to constantly warn others about an imagined threat, thereby failing to get assistance when a real threat appears.

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

cue up »    The act of taking aim on the cue ball with the cue in a game of snooker, or billiards, etc.

cup of tea »    Whatever suits or interests one.

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

curveball »    A forespin pitch thrown by rotating the index and middle fingers down and resulting in motion down "curve".

cut a rug »    To dance, especially in a vigorous manner and in one of the dance styles of the first half of the twentieth century.

cut a swath »    Variant form of cut a wide swath.

cut a wide swath »    To behave in an expansive, flagrantly showy, or pushy manner, especially in public venues; to exert sweeping influence.

cut a wide swath »    To clear a broad track through a grassland, woodland, geographical region, or other area, either by natural means or by human action.

cut and dried »    Simple, straightforward, clear, or certain.

cut down »    To bring down by cutting.

cut down »    To insult, to belittle.

cut down »    To reduce the amount of something.

cut in »    Especially, to dance with someone who is already dancing by replacing his or her partner.

cut in »    When painting, to paint edges, corners, or trim in preparation for rolling larger areas.

cut it fine »    To achieve something at the last possible moment, or with no margin for error.

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

cut somebody some slack »    To be patient or lenient with somebody; to relax standards or expectations.

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

cut up »    To behave like a clown.

daily grind »    The difficult, routine, or monotonous tasks of daily work.

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

damn with faint praise »    To provide praise that is so minimal or inconsequential as to actually amount to criticism.

damned if one does and damned if one doesn't »    A dilemma where either choice results in a negative outcome.

damp squib »    A firework that fails to go off, due to wetting.

damp squib »    Anything that doesn’t work properly, or fails to come up to expectations..

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

dash off »    To write quickly or informally.

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

dawn of a new day »    A new beginning; a fresh start; an important, promising turning point.

dawn on »    To occur to somebody; to be realized.

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

dead »    Without emotion.

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 duck »    One who is in serious danger or trouble.

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

dead giveaway »    Obvious, easily apparent.

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 to rights »    With sufficient evidence to establish responsibility definitively.

dead weight »    That which is useless or excess; that which slows something down.

dead weight »    Weight that does not move.

dead wood »    Dead limbs and branches still attached to a living tree.

dead wood »    Personnel no longer contributing to an organization.

deadbeat dad »    A man, especially one who is divorced or estranged from his partner, who fails to provide monetary child support when he is legally required to do so.

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

deadweight »    A useless, usually encumbering factor.

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.

deathblow »    A strike or blow that leads to death, especially a coup de grace.

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 down »    Fundamentally; in essence; in reality; really.

deep end »    A situation where expertise or experience is required.

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

deep pockets »    An ample supply of money, especially money which one is willing to spend; the possessor of such money.

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.

deep-six »    To throw something overboard from a ship.

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 »    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.

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.

diamond in the rough »    A person whose goodness or other positive qualities are hidden by a harsh or unremarkable surface appearance.

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.

die »    Followed by of. General use.

die »    Followed by with. Now rare as indicating direct cause.

die down »    To become less virulent.

different as chalk and cheese »    Two things which are superficially alike but very different in substance.

dig in »    To make a burst of hard work.

dig up dirt »    To examine in order to find negative information for public opinion, usually with the purpose of embarrassing or discrediting a person.

dim bulb »    A person who is slow-witted.

dime a dozen »    So common as to be practically worthless.

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

dirty old man »    An adult male - usually middle-aged or elderly - who acts in a lecherous or lewd manner.

dirty word »    A word that is considered vulgar, not necessarily sexual in nature.

dirty word »    The name of a topic that a person does not like to hear or discuss.

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

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 slow burn »    To experience a gradually increasing feeling of anger or frustration.

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

do justice »    To really allow to be apprehended in its full scope.

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

do one's damnedest »    To do one's utmost; to make every effort or to try every possible approach or way.

do one's darnedest »    To do one's utmost; to make every effort or to try every possible approach or way.

do one's thing »    To do what one habitually does.

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 best and live the rest »    First do your work with your 100% dont think about the result

do the math »    You can do the calculation yourself, with the implication that you don't have to trust someone else's assertions.

do the trick »    To work; to be successful; to solve a problem.

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

do without »    To manage despite the lack of something.

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

does a bear shit in the woods »    Rhetorical question in response to a question where the answer is an emphatic yes.

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 around »    To follow diligently.

dog's life »    A life of indolence where the individual may do as he or she pleases, just like a pampered dog.

dogs »    With the, a greyhound racing event.

don't be penny wise and pound foolish »    Don't be careful when it comes to spending small amounts of money, but careless when spending much larger amounts.Don't focus on minutiae and lose sight of the big picture; don't obsess over tiny inconsequential efficiencies while glaring inefficiencies are going on elsewhere.

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 drop the soap »    (idiomatic) Used as a mockery to someone who is about to be or should be confined in prison.

don't give up your day job »    Implying that they could not earn a living from it without other regular employment.

don't hold your breath »    "Don't wait." Said cynically to suggest that what has just been mentioned to is unlikely to happen soon or at all.

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

don't look at me »    A response indicating that one is not willing or able to perform a task.

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 shoot the messenger »    The bearer of bad news should not be held accountable for the bad news.

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.

donkey work »    Hard, boring, routine work.

dormitive principle »    Words.

doss down »    To sleep on someone's sofa or floor because there is no bed spare.

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

double booked »    Of a single resource, reserved for two different users at the same time.

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

double Dutch »    A game of jump rope with two ropes and frequently two jumpers.

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

double-edged sword »    A benefit that is also a liability, or that carries some significant but non-obvious cost or risk.

down and out »    In trouble; in a bad time or situation or having very bad luck.

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

down in the dumps »    Sad; lacking engagement or enthusiasm.

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 pat »    Thoroughly practiced, rehearsed, or understood.

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 a fine art »    Having or showing exceptional proficiency.

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

down to the wire »    At the very end of a process or project, especially one with a fast-approaching deadline.

down under »    In Australia.

down with his apple-cart »    Knock or throw him down.

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

down-to-earth »    Practical; realistic; pragmatic.

drag »    To act or proceed slowly or without enthusiasm; to be reluctant.

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

drag »    To move slowly.

drag »    To pull along a surface or through a medium, sometimes with difficulty.

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

drag out »    To haul or bring out forcefully or as though with force.

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 »    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 a blank »    To be unable to produce a required piece of information.

draw back »    To retreat from a position.

draw back »    To move backwards.

draw back »    To withdraw from an undertaking.

draw back »    To pull something back or apart.

draw on »    To sketch or mark with pencil, crayon, etc., on a given surface.

draw on »    To appeal to, make a demand of, rely on; to utilize or make use of, as a source.

draw on »    To advance, continue; to move or pass slowly or continuously, as under a pulling force.

draw on »    To approach, come nearer, as evening.

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

draw out »    To physically extract, as blood from a vein.

draw out »    To extract, bring out, as concealed information; elicit; educe.

draw out »    To use means to entice or force to be more open or talkative.

draw out »    To improve a losing hand to a winning hand by receiving additional cards.

draw stumps »    To cease doing something, at least for the day.

draw stumps »    To declare an end to the days play, and remove the bails and sometimes the stumps.

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.

draw up »    come to a halt

drawing near »    approaching

dress down »    To scold.

dress down »    To wear casual or informal clothes.

dress up »    To wear smart clothes for an occasion.

dress up »    To wear fancy dress or a costume.

dressed to the nines »    Very fancily or formally dressed; wearing very showy or splendid clothing.

dressing-down »    A reprimand or rarely, a thrashing.

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.

drip »    To have a superabundance of valuable things. Usually followed by "with".

drip »    To leak slowly.

drive away »    To depart by driving a vehicle.

drive away »    To force someone or something to leave.

drive home »    With tangible or powerful demonstration.

drive off »    To force to leave or go away.

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

drive out »    Out of somewhere.

drive the porcelain bus »    To vomit, especially while drunk or hung over.

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 announce surprising or alarming information suddenly and without warning.

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

drop in »    One who arrives unannounced or without an appointment.

Drop out of warp »    Dis-engage the cruise control on the car

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

drop the ball »    To fail in one's responsibilities or duties, or to make a mistake, especially at a critical point or when the result is very negative.

drop the writ »    To call a federal or provincial election.

drown out »    To cover, obscure, or hide by being louder than.

drug on the market »    Something which is overabundant at the moment and thus not in demand.

druther »    Would rather; would prefer to.

druthers »    Wishes, preferences, or ways.

dry eye »    An eye which is not crying, i.e. someone emotionally unmoved.

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

due course »    A. 1735, Jonathan Swift, Gulliver's Travels.

duke it out »    To fight, especially with the fists.

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

dummy up »    To not answer questions.

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

dusty miller »    One of several species of plants with leaves of a dusty appearance: Centaurea cineraria, Senecio cineraria, and Lychnis coronaria.

dye in the wool »    To dye woolen fibers before they are spun into thread.

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

dyed-in-the-wool »    Dyed before being formed into cloth.

dyed-in-the-wool »    Firmly established in a person's beliefs or habits; deeply ingrained in the nature of a person or thing.

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.

ear tunnel »    A piece of jewelry that fits into a stretched earlobe hole and makes it seem like a peephole and makes it see-through.

early bath »    Being shown a red card in soccer.

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

early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise »    platitude from Benjamin Franklin under the pseudonym Poor Richard.

earn one's keep »    To perform satisfactory physical labor or to provide other worthy services in return for remuneration, lodging, or other benefits; to support oneself financially.

easy come, easy go »    Easily won and easily lost; usually said when resigned to a loss.

easy does it »    Relax; do something gently, lightly or carefully; slow down; calm down.

easy street »    A carefree situation or lifestyle, especially as resulting from possession of wealth.

eat crow »    To recognize that one has been shown to be mistaken or outdone, especially by admitting that one has made a humiliating error.

eat for two »    To be pregnant.

eat one's heart out »    To feel overwhelming sorrow, jealousy or longing, to grieve.

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 own dog food »    To use or consume the economic goods or services that oneself is producing; to be part of a closed household economy.

eat one's words »    To regret or retract what one has said.

eat out of somebody's hand »    To behave in a docile, submissive way towards somebody.

eat someone out of house and home »    C. 1598, William Shakespeare, Henry IV, Part 2, Act II Scene I.

eat someone out of house and home »    To consume such a portion of one's store of food that little is left for the owner.

eat the wind »    To take a walk.

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

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 white »    albumen

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

elbow room »    Freedom or leeway.

elbow room »    Room or space in which to move or maneuver.

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

empty promise »    A promise that is either not going to be carried out, worthless or meaningless.

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 of the world »    Any change that seems catastrophic or devastating.

end of the world »    End of habitability for life on Earth.

end of the world »    End of humanity.

end of the world »    End of the planet Earth.

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.

enough to make the angels weep »    Something so distressing that it causes one to lose hope and faith.

err on the side of »    To behave in a manner which favours or which is biassed toward.

err on the side of caution »    To act in the least risky manner in a situation where one is uncertain about the consequences.

even keel »    A situation in which the boat is level and balanced for a smooth ride.

even keel »    Of a business or other activity which is under control and running smoothly.

even money »    A bet which offers odds of 1 to 1.

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

every cloud has a silver lining »    In every bad situation there is an element of good1881, National Academy of Code Administration (U.S.), Folio, page 417:Every cloud has a silver lining; but in the old-fashioned meeting-houses every cloud of hymnal melody generally had a nasal lining before the congregation...1887, Shakers, Religion, page 36:that "a little reserve and thou'lt fail surely," will prove to be true in our experience. Every cloud has a silver lining and so has every sorrow,1918, George Jean Nathan, Performing Arts, page 222:But the most popular attitude toward what we may call "sad" plays is the peculiar one of believing that, since every cloud has a silver lining,

every day is a school day »    You learn something new every day.

every Jack has his Jill »    everybody will find someone to have a romantic relationship with at some point in their life

every king needs a queen »    Every man needs a woman to be with for the rest of his life.

every last »    Every; without exception; used for emphasis.

every little helps »    Even the smallest things are helpful when towards a goal.

every man Jack »    All the members of a group with no exceptions.

every nook and cranny »    Everywhere.

every which way »    All over; in every direction.

every which way »    In all sorts of ways or manners.

every which where »    A more emphatic version of everywhere.

everybody and his cousin »    Everybody; a huge crowd; too many people.

everything but the kitchen sink »    Almost everything, whether needed or not.

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.

execution style »    Resembling an execution; with the victim aware, but unable to defend himself or resist.

eye candy »    Any object or sight with considerable visual appeal.

eye of the beholder »    The evaluation depending on perception of person who sees and considers.

f** knows »    I don't know; nobody knows; it is unclear.

f** someone over »    To exploit somebody in a way which result in an advantage to oneself, at the cost of the other party gaining a considerable disadvantage.

f** this »    The phrase emphatically diminishes the activity or event referred to and expresses that the speaker will have no more to do with it.

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

face off »    The starting point, in a match of ice hockey. Two players face each other, for snatching the puck.

face that would stop a clock »    A shockingly attractive face.

face that would stop a clock »    A shockingly unattractive face.

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

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.

fade out »    A type of transition used in movies usually at the end of a scene, in which the transition fades to black from the cut.

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

fair and square »    Within the applicable rules.

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 sex »    Women collectively.

fair weather friend »    Only when it is advantageous or easy.

faith will move mountains »    Belief in oneself (read sometimes as belief in God) can help one overcome any hurdle in life's path.

fall away »    To cease to support a person or cause.

fall behind »    To be progressively below average in performance.

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 down »    To fall to the ground.

fall down »    To collapse.

fall for »    To be fooled; to walk into a trap or respond to a scam or trick.

fall for »    To fall in love with somebody.

fall in »    To collapse inwards.

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

fall in with »    To join a group of people.

fall in with »    To accept a set of generally agreed rules, or a suggestion.

fall into »    Without having planned it.

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 wagon »    To cease or fail at a regimen of self-improvement or reform; to lapse back into an old habit or addiction.

fall on one's sword »    To commit suicide by allowing one’s body to drop onto the point of one’s sword..

fall on one's sword »    To resign from a job or other position of responsibility, especially when pressured to do so.

fall on one's sword »    To voluntarily take the blame for a situation.

false friend »    A word in a foreign language bearing a deceptive resemblance to a word in one's own language.

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 and away »    By a large degree or margin; greatly.

far and wide »    Over a great distance, or large area; nearly everywhere.

far be it »    A disclaimer stating that the person speaking will not do something.

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

far out »    New, radical and extreme.

fare thee well »    Goodbye, farewell.

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

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

fat lip »    A swelling on the lip, especially one resulting from a punch or other blow.

fear »    Extreme veneration or awe, as toward a supreme being or deity.

feast or famine »    A situation in which something is always either extremely abundant or in extremely short supply.

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.

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.

feel for »    To express sympathy for, to sympathise with.

feel one's oats »    To feel important; to be empowered.

feet of clay »    To say that someone, who appears strong or invincible, in fact has a hidden weak point which could cause their fall.

fence in »    To enclose with a fence.

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

fend away »    To turn something away; to ward off.

fend off »    Away; to turn away; to defend against; to repel with force or effort.

few and far between »    Rare and scarce.

field day »    A day of class taken away from school for a field trip.

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.

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.

fifth wheel »    A very large trailer that is towed with a pickup truck.

fifth wheel »    A very large truck trailer; an 18-wheeler.

fifth wheel »    Anything superfluous or unnecessary.

fight a losing battle »    To continue to wage war when it is clear that one is not going to win.

fight a losing battle »    To try to do something so difficult that it will probably end in failure.

fight fire with fire »    To respond to an attack with a similar or identical method.

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

file away »    To store in a file.

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

film critic »    movie reviewer

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 curtain »    The end to something which has longed for a long time.

find one's feet »    To grow in confidence in a new situation as one gains experience.

finders keepers »    The doctrine that whoever finds something is allowed to keep it

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

fire away »    To begin shooting at an enemy.

fire away »    To begin to talk or present information quickly.

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

fire off »    To write a note or letter quickly.

fire up »    To excite; to infuse with energy.

first come, first served »    People will be dealt with in the order they arrive.

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 or cut bait »    To choose between taking action now, or forgoing the opportunity and putting that energy into another endeavor; to decide.

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

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

five will get you ten »    I strongly believe.

fix someone's wagon »    To punish someone; to cause injury, distress, or inconvenience for someone.

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

flap one's gums »    To speak idly; to talk without effect.

flash in the pan »    A career notable for early success not followed by significant accomplishment.

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

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.

flight of fancy »    An idea, narrative, suggestion, etc. which is extremely imaginative and which appears to be entirely unrealistic, untrue, or impractical; thinking which is very speculative.

flipside »    Later or tomorrow.

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

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

flower »    A plant that bears flowers.

flower »    An inflorescence that resembles a flower, but actually contains many small florets, such as a sunflower.

flower »    Of plants, a state of bearing blooms.

flower »    The best examples or representatives of a group.

flower »    The best state of things; the prime.

flower »    The vulva, especially the labia majora.

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 ointment »    Something which ruins or spoils everything else; a nuisance or problem; an unpleasant or disagreeable detail.

fly off the handle »    To become very angry or enraged; to throw a fit or go crazy.

fly on the wall »    A quiet, non-participating, or unseen observer; an eavesdropper or witness.

fly-by-night »    A creatures which flies at night; a nocturnal flier or traveler.

fly-by-night »    One who departs or flees at night in order to avoid creditors, law enforcement etc. .

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 suit »    To play a card of the same suit as the previous or leading card.

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

food chain »    The feeding relationships between species in a biotic community.

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

for all the world »    Entirely, to all appearances.

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

for the birds »    Worthless; pointless; not deserving serious consideration.

for the nonce »    For the time being, with the expectation that the situation may change.

for the record »    Already publicly known.

for XYZ reasons »    For reasons unknown and not worth speculating on.

forbidden fruit »    Illicit pleasure; something that one should not take or get involved with, such as an another person's spouse.

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.

fork over »    To turn over soil with a gardening fork.

fortune favors the bold »    Luck is usually on the side of those who take chances and risks.

forty winks »    Sleep, extra sleep, or a nap.

foul up »    To make a mistake, to go wrong.

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

four-eyes »    A person who wears spectacles.

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 »    Which governed legislation.

fourth wall »    The boundary between the fiction and the audience.

fourth wall »    The imaginary invisible wall at the front of the stage in a proscenium theatre, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play.

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 lunch »    Something obtained without any payment, obligation or effort.

free ride »    An opportunity or benefit which has no cost, especially one enjoyed or undertaken at the expense of others.

fresh legs »    Somebody who has yet to play in a match, and therefore has plenty of energy.

fresh off the boat »    Newly arrived from a foreign place, especially as an immigrant who is still unfamiliar with the customs and language of his or her new environment.

fresh out of »    Of someone who has recently left one stage of life to begin another.

fresh start »    A new beginning, without prejudices.

friend with benefits »    A friend with whom one has such a relationship.

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

from cover to cover »    All the way to the last page.

from here to Sunday »    Everywhere; all over the place.

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

from scratch »    From the beginning; starting with no advantage or prior preparation; starting from raw ingredients.

from the bottom of one's heart »    In earnest; sincerely; with one's full feeling.

from the Department of the Bleeding Obvious »    So obvious it was unnecessary to say.

from the ground up »    From the beginning; starting with the basics, foundation, or fundamentals.

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

from time to time »    C. 1595, William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, act 3, sc. 3.

from time to time »    Occasionally; sometimes; once in a while.

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.

fudge the issue »    Adopt a solution to a specific problem which does not address the larger, more general problem of which the specific problem is an instance.

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

full of hot air »    Talking a lot, especially without saying anything of value or meaning.

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

full speed ahead »    A command, especially on military vessels, to move forward at maximum speed.

full speed ahead »    Maximum effort without reservations or delay.

full whack »    The whole amount.

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

game face »    The expression of one who is prepared for or is facing a lot of difficult and/or undesirable work, especially when it is imminent.

gandy dancer »    A railway laborer, especially a member of a crew which carries rails and affixes them to ties.

gang up on »    To join together in a gang in order to overpower someone else.

gapers' block »    A traffic jam resulting from motorists slowing to look at a motor vehicle collision or other roadside distraction.

garbage in, garbage out »    (computing, information technology) If input data is not complete, accurate, and timely, then the resulting output is unreliable and of no useful value.1963, Raymond Crowley, "Robot Tax Collector Seeks Indications of 'Fudging'," Times Daily (Alabama, USA), 1 April (retrieved 26 July 2010):Officials explained that the quality of the computer's work depends on the quality of the data fed into it. Neil Hoke, administrative assistant to Stewart, quoted an adage of computer men: "Garbage in, garbage out."2008, Roger K. Lewis, "'In Architectural Design, Brains and Talent Trump the Best Software," Washington Post, 19 July (retrieved 26 July 2010):The old caveat "GIGO"

get a grip »    To relax; to calm down; to stop being angry; to come to one's senses or become more rational.

get along »    To be together or coexist well, without arguments or trouble.

get along »    To survive; to do well enough.

get away »    escape

get away »    make an escape

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

get away with murder »    To do something bad or illegal and not be punished.

get busy »    Start working, usually in opposition to idleness.

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

get carried away »    To become excessively involved, to take something too far.

get down to brass tacks »    Deal with the important details.

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

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

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

get into one's stride »    To become familiar with something recently learnt.

get into someone's pants »    To have sex with.

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

get it »    To "get what's coming to him/her"; to feel one's wrath; to receive punishment; to receive a retaliation; to receive a beating.

get it »    To realize or understand why a joke is funny.

get it over with »    To do or finish, especially said of something unpleasant.

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

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

get off lightly »    End up with a mild punishment.

get off with »    To befriend someone and snog them, especially in a public place.

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

get one's act together »    To become serious, organized, worthwhile, etc.

get one's butt somewhere »    Go somewhere, especially quickly.

get one's claws into »    Have a controlling influence over.

get one's end away »    To have sex.

get one's feet wet »    To begin gaining experience; To take a risk and try something new.

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

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

get one's wires crossed »    To get confused or mixed up; to make a mistake.

get out of bed on the wrong side »    To start the day in a bad mood for no apparent reason.

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

get something over with »    To do something quickly and hastily; without procrastination, especially so as to have something unpleasant behind oneself.

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

get stuck into »    Get busy with; become occupied with; become immersed in.

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.

gets down »    dismounts

give 'em enough rope »    Allow one to function unhindered, or without further overbearing oversight.

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 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 birth »    To invent a new idea.

give birth »    To produce new life into the world; to have a baby. Transitive when used with to.

give hostage to fortune »    He was very cautious with his words and gave no hostages to fortune.

give it a whirl »    To try, test or attempt.

give me liberty or give me death »    A set-phrase indicating enormous displeasure at any over-authoritarian policy or law.

give or take »    Approximately; plus or minus some unknown amount.

give somebody the heave-ho »    To fire, expel or break up with someone.

give somebody the slip »    To evade, escape, or get away from somebody.

give somebody what-for »    To admonish or berate; to speak angrily at somebody.

give someone the eye »    To show flirtatious signs with the eye.

give someone what for »    To punish; to rebuke.

give the devil his due »    To acknowledge the positive qualities of a person who is unpleasant or disliked.

give the elbow »    To terminate the employment of.

give the time of day »    To acknowledge somebody; to give somebody any respect or attention.

glimmer »    A faint light; a dim glow.

gloss over »    To cover up a mistake or a crime; to hush up or whitewash.

gloss over »    To treat something with less care than it deserves; to skimp.

glow worm »    beetle

go all the way »    To continue to the conclusion of a task or project.

go all the way »    To have sexual intercourse.

go along with »    To comply with something, even if reluctantly; to accept or tolerate.

go apeshit »    To behave in an extreme manner; to act without restraint, especially by becoming explosively angry.

go away »    Command asking someone to leave them alone.

go away »    Go away, stop annoying me!.

go back to the drawing board »    To start again; to scrap a previous idea or plan and try again from the beginning.

go belly-up »    To fail or fold; especially, to close or shut down a business; to go out of business.

go between »    an intermediary

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 commando »    To not wear underpants.

go down »    To descend; to move from a higher place to a lower one.

go down »    To decrease; to change from a greater value to a lesser one.

go down »    Fall to the floor.

go down »    To stop functioning, to go offline.

go down »    To be received or accepted.

go down »    To perform oral sex.

go down »    To take place, happen.

go down that road »    To settle a way of doing something; do decide to do something in a particular way.

go down the pan »    To fail or degenerate rapidly.

go down the road »    A way of doing something; to do something in a particular way.

go down the toilet »    To fail.

go down the tubes »    To fail or degenerate rapidly.

go down the wrong way »    To swallow food or drink so that it goes down the wrong tube in one's throat and makes one cough or for a short period lose one's breath or choke.

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 go somewhere in order to get something.

go for broke »    To wager everything.

go for the gold »    To attempt to achieve the maximum reward or result in an endeavor.

go jump in the lake »    Used to tell a person that to go away, or that their request will not be met.

go large »    To have the wind at such an angle to the sail that the vessel gains its highest speed.

go native »    Of a contractor or consultant, to begin working directly as an employee for a company and cease to work through a contracting firm or agency.

go native »    To adopt the lifestyle or outlook of local inhabitants, especially when dwelling in a colonial region; to become less refined under the influence of a less cultured, more primitive, or simpler social environment.

go off the boil »    Cease to boil when heat is no longer applied.

go out »    1922, Alfred Edward Housman, XXVIII, lines 3-4.

go out of one's way »    To make an extra effort.

go out on the town »    To party all night long.

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 round in circles »    To repeatedly do the same thing; without making any progress.

go south »    To become unfavorable; to decrease; to take a turn for the worse.

go the distance »    To have the endurance to see a difficult sustained challenge to its natural end without faltering.

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 hell »    Winston Churchill.

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 through with »    To proceed; to continue.

go to seed »    To pass from flowering or ripening to the formation of seeds.

go to the mattresses »    To go to war; to use ruthless tactics; to act without restraint.

go to the wall »    To make an all-out effort.

go to town »    To proceed enthusiastically, vigorously, or expertly.

go to work »    Beat up, batter.

go to work »    To begin performing some task or work.

go to work »    To go to one's job, as by commuting.

go west »    To die; to become destroyed.

go with the flow »    To act as others are acting, conforming to common behavior patterns with an attitude of calm acceptance.

go without »    Be deprived of.

go without saying »    To be obvious, apparent or clear, or already established.

God helps those who help themselves »    Fortune comes to those who make a genuine effort to accomplish things.

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...

gold standard »    A monetary system where the value of circulating money is linked to the value of gold.

golden handcuffs »    Any arrangement or agreement designed to provide extremely favorable benefits or pay, so as to discourage participant from wanting to leave, especially to retain a choice employee.

golden hello »    A payment offered to an employee as an inducement to join, especially if currently working for a competitor.

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.

gongoozle »    To leisurely watch the passage of boats, from the bank of a canal, lock or bridge.

good drunk »    A person who is cheerful and companionable when intoxicated, retaining reasonable control of his or her mental and emotional faculties.

good fences make good neighbors »    It is better to mind one's own business than get involved with other people's affairs.

good for you »    well done

good job »    Well done; congratulations!.

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 on you »    An exclamation of encouragement or congratulation; well done.

good riddance »    Used to indicate that a departure, or loss is welcome.

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

good to go »    Ready for use or ready for normal operation, especially after repair or renewal.

goodbye cruel world »    A call said before taking a stiff drink, especially a shot of vodka.

goodbye cruel world »    An exclamation made before commiting suicide, or in a suicide note.

goof off »    To dawdle; to engage in idle activity or inactivity.

grab bag »    A gift, purchase, etc. whose contents are concealed until after a selection is made.

grace period »    A length of time during which rules or penalties do not take effect or are withheld.

grain of salt »    A bit of common sense and skepticism. Generally used in some form of to take with a grain of salt.

granary »    A fertile, grain-growing region.

grand poobah »    A person who is important or high-ranking.

grasp all, lose all »    one who wants everything, may lose it all

grasp at straws »    To guess randomly at or pursue any apparent option, as due to lack of options or information.

grass widow »    A divorcée..

grass widow »    A married woman whose husband is away.

grass widow »    A mother out of wedlock.

grass widower »    A divorcé..

grass widower »    A married man whose wife is away.

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.

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 minds think alike »    Used to emphasize a coincidence, or two people reaching the same conclusion in any manner at the same time.

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.

green thumb »    A person with this skill.

green with envy »    Consumed by envy; envious to the point where it is noticeable to others.

greenwash »    A false or misleading picture of environmental friendliness used to conceal or obscure damaging activities.

grey area »    An area intermediate between two mutually exclusive states or categories where the border between the two is fuzzy.

grin like a Cheshire cat »    To smile broadly, especially in a self-satisfied way.

ground rules »    The basic rules or standards; whatever someone must know before proceeding.

grow a pair »    To be brave; to show some courage, especially in a situation in which one has so far failed to do so.

grow cold »    To wane; to lose interest or enthusiasm for something or someone; to become disenchanted or to fall out of love with someone.

grow on »    To become more likeable to someone.

grow out of »    To become too physically large for something, especially clothes.

grow out of »    To become too mature for something.

grow up »    To mature and become an adult.

grow up »    To flourish.

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.

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.

gulp down »    To eat very quickly without chewing the food properly.

gunboat diplomacy »    The pursuit of foreign policy objectives with the aid of conspicuous displays of military power.

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.

gut reaction »    An instantaneous reaction made without thought.

hack into »    To reduce something to by hacking with a cutting instrument.

hack into »    To gain unauthorized entry to, particularly by exploiting little-known weaknesses.

hack it »    To cope with, to be successful in.

hair of the dog »    An alcoholic drink taken the morning after to cure a hangover or withdrawal symptoms.

hair-splitting »    The act of finding exceedingly small differences which are probably neither important nor noticeable to most people.

hair-splittingly »    With exceedingly small differences which are probably neither important nor noticeable to most people.

halcyon days »    Period of calm during the winter, when storms do not occur.

half nelson »    wrestling hold

halfway decent »    Good - better than expected.

halfway decent »    No more than adequate.

hammer and tongs »    With tools indicating seriousness of intent and capability of harm.

hand down »    To transmit in succession, as from father to son, or from predecessor to successor.

hand down »    To forward to the proper officer .

hand waving »    Discussion or argumentation involving approximation, vagueness, educated guessing, or the attempt to explain or excuse vagaries.

handbags at dawn »    A catty squabble.

handle with kid gloves »    To treat something very delicately or carefully.

hands down »    Without much effort; easily.

hands down »    Without question[2].

handwriting on the wall »    Alternative form of writing on the wall. A divine prediction or sentence to fate.

hang a Louie »    Make a left turn while driving a vehicle.

hang a Ralph »    Make a right turn while driving a vehicle.

hang on »    wait

hang out to dry »    To abandon someone who is in need or in danger.

hang out to dry »    To attach washing to a clothesline to dry.

hang out with »    To spend time with friends, doing nothing in particular.

hang paper »    To write a bad check.

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 of hearing »    Having difficulty hearing; somewhat deaf.

hard shoulder »    mortorway shopping area

hardwired »    Designed to perform a specific task.

hardwired »    In humans and animals, genetically determined, instinctive behavior, as opposed to learned behavior.

hardwired »    Not changeable.

hardwired »    Of devices, closely or tightly coupled.

harsh one's mellow »    Disturbing someone otherwise in a state of calm.

harsh one's mellow »    To annoy or irritate; to bother.

harsh one's mellow »    To get on one's nerves.

harsh one's mellow »    To make someone feel bad emotionally.

has-been »    A formerly popular or influential person whose popularity or effectiveness has peaked and is now in decline. Typically said of professionals or celebrities whose primary success is behind them.

hash out »    To work through the details of something; especially to work through difficulties.

haste makes waste »    One makes mistakes when being too hasty.

hat in hand »    With humility; in an apologetic or self-effacing fashion.

hatchet job »    A treatment which serves primarily to disparage its subject; a piece of criticism which aims to destroy a reputation.

hatchet man »    Someone who carries out brutal and unpleasant duties on behalf of another, such as firing dead wood employees.

haul off »    To alter course so as to get farther away from an object.

haul off »    To draw back the arm in order to punch.

haul somebody over the coals »    To express anger with someone in no uncertain terms when they do something wrong.

have a bone to pick »    To have a complaint or grievance with somebody.

have a cow »    To get angry; have a fit.

have a flat »    To be the owner of an apartment.

have a green thumb »    A person with a green thumb, a natural skill for gardening.

have a screw loose »    A phrase meaning that the subject is insane or irrational.

have a seat »    A polite directive to sit down.

have a seat »    To sit down; to take a seat.

have a way with »    To be skilled, adept, or graceful in something.

have a whale of a time »    To enjoy oneself greatly.

have a word with »    To talk or speak with.

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 at »    To attack; to engage in combat with.

have been around »    To be experienced in worldly matters; to be seasoned, not naive.

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 your way »    Do something the way you want to, but be prepared for the consequences.

have one's back to the wall »    To have no other options remaining.

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 ears lowered »    To get a haircut.

have one's heart set on »    To want or desire deeply, regardless of practicality or rationality.

have one's wits about one »    To remain calm, composed, or aware.

have one's work cut out for one »    To face a large task or project.

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 the blues »    To be depressed, to have a low morale.

have the run of »    To have permission or freedom to move around throughout an area or to use something at will.

have the wind up »    To be frightened or disturbed.

have to do with »    See "have to do".

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.

have truck with »    To have dealings with.

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 »    "He was head and shoulders above the others in the law firm.".

head and shoulders »    "She was head and shoulders better than any of her rivals.".

head for »    go towards

head over heels »    Tumbling upside down.

head scratcher »    December 2007, W:Daily News Tribune - Golden Globes nominations a head-scratcher.

head scratcher »    July 2002, Fox News - Attorney: Williams' Kids Near Compromise About Father's Remains.

head south »    Alternative form of go south; to decrease or become unfavorable; to take a turn for the worse.

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 the grass grow »    To be very aware or discerning; to pay attention to every small detail.

hear the grass grow »    To have an extremely sensitive sense of hearing.

hear the grass grow »    To hear very well due to being in an exceptionally quiet environment.

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-breaking »    That causes extreme sorrow or grief.

heat wave »    A period of exceptionally hot weather.

heat wave »    spell of hot weather

heaven helps those who help themselves »    A maxim encouraging people to get involved in their own problems.

hedge one's bets »    To place bets with a third party in order to offset potential losses.

hell and half of Georgia »    A very large region; everywhere.

hell hath no fury like a woman scorned »    A woman will make someone suffer if they reject her.

hell on earth »    A very unpleasant situation; torment, particularly when widespread.

hell or high water »    Highly adverse circumstances; acts of God.

hell raiser »    wild pleasure seeker

hem and haw »    To discuss, deliberate, or contemplate rather than taking action.

here and now »    immediately

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..

here's to »    Denoting proposed salutation while drinking alcohol, toast.

hic Rhodus, hic salta »    (politics) Prove what you can do, here and now.

hide one's light under a bushel »    For a person to keep some talent or skill hidden from other people. The tone is that a person having a talent which they can be proud of ought not hide it.

hiding to nothing »    A situation in which victory has little or no value, but defeat has a huge cost.

high and low »    everywhere

high cotton »    The best of times; a time of well being.

high ground »    A location which is at a relatively high elevation, especially in comparison to the immediate surrounding area.

high on the hog »    Well off; living comfortably or extravagantly.

high road »    A course of action which is honorable, dignified, or respectable.

high road »    A main road or highway.

highway robbery »    Said of excessive or exorbitant prices.

hike up »    To lift; to tug or pull upwards.

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.

his back is up »    He is offended or angry; an expression or idea taken from a cat; that animal, when angry, always raising its back. An allusion also sometimes used to jeer a crooked man.

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.

history repeats itself »    Things that have happened in the past will happen again.

hit on »    To flirt with; to approach and speak to (someone), seeking romance, love, sex, etc.

hit one out of the ballpark »    To hit a fair ball so well that the ball flies over all of the spectators' seats and lands outside the stadium.

hit one's stride »    When walking or running, to reach a full or comfortable pace.

hit someone for six »    Be affected in a devastating way by some unexpected news.

hit the big time »    To become successful and widely known.

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 ground running »    To begin an activity immediately and with full commitment.

hit the headlines »    To appear prominently in the news, especially on the front page.

hit the nail on the head »    To identify something exactly; to arrive at exactly the right answer.

hit the road »    To leave a place; to go away.

hit the rock »    To make a gesture to show celebration, friendship, or to be part of a secret handshake by one person raising their fist so the fist is pointing at the person and the other person lightly punches the fist.

hit the rocks »    To be at a low point in one's pursuits.

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 all the aces »    To be in a strong position when one is competing with someone else, having all the advantages.

hold back »    To act with reserve; to contain one's full measure or power.

hold down »    To restrain; to check.

hold down »    To continue, to hold and to manage well.

hold on »    Wait a short while.

hold one's breath »    To wait, as if breathlessly.

hold one's horses »    To be patient; to wait.

hold one's liquor »    To be resistant to intoxication or to show few signs of intoxication, even after consuming a significant amount of alcohol.

hold one's own »    To stand up to; to give a respectable performance; to provide worthy competition.

hold 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 somebody's hand »    To guide somebody through the basics or assist with excessively small details.

hold someone's feet to the fire »    To maintain personal, social, political, or legal pressure on someone in order to induce him or her to comply with one's desires; to hold someone accountable for his or her actions.

hold sway »    Dominate.

hold that thought »    Used to acknowledge that one's attention needs to be diverted from what an speaker was saying.

hold the phone »    Stop; wait; woah. What's this? Look at this!.

hold up »    To wait or delay.

hold up »    To withstand; to stand up to; to survive.

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.

hole in one »    A round that is completed by sinking the ball in a single shot or attempt, with one hit.

hole in one »    Any rare, wonderful, or remarkable accomplishment.

home away from home »    A place in which one is as comfortable as one's actual home.

home in on »    To focus or narrow down to something; to find or draw closer, as by trial and error or a gradual seeking process.

home is where the heart is »    One's true home is where one feels happiest.

home is where you hang your hat »    Rather than feeling nostalgic or sentimental, one should simply accept any place where one happens to reside as one's home.1948, Ruth L. Yorck, "D.P.

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.

honesty is the best policy »    Honesty is the most honorable and fulfilling way to live one's life.

honey trap »    The use of a seductive woman to entice a man into revealing secret information.

honorable mention »    An award or recognition given to something that does not make it to a higher standing but is worth mentioning in an honorable way.

horse around »    To play or fiddle; to clown; to do nothing of importance or consequence.

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.

horse opera »    An equestrian show, as in a circus.

horse sense »    Common sense, especially with a connotation of folk wisdom independent from, and trumping, formal education.

horse's ass »    A thing or person which is visually unappealing.

horse's mouth »    Source; someone who directly experienced or witnessed something.

hospital pass »    A throw that stays in the air long enough that it allows too many people to get underneath it, increasing the risk of injury and a trip to the hospital. Thus, a hospital pass.

hospital pass »    An unwinnable case, often passed to a newly-qualified member of the firm.

hot chocolate »    warm drink

hot desking »    The working practice of sharing desks or workstations between workers, as a means of saving space and resources.

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 off the presses »    Freshly printed, minted, written, or created.

hot on »    Knowledgeable about.

hot on somebody's heels »    Close behind; pursuing or following closely.

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 under the collar »    Worried.

hothouse »    An environment in which growth or development is encouraged; a hotbed.

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.

household name »    A brand name that is well known to the great majority of households.

household name »    A very well-known public figure.

how are you »    An informal greeting, not requiring a literal response. Typical responses include.

how come »    Why; why is it; for what reason or purpose?.

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's the weather »    An inquiry about the weather.

how's the weather »    Indicating a change of subject to unimportant topics.

how's tricks »    Informal greeting roughly equivalent to How are you?.

how-d'ye-do »    A troublesome state of affairs.

howdy-do »    Same as how-d'ye-do.

hum and haw »    Procrastinate and take a long time before doing something or taking a decision.

hung the moon »    To view or be viewed with uncritical or excessive awe, reverence, or infatuation.

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 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.

hunker down »    To stubbornly hold to a position.

hustle and bustle »    A large amount of activity and work, usually in a noisy surrounding.

ice over »    To become covered in ice, usually of a body of water.

ice up »    To become clogged with ice, usually of a mechanical device.

idiot light »    Any warning light or indicator on the dashboard of a car, designed to alert the driver of problems, such as the parking brake being on or the oil being low.

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 it ain't broke, don't fix it »    Leave something alone; avoid correcting, fixing, or improving what is already sufficient, as it could end up being detrimental

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 only »    I wish that; signifies a wish or desire.

if pigs had wings »    Never.

if pigs had wings »    Shortened form of if pigs had wings they would fly.

if pigs had wings they would fly »    (colloquial) Expresses speakers skepticism toward a hypothetical argument by another.

if the mountain won't come to Muhammad »    "If one cannot get one's own way, one must bow to the inevitable.".

if you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen »    If you cannot handle the pressure, you should not be in a position where you have to deal with it.

if you lie with dogs you will get fleas »    It is important whom to choose as one's closest acquanitances.

if you love somebody, set them free »    One should be willing to let go of someone they love if they truly love them.

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.

ignorance is bliss »    Lack of knowledge results in happinessSometime you are more comfortable if you dont know something.

ill advisedly »    unwisely

in a bind »    In a difficult situation, usually of one's own making; having a dilemma; faced with a problem or a set of problems for which there is no easy solution.

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 pinch »    In an urgent or difficult situation; when no other solution is available.

in addition »    Also; as well; besides.

in any way, shape, or form »    In any way at all; whatsoever.

in bed with »    Engaging in a close mutually beneficial relationship, especially secretly and illicitly.

in bed with »    Sharing one's bed with.

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 Dutch »    Written or spoken in the dutch language.

in focus »    Sharp and clear with no fuzziness.

in for a dime, in for a dollar »    Americanised form of in for a penny, in for a pound.1983, Allen Drury, Decision, p. 356:In for a dime, in for a dollar, he thought crazily, and said what he had to say in a voice he forced to stay level and calm.1998, Ellen Miller, Like Being Killed, p. 47:In for a dime, in for a dollar. I whispered to Gerry,

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 line »    On a queue; waiting one's turn for something.

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 no way, shape, or form »    Not in any way at all; not at all, nohow.

in one's element »    In a situation which is entirely appropriate or familiar.

in one's pocket »    Subject to one's whims because of bribery.

in one's stockinged feet »    Wearing socks, stockings or other hosiery on one's feet but no shoes.

in order »    Appropriate, worthwhile.

in order »    In accordance with the procedural rules governing formal meetings of a deliberative body.

in other words »    Stated or interpreted another way; introduces an explanation.

in shape »    I hope to get in shape for summer swimsuit season.

in so far as »    With respect to.

in spades »    To excess, a lot, considerably; without restraint.

in spite of »    Despite, irrespective of, notwithstanding.

in stride »    Without disturbing one's course of activities.

in stride »    Without emotional upset.

in the act »    In the process of doing something; used to emphasize the eye-witness evidence.

in the clear »    Not guilty or not suspected of wrongdoing.

in the dark »    Without information.

in the dark »    Without light; somewhere that is dark.

in the fast lane »    In a lifestyle, employment position, or other set of circumstances where the rapid pace is exciting, frantic, or risky.

in the first place »    To begin with; earlier; first; at the start.

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 reign of Queen Dick »    When pigs fly; never.

in the running »    Of a candidate, potential or likely; worthy of consideration.

in the swim »    Actively participating in the flow of events; very involved.

in the twinkling of an eye »    Circa 1598, William Shakespeare, "The Merchant Of Venice".

in the twinkling of an eye »    Immediately; instantaneously.

in the wake of »    As a result of.

in the wake of »    Following.

in the wake of »    In the noticeable disturbance of water behind .

in the way »    Obstructing, blocking, or hindering.

in the wind »    Impending or in the offing; imminent.

in the woods »    In critical condition; near death's door.

in the works »    Being planned or worked upon.

in the works »    In a mechanism or machine.

in thunderation »    In any set of circumstances whatsoever.

in too deep »    In a situation where one can't cope.

in touch »    The ball, or a player, is in touch when it, or he, is outside the playing area or touching the touchlines of the playing area.

in two minds »    undecided

in two shakes »    Very quickly; without delay.

in unity there is strength »    More can be accomplished by a team with a common goal, than individuals.

in vain »    In a disrespectful manner, especially when concerning religion.

in vain »    Without success; ending in failure.

in view of »    Considering.

in with a chance »    Having a chance.

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 joke »    A joke that is understood or meant to be understood only by certain people who are in the know about the details.

iron out »    To remove with an iron.

is the Pope Catholic »    The answer to the question is, obviously, resoundingly affirmative.

it ain't the whistle that pulls the train »    Alternative form of it's not the whistle that pulls the train.

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 is what it is »    This thing has its own distinct nature; this thing is itself.

it isn't the whistle that pulls the train »    Alternative form of it's not the whistle that pulls the train.

it pays to advertise »    Good qualities do not get rewarded automatically.

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 takes two to tango »    Some things need the active cooperation of two parties; blame is to be laid on both parties in a conflict.

it's a long road that has no turning »    encouragement when things are not going well. Just as a long road eventually has a turning, problems also eventually have a solution, even though one might have to wait.

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 an ill wind that blows nobody any good »    There is usually something of benefit to someone, no matter how bad the situation.

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:

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

it's one's funeral »    One's decisions or actions will bring undesirable consequences only on oneself.

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 insert an electronic coupling into a receptacle; to connect to something, whether involving a physical medium or not.

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 ruin; wreck; mess up; screw up; sometimes as a bowdlerized substitution for f** up.

jet set »    A set of wealthy people who travel for pleasure.

jet-setter »    A member of the jet set, a rich person who travels for pleasure.

jew down »    To bargain or haggle with a seller in order to obtain a lower price for a good or service.

jive turkey »    Someone who is jiving, as in behaving in a glib and disingenuous fashion.

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.

jug ears »    Ears whose plane is markedly not parallel to the plane of the head.

jump »    That is further forward.

jump »    To cause oneself to leave an elevated location and fall downward.

jump »    To employ a move in certain board games where one game piece is moved from one legal position to another passing over the position of another piece.

jump »    To propel oneself rapidly upward such that momentum causes the body to become airborne.

jump down »    To leave an elevated position to a lower position by one jump.

jump off »    To participate in the final round of an equestrian showjumping event.

jump on the bandwagon »    To profit from a craze; to join a trend.

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 rope »    The length of rope, sometimes with handles, casing or other additions, used in that activity.

jump ship »    To depart a project without warning.

jump the gun »    To act or begin too soon or without due caution.

jump the queue »    To move into a queue ahead of others who have been waiting longer or that have a higher priority; push in.

jump the shark »    To undergo a storyline development which is so ridiculous that previous quality is considered to have been lost.

jump to conclusions »    Make conclusions before being presented with all the evidence.

jumped-up »    Describes a person who thinks he is superior in some way that the speaker disagrees with. For instance, of a higher class, or has more authority than they have in reality.

jumped-up »    We're doomed if this wee jumped-up monkey gets Gordon Smith's blessing.

jungle telegraph »    A gossip network; an informal communication system within a group or organization.

just another pretty face »    Someone who is attractive, but not too distinguished.

just deserts »    A punishment or reward that is considered to be what the recipient deserved.

just like that »    Unexpectedly, without warning.

just the same »    Anyway; despite.

just what the doctor ordered »    Exactly what is necessary or useful in a given situation.

kangaroo court »    A judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding, or a group which conducts such proceedings, which is without proper authority, abusive, or otherwise unjust.

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 out »    To watch for, look for, or search for.

keep at »    preserve with

keep away from »    To avoid.

keep away from »    To evade.

keep away from »    To deny access to.

keep down »    To repress.

keep down »    To restrain or control.

keep down »    To cause not to increase or rise.

keep down »    Not to vomit.

keep down »    To lie low. To stay concealed by not standing up.

keep it down »    To be quiet.

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 eyes peeled »    To watch closely; to look for.

keep oneself to oneself »    To be introverted; to stay away from others.

keep out »    After being warned, he kept out.

keep out »    The warning kept him out.

keep out of »    To stay away from a place or condition.

keep tabs on »    To monitor; to keep track of; to watch.

keep the wolf from the door »    To delay sexual ejaculation.

keep the wolf from the door »    To ward off poverty or hunger.

keep up »    To ensure that one remains well-informed about something.

keep up appearances »    To pretend to be all right or that everything is going well.

keep up with »    To manage to remain beside or just behind that is moving away from one.

keep up with »    To manage to follow .

keep up with the Joneses »    To do or buy things for status, show, or image rather than out of need, especially for the purpose of competing with friends or neighbors.

keep your friends close, and your enemies closer »    One should be on their toes and alert of their surroundings if malicious people are around, to ensure such people can't wreak havoc in one's life.

keep your shirt on »    An admonition to be more patient or to calm down.

kernel of truth »    A core accuracy at the heart of a claim or narrative which also contains dubious or fictitious elements.

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.

kettle of fish »    An awkward situation; a predicament.

kick around »    To wander loose; to float around; to hang around.

kick down »    To break or demolish something by physical bodily force.

kick in »    To kick or strike so as to cause the object struck to collapse or fall inwards.

kick off »    To shut down or turn_off suddenly.

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 someone when they are down »    To make it worse for someone who is going through a difficult time.

kick the bucket »    Of a machine, to break down such that it cannot be repaired.

kick up »    Into the air while running or walking or driving.

kick up a fuss »    To show annoyance, or to complain loudly about something, often when it is of little importance in reality.

kick with the other foot »    To belong to a different religion.

kicking and screaming »    With extreme reluctance.

kids will be kids »    You cannot expect children to act like adults.

kill the fatted calf »    To begin a festive celebration and rejoicing for someone's long-awaited return.

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 two birds with one stone »    To solve two problems at once.

kind »    Affectionate, showing benevolence.

kind of »    Slightly; somewhat; sort of.

kindred soul »    Someone with the same feelings or attitudes as oneself; kindred spirit.

kindred spirit »    Someone with the same feelings or attitudes as oneself.

king »    A male monarch; member of a royal family who is the supreme ruler of his nation.

king »    A playing card with the image of a king on it.

king »    A powerful or influential person.

kiss of death »    A kiss on the cheek that signifies the death of the receiver, as delivered by a mob boss or one with such influence.

kiss up »    To pay false flattery to another, particularly a superior at work, in order to get special attention.

kit and caboodle »    Everything entirely, the whole lot.

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.

knee high to a grasshopper »    Short; especially relating to when the subject was a small child.

kneel before »    To kneel in front of someone or something, especially in order to worship or supplicate.

knight in shining armor »    A person who will rescue a dangerous situation; a hero.

knock around »    To spend time with someone as a friend.

knock around »    To be in an unknown place.

knock around »    To hit someone, or behave violently towards them.

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 down »    To demolish.

knock down »    Sold with a blow from the gavel.

knock down »    To reduce the price of.

knock down »    To drink fast.

knock on wood »    A self-directive to undertake the customary action to ward off bad luck.

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 render someone unconscious, as by a blow to the head.

knock over »    To bump or strike something in such a way as to tip it.

knock up »    To impregnate, especially out of wedlock. See knocked up.

knock up »    To exhaust; wear out; weary; beat; tire out; to fatigue until unable to do more.

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.

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.

know something inside and out »    To know something very thoroughly.

know the score »    Be aware of a situation, especially of the consequences of misconduct.

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 down »    To get to work; to focus on a task.

knuckle dragger »    A large, strong, and rather dimwitted person.

knuckle sandwich »    A punch to the face, especially to the mouth.

knuckle under »