a miss is as good as a mile »
A failure remains a failure, regardless of how close to success one has actually come.
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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.
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as is »
In its present state or condition, especially as a contractual condition of sale.
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assault and battery »
. This legal distinction exists only in jurisdictions that distinguish assault as threatened violence rather than actual violence.
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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.
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boss about »
To act in a bossy manner with another person, ordering them to do things, whether or not one is actually their superior.
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boss around »
To act in a bossy manner with another person, ordering them to do things, whether or not one is actually their superior.
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cite chapter and verse »
To speak authoritatively, providing detailed factual information.
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damn with faint praise »
To provide praise that is so minimal or inconsequential as to actually amount to criticism.
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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.
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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.
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every silver lining has a cloud »
Every good situation has the potential to turn bad.2007, Diab A. Shetayh, Actuality : The Reality RequiemA great partnership isn't a self-maintaining entity. Perseverance and persistence make it thrive. For every silver lining has a cloud. Ignorance of this reality is not an option.
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face off »
Either an actual or a figurative face to face confrontation, especially a bitter one.
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fear »
A strong, uncontrollable, unpleasant emotion caused by actual or perceived danger or threat.
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flower »
An inflorescence that resembles a flower, but actually contains many small florets, such as a sunflower.
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home away from home »
A place in which one is as comfortable as one's actual home.
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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!"
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in fact »
Actually, in truth.
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in person »
actually present
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kiss of death »
Something that may seem good and favourable but that actually brings ruin to hopes, plans, etc.
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look daggers »
To stare sharply at someone to indicate disapproval without actually speaking.
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matter of fact »
A more factual correction.
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pencil whip »
To approve a document without actually knowing or reviewing what it is that is being approved.
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right as rain »
Correct; factually accurate.
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rose-colored glasses »
An optimistic perception of something; a positive opinion; seeing something in a positive way, often thinking of it as better than it actually is.
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take a bow »
To accept applause at the end of a performance in a theatre. Often this includes actually bowing to the audience.
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talk out one's ass »
To speak authoritatively on a subject which one actually knows little about; to exaggerate.
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talk up »
In such a way as to make the thing or person sound better than it actually is.
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throw enough mud at the wall, some of it will stick »
Try the same thing (or similar things) often enough, and, even if the general standard is poor, sometimes one will be successful.2001, And still no one is shouting stop. read in The Kingdom archives at [1] on 02 Nov 06,Many team managers are of the philosophy that if you throw enough mud at the wall some of it will stick. They believe that team preparation is all about physical fitness. They run the players into the ground and they believe they will be "flying on the day".2001, Robert McCrum, Let them eat cake, in The Observer 16 Dec 01, read on Guardian Unlimited site at [2] on 02 Nov 06,Australian publishing boomed and in the past 10 years the country's literary culture has undergone a mini golden age, capped by Carey's triumph at the 2001 Booker Prize. As one Australian arts administrator said to me many years ago: 'Listen, mate, if you throw enough mud at the wall, some of it will stick.'2001, Chris Collin, Re: 2-cp speys on The Strathspey Server mailing list archive at [3] on 02 Nov 06,I am finding that "if you throw enough mud at the wall, some of it will stick". It doesn't always work of course (especially on the nights when the class is mostly the beginners), but the class seems to thrive on the challange.2005, Ray Craft (poster on The right scale blog), Fitzhooie and his Burden, read at [4] on 02 Nov 06,Prosecutors everywhere have bad habits of overcharging lots of cases, knowing that if the throw enough mud at the wall some of it will stick.2005, Sean Kelleher, Spike Milligan: His part in our downfall in Business 07 Aug 05, read at [5] on 02 Nov 06,As long as there is negligible regulation and enforcement anyone can actually try and do the job...Weak regulation allows the industry to build strategies on full time recruitment. The theory goes: throw enough mud at the wall, some of it will stick.c2005, Everything You've Learned About Marketing Is Wrong, read on LINC Performance website at [6] on 02 Nov 06,They have the money to continue to believe in the repetition side of the equation. You throw enough mud at the wall, some of it will stick. But it still isn
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throw shapes »
To act tough or put up a front. For example, to threaten a person by making "karate chops" at them, without actually doing harm or knowing karate.
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time and material »
A form of contractual compensation involving payment for materials used and at agreed rates for the those involved in performing the services.
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wine tosser »
A person who talks a great deal about wine but actually knows very little.
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wishful thinking »
The illusion that what one would like is actually true.
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