We've found 1487 phrases for ca (0.194 seconds):

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

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

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

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

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

a dime's worth »    An insignificant amount.

a golden key can open any door »    Sufficient money can accomplish anything.

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 man's home is his castle »    (US) a proverbial expression of personal privacy and security

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 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 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.

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

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

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

ace of spades »    The playing card belonging to the spades suit and featuring one pip.

across the board »    Pertaining to all categories or things.

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

act up »    To misbehave; to cause trouble.

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.

all cats are gray at night »    Variant of all cats are grey in the dark.

all cats are gray in the dark »    Variant of all cats are grey in the dark.

all cats are grey at night »    Variant of all cats are grey in the dark.

all cats are grey in the dark »    In the dark, physical appearance is unimportant.

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

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

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 roads lead to Rome »    different paths can take one to the same goal

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

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.

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

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

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

an Englishman's home is his castle »    (UK) a proverbial expression of personal privacy and security

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

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

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

angle for »    To try to obtain something by subtle indirect means. Political manoeuvres, suggestion, etc.

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

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

any press is good press »    Being mentioned in the media is beneficial to the subject because it gets publicity.

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

ask for the moon »    To claim or desire something that one cannot have.

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

ass over teakettle »    Frantically.

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

At ease with nudity »    ISM free identification with nude recreation

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

at one's beck and call »    In servitude to; at one’s command.

at sea »    On the ocean or sea, typically of a ship or person aboard a ship.

autem cackler »    Dissenters of every denomination.

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

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

back-to-back »    Identical or similar and sequential.

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

bad joke »    A situation that is badly planned, or illogical.

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

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

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

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

balancing act »    A performance that involves balancing things precariously and suspensefully.

bald eagle »    american bird

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

balls up »    Third-person singular simple present indicative form of ball up.

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

banged up »    Physically injured or wounded.

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

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.

bash about »    To physically damage something or assault someone.

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.

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

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

be after »    To try to capture.

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

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

be in a spot of bother »    To have a slight problem, to be in a predicament.

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

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.

beam up »    To be teleported over a long distance by means of a specific imaginary technology, specifically from the surface of a planet to an orbiting starship.

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

because you touch yourself at night »    Used to humourously deflect a request for a reason.

before you can say Jack Robinson »    Very quickly. Quicker than you expect.

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.

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

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

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.

beyond one's pay grade »    Beyond one's capability.

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 »    A large-caliber artillery piece.

birds and bees »    Informal sex education, especially describing the sexual activity of animals rather than that of people.

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

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-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.

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.

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!

blow away »    To cause to go away by blowing.

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

blow over »    To blow on something causing it to topple.

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

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

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

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

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

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

boot camp »    Any short, intensive course of training.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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 down »    To decay.

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

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

break out »    To escape, especially forcefully or defiantly.

break someone's heart »    To cause a person to feel grief or sadness.

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

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

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

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

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

bring about »    To cause to take place.

bring back »    To cause someone to remember something from the past.

bring forward »    To call up for consideration.

bring home the bacon »    To have a job and earn money or to lead a successful career.

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

bring out »    To cause a visible symptom such as spots or a rash.

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 round »    To resuscitate; to cause to regain consciousness.

bring upon »    To cause to befall.

buck off »    To cause to fall off.

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

bug out »    To cause to bulge.

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

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

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 up »    To catch fire and burn until destroyed.

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.

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

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

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

buy time »    Purposefully cause a delay to something, in order to achieve something else.

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

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 virtue of »    Because of; on the grounds of; by reason of; due to; based on.

cake crumbs »    Crumbs from a cake.

cake crumbs »    Hardly anything.

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

call a spade a spade »    To speak the truth; to say things as they really are.

call forth »    To induce, inspire.

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

call in »    To summon someone, especially for help or advice.

call in »    To withdraw something from sale or circulation.

call it a day »    To cease the activity for the day.

call it a day »    To retire.

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

call it a night »    To go to bed to sleep.

call it even »    To declare debts resolved or favors or other exchange equitable.

call it quits »    To conclude; to quit or stop an activity.

call off »    To recall; to cancel or call a halt to.

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

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

call on »    To visit somebody; to pay a call.

call on »    In a classroom, to select a student.

call on »    To request or ask of somebody; to select for a task.

call on »    To correct; to point out an error or untruth.

call out »    To specify, especially in detail.

call out »    To order into service; to summon into service.

call out »    To yell out; to vocalize audibly; announce.

call out »    To arrange for a professional to call at your home for some purpose.

call out »    To challenge.

call someone's bluff »    To take action on the basis that another person is bluffing.

call the shots »    To make the decisions;to be in charge;to give orders.

call up »    An order to report for military service.

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.

calling card »    Excrement, especially of a domestic animal.

calls for »    Requires; needs to

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

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 it »    To silence; to quit doing something; to put an end to something.

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.

cancel out »    To neutralize the effect of something.

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

cap it all off »    To finish or complete something.

cap it all off »    To surpass or outdo something.

cap off »    To finish.

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.

carbon copy »    duplicate

carpe diem »    seize the day, make the most of today, enjoy the present

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

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

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

carry on »    To continue or proceed as before.

carry on »    To have an illicit sexual liaison.

carry on »    To have or maintain.

carry on »    To take baggage or luggage onto an airplane, rather than check it.

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 out »    To fulfill.

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

carry the can »    To take responsibility, especially in a challenging situation.

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

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

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

carved in stone »    Unchangeable.

case in point »    An example that illustrates a point.

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.

cash in »    To profit from; to use an opportunity to maximum advantage, especially financially.

cast aspersions »    To make damaging or spiteful remarks.

cast away »    To discard.

cast away »    To abandon or maroon.

cast off »    To discard or reject something.

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 one's vote »    To vote for something.

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

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

cast up one's accounts »    To vomit.

castle in the air »    A visionary project or scheme; a day-dream; an idle fancy; a pipe dream; any plan, desire, or idea that is unlikely to be ever realized; a near impossibility.

cat and dog life »    Unhappy married life.

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 in the meal-tub »    Something concealed; a hidden danger.

cat in the sack »    Something to be suspicious of.

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 »    A children's string game.

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

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

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

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

catch a cold »    To become infected with cold.

catch a tan »    To get a suntan.

catch air »    To make a jump.

catch big air »    Superlative of catch air; make a big jump high off the ground.

catch dust »    To be rarely used.

catch fire »    Become engulfed with flames.

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

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

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

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

catch on »    To become popular; to become commonplace; to become the standard.

catch out »    To discover or expose as fake or insincere.

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

catch some z's »    To sleep.

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

catch up »    To pick up suddenly.

catch up »    To entangle.

catch up »    To provide with news.

catch up »    To be reaching something that had been ahead.

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

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 »    Catfood consisting of meat.

catmeat »    Meat from a cat.

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

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

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

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.

cause a stir »    To cause controversy, or raise a disturbance.

cave in »    The act of something collapsing or caving in.

cave in »    The location where something has caved in.

cave in »    The act of relenting.

caveat lector »    Reader beware.

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

chain reaction »    A series of events, each one causing the next.

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.

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

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

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

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.

chicken feed »    A very small or insignificant quantity, especially of money.

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

chip on one's shoulder »    A habitually combative attitude, usually because of a harboured grievance, sense of inferiority, or having something to prove.

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

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 out »    To discard, to dispose of.

chump change »    A sum of money considered to be insignificant.

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

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

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

clean someone's clock »    To defeat decisively, in a physical fight or other competition or negotiation.

clean up »    To become clean, handsome, smart in appearance, e.g. for a special occasion, especially when it is out of character to be seen as such.

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

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

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

closed book »    A person or thing that cannot be easily understood; someone or something incomprehensible or puzzling.

clothes don't make the man »    An aphorism meaning that you cannot judge a person solely by his appearance. Usually pertains to men.

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.

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.

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

cold turkey »    The physiological effects of such a withdrawal.

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

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

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

come the acid »    To make oneself unpleasant, especially by sarcasm.

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

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

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

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

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

cool down »    To cause something temperature to lower.

cool down »    To cause to become less agitated.

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

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

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.

could not get elected dogcatcher »    Is unpopular.

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

cover one's ass »    To make preparations or take precautions to ensure that one is not blamed or punished for one's conduct.

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 up »    To cause to laugh heartily.

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 out »    To produce in large volumes mechanically or as if by machine.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

curiosity killed the cat »    One should not be curious about things that can be dangerous.

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 of one's jib »    Someone’s general appearance or the implications thereof, especially in relation to making an impression or one’s style..

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

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 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 tree edition »    Paper version of a publication that can be found online.

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.

death by spellcheck »    The problems caused by spellcheckers being incapable of correcting most homophone confusions.

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

deer in the headlights »    A mental state of high arousal caused by anxiety fear, panic, surpriseand/or confusion, or substance abuse. The behavioral signs are like a deer subjected to a car's headlights, such as widely opened eyes and a lack of motor reactions.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

dicky-bird »    A insignificant sound or thing.

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 with. Now rare as indicating direct cause.

dig up »    To excavate something.

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

diplomatic flu »    An illness feigned by one or more government officials or other public figures as an excuse for an absence really based on political reasons.

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

dismal science »    Nickname for economics or for the field of political economy.

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 bunk »    To escape or flee under incriminating circumstances.

do drugs »    To abuse an illegal drug or drugs, especially as a result of chemical addiction.

do someone proud »    To cause someone to feel pride, admiration, or satisfaction.

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

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 my cats »    Used as a mild oath, or as an expression of astonishment.

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 drive faster than your guardian angel can fly »    Driving (a vehicle) very fast is a dangerous act.

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

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

don't shit where you eat »    (idiomatic, vulgar) One should not cause trouble in a place, group, or situation in which one regularly finds oneself.1998 April 14, Nelson Navarro, "Ever faithful, ever true," Manila Standard (Philippines) (retrieved 12 Aug. 2011):The guiding principle is Don't shit where you eat. Office romances are always destructive of morale and objectivity.2003 Oct. 8, Jonathan Valania, "Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Pussy," Philadelphia Weekly (retrieved 12 Aug. 2011):Limbaugh was scheduled to deliver the keynote speech at the NAB convention in, of all places, Philadelphia, thus violating the cardinal law of the animal kingdom: Don't shit where you eat.2006 Sept. 19, Michael Musto, "NY Mirror," Village Voice (retrieved 12 Aug. 2011):Mitchell refused to indulge in on-set romances with either gender. "You don't shit where you eat," he told me, plainly.

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

dot the i's and cross the t's »    To take care of every detail, even minor ones; To be meticulous or thorough.

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

double up »    After a fly ball has been caught.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

dress down »    To wear casual or informal clothes.

dress up »    To wear smart clothes for an occasion.

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 dime »    To make a phone call, usually means calling the police to report another's activities.

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.

drug of choice »    The best-choice medication to treat a particular medical problem.

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

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

dry rot »    timber decay

duck soup »    Easy, or a piece of cake.

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

due to »    because of

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

dummy out »    From a video game in the process of localizing that game from a foreign country.

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

early bath »    Being shown a red card in soccer.

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

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 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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

esprit de corps »    A shared spirit of comradeship, enthusiasm, and devotion to a cause among the members of a group, for example of a military unit.

esthetically challenged »    Of a person, ugly.

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

every time »    At each occasion that.

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.

extract the urine »    To mess around, cajole.

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

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

eye for an eye »    Compensation for injury caused by a person, in the form of inflicting of an identical injury on that person.

eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth »    Compensation for injury caused by a person, in the form of inflicting of an identical injury on that person.

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 to face »    In person; directly; in the physical presence of somebody.

face up to »    To confront a condition or situation, typically one that is unpleasant or uncomfortable.

factor space »    A space obtained from another by identification of points that are equivalent to one another in some equivalence relation.

facts on the ground »    Some aspects of the situation in a particular location.

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.

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

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

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

fall through »    To be unsuccessful, abort, come to nothing/naught; to be cancelled; not to proceed.

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

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.

far out »    New, radical and extreme.

fear »    A strong, uncontrollable, unpleasant emotion caused by actual or perceived danger or threat.

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

federal case »    Any over-exaggerated ordeal.

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

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

few and far between »    Rare and scarce.

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

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

fire escape »    emergency exit

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

fire-breathing »    Caustic, vitriolic or scathing.

firm up »    To make muscles more toned through physical exercise.

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

first port of call »    The first place to go to start a process.

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

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

fit into »    To be of the right size and shape to be placed in a location.

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

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

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

flat chat »    At maximum capability or speed.

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 the specific physical condition of flat feet.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

fly the coop »    To depart hastily or unannounced; to escape or flee.

fly the coop »    To escape from a pen or similar enclosure.

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

fool's errand »    A foolish undertaking, especially one that is purposeless, fruitless, nonsensical, or certain to fail.

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

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

for good measure »    As a precaution; just in case; added as an extra.

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

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

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

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."

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

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.

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

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

full blast »    Maximum capacity or effort.

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

full-fledged »    Having full qualification, credentials or preparation; entire; real.

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

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

get away »    escape

get away »    make an escape

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

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

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

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

give a f** »    To care.

give a shit »    To care, often used in the negative.

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

give hostage to fortune »    To take an action or make a statement that is risky because it could cause you trouble later.

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

give somebody pause »    To give somebody cause for concern.

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

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

go blue »    Of states and counties, to be carried by a Democratic candidate in a given U.S. election.

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 board »    To fall or to go overboard; to be cast over the side of a ship.

go from zero to hero »    To change from negative outcome to positive outcome. To improve one's fortunes significantly.

go mad »    Used to indicate that the second verb represents an action that is out of character.

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 »    To explode metaphorically; to become very angry.

go out the window »    To vanish or cease, especially due to lack of care, attention, etc.; to be discarded, disregarded, or ignored.

go over »    To look at carefully; to scrutinize; to analyze.

go red »    Of states or counties, to be carried by a Republican candidate in a given U.S. election.

go to Canossa »    To submit to the pope.

go to town »    To proceed enthusiastically, vigorously, or expertly.

go up in smoke »    To catch fire and burn.

go with the flow »    To act as others are acting, conforming to common behavior patterns with an attitude of calm acceptance.

golden ticket »    A philosophy that a quick fix can be achieved.

golden ticket »    A qualification, person or thing that can provide lucrative opportunities.

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 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 riddance »    Used to indicate that a departure, or loss is welcome.

goodbye cruel world »    A call said before taking a stiff drink, especially a shot of vodka.

grass roots »    People and society at the local level rather than at the national centre of political activity.

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.

greatest thing since sliced bread »    A relatively recent invention likely to significantly improve people's lives.

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.

group captain »    raf officer

grow out of »    To become too physically large for something, especially clothes.

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.

gut feeling »    An instinct or intuition; an immediate or basic feeling or reaction without a logical rationale.

halcyon days »    A period of calm, often nostalgic: “halcyon days of yore”, “halcyon days of youth”..

halcyon days »    Period of calm during the winter, when storms do not occur.

hammer and tongs »    With tools indicating seriousness of intent and capability of harm.

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.

hang by a thread »    To be in danger, calling for precise caution. To be in a precarious situation.

hang in the balance »    To be in a precarious situation, unsure of the future.

hang up »    To terminate a phone call.

hang up one's boots »    Retire, call it a day.

happily ever after »    Living happily until death. Typically associated with fairy tales.

happy camper »    One who is thoroughly content or satisfied.

happy go lucky »    carefree

hard-nosed »    Guided by practical experience and observation rather than by theory.

hardwired »    In humans and animals, genetically determined, instinctive behavior, as opposed to learned behavior.

harsh one's mellow »    Disturbing someone otherwise in a state of calm.

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.

hatchet man »    Someone who carries out brutal and unpleasant duties on behalf of another, such as firing dead wood employees.

have eyes bigger than one's belly »    To take more food on one's plate than one can eat; to be greedy.

have eyes bigger than one's stomach »    To take more food on one's plate than one can eat; to be greedy.

have eyes in the back of one's head »    To be particularly, especially uncannily, observant; a perceived ability to see in all directions at once.

have one's ducks in a row »    To be organized; to have one's affairs in order; specifically, to have a multi-person effort coordinated towards the exact same goal.

have one's head in the clouds »    To have fantastic or impractical dreams; to think impractically.

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 someone by the short hairs »    To have someone in a difficult situation in which he or she is without alternatives and can be controlled.

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 for the hills »    To travel to a higher elevation, especially to a rural region on vacation.

head over heels »    At top speed; frantically.

head-on »    Direct, abrupt, blunt or unequivocal; not prevaricating.

heads up »    Used as an informal warning, caution, or call for attention; pay attention!.

heads-up »    A warning or call to pay attention; an advisory notice.

heart of gold »    A kind, compassionate, or caring attitude; kindheartedness.

heart-breaking »    That causes extreme sorrow or grief.

heat up »    To heat, to cause to become hotter.

herd cats »    To attempt to control those resistant to control.

here goes nothing »    Indicates a lack of confidence or certainty about the activity about to be tried.

hic Rhodus, hic salta »    (politics) Prove what you can do, here and now.

hide nor hair »    A trace, indication, or evidence, especially of a person.

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.

high ground »    A location which is at a relatively high elevation, especially in comparison to the immediate surrounding area.

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.

hit the rock »    To use crack cocaine.

hocus pocus »    chicanery

hold a candle »    To compare; to be even remotely of the same quality, skill, etc. as another.

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 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 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 »    Wait, don't retaliate, calm down, be quiet.

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.

hopped up »    Drugged; intoxicated.

horror film »    scary movie

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 sense »    Common sense, especially with a connotation of folk wisdom independent from, and trumping, formal education.

hospital pass »    A poorly executed pass to a team-mate causing the receiver to present an easy target for a defender, and thus be tackled hard.

hospital pass »    An unwinnable case, often passed to a newly-qualified member of the firm.

hot cross buns »    good friday cakes

hot mess »    Refers to a person, thing, or situation in such a state of disarray or disapproval by peers, often in reference to physical appearance, perceived to be disastrously embarrassing, pitiful, or beyond repair.

hot potato »    An awkward or delicate problem with which nobody wants to be associated.

house of cards »    A structure made by laying cards perpendicularly on top of each other.

house of cards »    A structure or argument built on a shaky foundation.

how are you »    An informal greeting, not requiring a literal response. Typical responses include.

how do I get to Carnegie Hall »    A set phrase, spoken as a rhetorical question, which is answered "Practice, practice, practice!" or sometimes with the humorous literal directions to Seventh Avenue between 56th and 57th.

how's the weather »    Indicating a change of subject to unimportant topics.

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.

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.

if looks could kill »    A phrase said upon catching sight of someone's giving you a particularly nasty look of discontent or disapproval.

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 beat them, join them »    If your adversaries are stronger than yourself, it is better to join the adversaries.

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.

in a canter »    Without much effort; easily.

in case »    In the event; should there be a need.

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 one's pocket »    Subject to one's whims because of bribery.

in shape »    In a good state of physical fitness or bodily appearance.

in the cards »    Destined or fated to happen; predicted or foreseen.

in the dock »    Under scrutiny; subject to critical inspection.

in the running »    Of a candidate, potential or likely; worthy of consideration.

in the same boat »    In the same situation or predicament; having the same problems.

in the thick of it »    In a precarious situation.

in the twinkling of an eye »    Circa 1598, William Shakespeare, "The Merchant Of Venice".

in the woods »    In critical condition; near death's door.

in too deep »    In a situation where one can't cope.

in touch »    In contact, or in communication.

in unity there is strength »    More can be accomplished by a team with a common goal, than individuals.

inside baseball »    Technical matters concerning baseball not apparent to spectators.

into thin air »    Immediately and inexplicably out of sight.

is the Pope Catholic »    The answer to the question is, obviously, resoundingly affirmative.

it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God »    The rich can afford more immoral behavior than the poor.

it pays to advertise »    Good qualities do not get rewarded automatically.

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

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, 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.

jet setting »    The actions of the jet set; travelling from one fashionable location to another by jet.

jet-setting »    The actions of the jet set; travelling from one fashionable location to another by jet.

jump »    To cause oneself to leave an elevated location and fall downward.

jump »    To employ a parachute to leave an aircraft or elevated location.

jump »    To propel oneself rapidly upward such that momentum causes the body to become airborne.

jump about »    To move erratically by jumping. Usually as a result of being excited.

jump around »    To move erratically by jumping. Usually as a result of being excited.

jump at »    To accept something enthusiastically. Usually an opportunity, or chance, or job etc.

jump rope »    The length of rope, sometimes with handles, casing or other additions, used in that activity.

jump the gun »    To act or begin too soon or without due caution.

jungle telegraph »    A gossip network; an informal communication system within a group or organization.

jungle telegraph »    A system used by primitive cultures in remote tropical regions for communication over long distances, such as drum sounds or a relay of runners.

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

just in case »    If and only if.

just in case »    In the event; should there be a need.

keel over »    Of a vessel: to roll so far on its side that it cannot recover; to capsize.

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 down »    To cause not to increase or rise.

keep from »    To prevent or restrain ; refrain or cause refrain.

keep one's cards close to one's chest »    To avoid revealing one's thoughts, circumstances, or plans.

keep one's cool »    To remain composed, calm, and even-tempered, especially in a provocative situation.

keep one's mouth shut »    To keep a secret; to refrain from speaking indiscreetly or carelessly.

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 hair on »    An admonition to stay calm.

keep your shirt on »    An admonition to be more patient or to calm down.

kettle of fish »    An awkward situation; a predicament.

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 force the weaning of a bovine cow's calf by restricting the calf's access to its mother's udders. Used figuratively or literally.

kick off the team »    In sports, to dismiss an athlete from a team, usually for misconduct, poor academic performance or other offenses.

kick the bucket »    Of a machine, to break down such that it cannot be repaired.

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.

king »    A playing card with the image of a king on it.

king of hearts »    picture card

kit and caboodle »    Everything entirely, the whole lot.

knacker's yard »    That area of a slaughterhouse where carcasses unfit for human consumption are rendered down to produce useful materials such as glue.

kneel before »    To kneel in front of someone or something, especially in order to worship or supplicate.

knock out of the box »    To cause a pitcher to be replaced by heavy hitting.

knock out of the box »    To cause something to be replaced by something else.

knock the living daylights out of »    To knock out; to hit and cause to be unconscious.

knock up »    To put together, fabricate, or assemble, particularly if done hastily or temporarily. See also knock together.

knock up »    In the morning as by knocking at the door; rouse; call; summon; also, to go door-to-door on election day to persuade a candidate's supporters to go to the polling station and vote. See also knocker up.

knocked up »    "pregnant", typically outside of marriage.

knowledge is power »    With knowledge and/or education, one's potential or ability to succeed in the pursuit of his objectives will certainly increase.

l'esprit de l'escalier »    The experience of thinking of a devastating rejoinder only after leaving the scene of the debate.

la goutte d'eau qui fait d%C3%A9border le vase »    The final thing that is too much and forces a reaction; the straw that broke the camel's back.

landing strip »    A cultivated pubic hair pattern in which much of the pubic hair is removed, leaving only a central vertical line or rectangle.

lapsed academic »    A person formerly employed as a professor or researcher in a university or other institution of higher education, especially one who no longer attempts to remain current in his or her former academic field.

larger-than-life »    Of greater size or magnitude than is naturally or normally the case.

last minute »    Point in time, too close to a deadline to reasonably begin a critical task.

last post »    military bugle call

late model »    Recently designed or fabricated; new.

lay down the law »    To authoritatively or dogmatically assert what is permitted or not permitted.

lay down the law »    To present the law that applies to a given case.

lay low »    To knock out; to cause to fall.

lay open »    In Japan and South Korea, to publish a patent for initial public review, prior to the formal application for registration.

lead »    Vertical space in advance of a row or between rows of text. Also known as leading.

lead time »    The amount of time between the initiation of some process and its completion, e.g. the time required to manufacture or procure a product; the time required before something can be provided or delivered.

lean and mean »    Efficient because of having nothing in excess of what is needed, and single-minded in one's objective.

leave no stone unturned »    To do a task very carefully and thoroughly, not missing any step.

legwork »    Work, especially research or preparation, that involves significant walking, travel, or similar effort.

less is more »    That which is less complicated is often better understood and more appreciated than what is more complicated; simplicity is preferable to complexity; brevity in communication is more effective than verbosity.1855, Robert Browning, "Men and Women":Well, less is more, Lucrezia: I am judged.1954, "'Less Is More'," Time, 14 Jun.:The essence of Mies's architectural philosophy is in his famous and sometimes derided phrase, "Less is more." This means, he says, having "the greatest effect with the least means."2007, Gia Kourlas, "Dance Review: An Ordered World Defined With Soothing Spareness," New York Times, 3 Mar. (retrieved 22 Oct. 2008):The program, which features two premieres

let off »    To cause to explode.

let slip »    allow to escape

let the cat out of the bag »    To disclose a secret; to let a secret be known, often inadvertently.

letters after one's name »    A list of abbreviations, separated by commas, representing the academic qualifications and civil or military honours achieved by a person.

level best »    The very best that one can do.

life of Riley »    An ideal life of carefree prosperity and contentment.

life's not all skittles and beer »    Skittles and Beer refers to the carefree, indulgent bar life; skittles being a British pub game. Thus, life's not all skittles and beer means that not everything is about pleasure.

lighten up »    To become less serious and more cheerful or casual; to relax.

like a cat on a hot tin roof »    Jumpy, nervous.

like hot cakes »    Quickly, especially by purchase or consumption.

like it's going out of style »    Enthusiastically, to an excessive degree.

lion »    A stylized representation of a large cat, used on a coat of arms.

lion »    A large cat, Panthera leo, native to Africa, India and formerly to much of Europe. The term may apply to the species as a whole, to individuals, or to male individuals. It also applies to related species like mountain lions.

lion »    The arms of the University of the West Indies are Barry wavy of six Argent and Azure an open Book proper bound Gules garnished Or on a Chief of the third a Lion passant guardant Erminois. Crest: A Pelican proper. . See talk page.

little pitchers have big ears »    Small children often overhear more of what is said than adults realize or desire.1844, Charlotte M. Yonge, Abbeychurch, ch. 2:Seeing me listening to something she was saying to Mamma, she turned round upon me with that odious proverb, "Little pitchers have long ears."1939, "Bedtime Bedlam," Time, 17 Apr.:A caution to U. S. parents, but a joy to radio merchandising, is the dread truth that little pitchers have big ears.2002, Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, ISBN 9780743455961, p. 185:I suppose he might say pushed or went woowoo, but took a shit is, I fear, very much in the ballpark (little pitchers have big ears, after all).

live by the sword, die by the sword »    One who uses violence can expect a violent response. It is better to try to use peaceful means wherever possible.(figuratively) One can expect dire outcomes from any vice; used to convey poetic justice.

live wire »    An electrical wire through which there is a flow of electrical current.

lock up »    To imprison or incarcerate someone.

long absent, soon forgotten »    Love fades away when people are distant and don't keep close physical contact.

long drink »    Any drink containing more than 5 ounces of liquid and less than 9 ounces. Typically, a long drink will have lots of ice and mixer.

long goodbye »    Nickname for Alzheimer's disease, especially for the final phase of the disease, during which the patient suffers a progressive decline of cognitive and motor skills and gradually loses the ability to recognize and to communicate with family and friends.[1]; nickname for the relationship between a person suffering from Alzheimer's disease and that person's family or friends.

long ways, long lies »    Someone who comes back from a far-off country can tell lies without fear of being contradicted.

longpig »    Human flesh when cooked in cannabalistic rituals in certain Pacific Islands, due to the allegeded similarity to cooked pork.

look daggers »    To stare sharply at someone to indicate disapproval without actually speaking.

look over »    To scan-read and check for errors.

look what the cat's dragged in »    Used as an ironic acknowledgement of someone's arrival, especially to imply that they are unwelcome or disagreeable in some way.

looks up »    calls on

Loose cannon »    A cannon that breaks loose during battle or a storm and causes serious damage to the ship and its crew.

Loose cannon »    An uncontrolled or unpredictable person who causes damage to his own friends, faction, political party, etc.

loose end »    A small job that needs to be done, or minor problem that needs to be resolved, before a task can be considered complete.

lose touch »    To cease to be familiar with someone or something or to cease to communicate or have contact.

lost cause »    A cause, attempt, or effort that is hopeless or futile.

lot lizard »    A customer or salesperson at a used car lot.

love is blind »    A person who is in love can see no faults or imperfections in the person who is loved.

low blow »    A rhetorical attack that is considered unfair or unscrupulous.

low-hanging fruit »    Easily obtained gains; what can be obtained by readily available means.

lower the boom »    To use one's superior physical strength; clobber.

lubrication payment »    A bribe or extorted money, usually relatively small in amount, provided to a low-level government official or business person, in order to expedite a business decision, shipment, or other transaction, especially in a country where such payments are not unusual.

lucky dip »    A game in which prizes are covered up and mixed together in a container, so that contestants can dip their hand into the container and randomly pull out a prize.

mad money »    A sum of money kept in reserve or to insulate oneself financially in the event of the sudden breakdown of a relationship in which one is economically dependent.

make a living »    To earn enough income to support oneself and, if applicable, one's family.

make a meal of »    To spend more time and energy on some task than it warrants; to make something overly complicated.

make a monkey out of »    To cause a person, organization, or action to appear foolish or inferior; to subject someone or something to ridicule..

make a point »    To take care in doing something of something; to pay attention or ensure that something is done.

make a virtue of necessity »    To make the best of a difficult situation; to recast or portray an action or situation in which one has no alternatives as an action or situation which was deliberately chosen on its merits.

make oneself scarce »    To leave or depart, or to avoid or stay away.

make out »    To fabricate a story.

make sure »    To verify; to recheck; to use extra care or caution.

make the cut »    To succeed; to be chosen out of a field of candidates or possibilities.

make up »    To compensate, fill in or catch up.

make waves »    To cause a disturbance.

managerial inbreeding »    Bad management, caused by managers making poor selection choices in recruitment, rewards, and promotions of the staff that report to them, leading to another generation of managers who lack the necessary skill sets to reward and promote the most effective staff.

many hands make light work »    A large number of people co-operating can perform tasks easily.

match made in heaven »    A marriage that is likely to be happy and successful because the two people are very compatible with each other.

match made in hell »    A marriage that is likely to be unhappy or abusive and unsuccessful because the two people are very incompatible with each other.

matter of course »    A natural or logical outcome.

meal ticket »    A ticket or voucher that can be exchanged for food.

mean the world to »    To be loved or cared about a great deal by.

measure twice and cut once »    (literally, carpentry) One should double-check one's measurements for accuracy before cutting a piece of wood; otherwise it may be necessary to cut again, wasting time and material.1872, "Dressmaking," Hall's Journal of Health, vol. 19, no. 12, p. 280:Look at Carpenters! . . . In old times it was a proverb "Measure twice, and cut once."(figuratively, by extension) Plan and prepare in a careful, thorough manner before taking action.2008, Hilary Johnson, "Mergers rattle bank relations," Financial Week, 9 Nov. (retrieved 9 Nov. 2008):Mr. Paz noted that since the onset of the credit crisis, eBay, like other companies, hasn

meat rack »    A place where people can meet looking for sexual partners.

mercury »    A silvery-colored metallic chemical element, liquid at room temperature, with atomic number 80 and symbol Hg.

mess up »    To cause a problem with; to introduce an error or mistake in; to make muddled or confused; spoil; ruin.

mess up »    To discombobulate, utterly confuse, or confound psychologically; to throw into a state of mental disarray.

middle of the road »    Having a centrist attitude or philosophy; not extreme, especially politically.

mighty oaks from little acorns grow »    Something great can come from a modest beginning.Don't give up on the project - mighty oaks from little acorns grow!

mills of the gods grind slowly »    Justice may arrive slowly, but it cannot be avoided.

mind one's p's and q's »    To be very careful to behave correctly.

mind over matter »    Willpower alone can overcome a physical problem.

mind you »    Mind that you; be careful that you.

miner's canary »    A caged bird kept caged in mines because its demise provided a warning of dangerous levels of toxic gases.

miner's canary »    Any thing, especially an organism, whose demise or distress provides an early warning of danger.

miners' canary »    A caged bird kept caged in mines because its demise provided a warning of dangerous levels of toxic gases.

miners' canary »    Any thing, especially an organism, whose demise or distress provides an early warning of danger.

mix it up »    To compete vigorously, to quarrel, or to fight physically.

mixed message »    Any communication that is contradictory, inconsistent, or unclear, especially in its motive or intent.

mocking is catching »    An admonishment to be careful of criticising others, lest the same happen to you.Mocking is Catching was the title of a 1726 song by Henry Carey.

money can't buy happiness »    Money can buy external things, but true happiness comes from inside.

monkey on one's back »    A state of persistent distress or worry or the cause of such a state.

moral high ground »    A position or point of view which is ethically superior or more reputable, in comparison to others which are under consideration.

mouth organ »    harmonica

move out »    To vacate one's place of residence.

much of a muchness »    Of two or more things, having little difference of any significance between them.

my arse »    Indicates disapproval, disregard, disdain, disgust or disbelief.

my foot »    Indicates disapproval, disregard, disdain, disgust or disbelief.

ne'er cast a clout til May be out »    Advice not to change from winter clothes to summer clothes until June, as there is often a sudden cold snap in May.

neck of the woods »    A local neighbourhood or region.

needle in a haystack »    Something that is difficult or impossible to locate; something impossibly complex or intractable.

neither fish nor fowl »    Said of something not easily categorized or not fitting neatly into any established group.

neither here nor there »    Not important; having no significance or influence on the question at hand; not related; not relevant; not germane; not pertinent.

nervous as a cat »    "She's as nervous as a cat.".

nervous as a cat »    Very nervous.

new school »    A style, way of thinking, or method for accomplishing a task that is typical of the current era, as opposed to former eras.

nickel and dime »    Small time; operating on a small scale; involving small amounts of money; petty or cheap.

nightcap »    A beverage drunk before bed that is usually alcoholic.

nightcap »    A warm cloth cap worn while sleeping, often with pajamas. Nightcaps were common in northern Europe before central heating was available, when homes were cold at night.

nightcap »    The second game of a doubleheader.

no ifs, ands, or buts »    Period; exactly so; without modification, limitation, or addendum.

no smoke without fire »    Indicative of the fact that gossip or accusations are often substantiated by fact.

no strings attached »    Without conditions or obligations; without a catch.

noarch »    Short for "no architecture". It is a term used mainly in package management systems to mark packages which are architecture independent. Such packages usually contain graphics, documentation or similar data that can be used on any architecture.

non-starter »    An idea or argument that cannot be sensibly debated.

nose candy »    Cocaine.

nose test »    An informal method for determining whether something is authentic, credible, or ethical, by using one's common sense or sense of propriety.

not be able to get a word in edgeways »    To be unable to say a single word because of someone else's talkativeness.

not be caught dead »    To refuse completely to do something.

not on your tintype »    An answer indicating outright rejection or denial; no way; absolutely not.

now and then »    Sometimes; occasionally.

now you're talking »    A phrase indicating agreement with a previously stated suggestion to change a course of action.

nudge nudge wink wink »    A phrase added at the end of the sentence to hint that the speaker is referring to something else, euphemistically.

nugget of truth »    January 2008, Chicago Tribune - Clinton's Hispanic edge over Obama.

nutty as a fruitcake »    Behaving in an eccentric, foolish, or kooky manner; very nutty.

of an »    Indicates a more or less habitual activity during the given part of the day.

of course »    Indicates enthusiastic agreement.

off balance »    Not physical balanced; not having physical equilibrium.

off the beaten path »    In a secluded location; in a place which is not frequently visited or not widely known.

off the radar »    Unlikely to happen, or be important in the near future or tending to escape detection or attention.

off the rails »    In an abnormal manner, especially in a manner that causes damage or malfunctioning.

off-the-shelf »    As purchased or as commonly available, without modification or customization.

oil burner »    A device whose operation causes apparent combustion of lubricating oil.

old maid »    card game

old school »    Characteristic of a style, outlook, or method employed in a former era, remembered either as inferior to the current style, or alternately, remembered nostalgically as superior or preferable to the new style, the older denoting something that would be considered out of date or out of fashion to some, but as such, is considered by others as cool and hip.

old time used to be »    Somebody Loan Me A Dime. lyrics by Boz Scaggs.

on accident »    Accidentally; not intentionally; because of error, misfortune, or lack of caution.

on air »    broadcast

on average »    Usually, typically; as a rule; as often as not.

on board »    Even when I am on board the plane, I can never feel secure that my luggage is, too.

on board »    It's a good idea, but let's see if we can get a few more of the management team on board.

on hold »    Waiting on a telephone call.

on one's feet »    Being stable or capable, especially in a financial or emotional sense.

on opposite sides of the barricades »    Of starkly different, opposite views on an issue.

on the blink »    Functioning erratically, malfunctioning; not working or not working well. Usually refers to a mechanical or electronic device.

on the bubble »    Having qualification for an event depend on the upcoming performances of other competitors.

on the bubble »    Holding the last qualifying position with qualification still in progress, and thus liable to lose that position.

on the cheap »    Economically, especially if too economically.

on the clock »    Displayed numerically on the mileage or kilometric gauge.

on the clock »    Of a taxicab, engaged for hire; displayed numerically as time or fare on the meter of a taxicab.

on the dot »    Exactly; precisely, especially of a numerical quantity.

on the face of it »    Apparently; as far as can be seen or determined.

on the loose »    Not incarcerated or in captivity; not under control.

on the town »    Casually enjoying the nightlife of a town or city.

on the whole »    For the most part; apart from some insignificant details.

on thin ice »    In a dangerous, hazardous, or delicate situation; at risk.

on tiptoe »    Moving carefully, quietly, warily or stealthily.

once bitten, twice shy »    One is cautious in the future if one has been hurt in the past.

once in a while »    Occasionally; sometimes.

one another »    Used of a reciprocal relationship among a group of more than two people or things; compare each other.

one at a time »    Individually, as opposed to collectively; slowly or methodically, figuratively.

one can run but one can't hide »    There is nothing someone can do to evade something.You can run but you can't hide.

one can't hold two watermelons in one hand »    do not attempt to take on more than you can handle

one candle short of a box »    not bright; stupid

one card shy of a full deck »    Mentally deranged; demented; insane.

one step at a time »    Slowly and carefully, ensuring that each action has been completed successfully before taking the next.

one swallow does not a summer make »    One sighting or instance of an event does not necessarily indicate a trend.

one swallow doesn't make a summer »    One sighting or instance of an event does not necessarily indicate a trend.

one-hit wonder »    A musical performer or musical group known for a single hit song, especially after failing at later attempts at success.

one-man band »    A musician who plays several musical instruments at once.

one-night stand »    An occasion when a performer or team of them expects to perform at a theater for a single evening.

ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny »    (biology, social sciences, art, philosophy) The physical, cultural, moral, or intellectual development of each individual passes through stages similar to the developmental stages of that individual's species, society, or civilization.1905, J. A. Harris, "The Importance of Investigations of Seedling Stages," Science, New Series, vol. 22, no. 554, p. 186:With reference to seedling stages the statement that ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny must be made with great reserve.1961, M. E. Wolfgang, "Pioneers in Criminology: Cesare Lombroso (1835-1909)," The Journal of Criminal Law, Criminology, and Police Science, vol. 52, no. 4, p. 367:Haeckel maintained that ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny, and this idea was incorporated by Lombroso into his parallelism between the criminal and the child.2002, B. S. Jackson, "Models in Legal History: The Case of Biblical Law," Journal of Law and Religion, vol. 18, no. 1, p. 11:For even if we accept that "ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny," those responsible for the drafting of ancient legal documents were not children, and are hardly to be endowed with some form of infantile mentality.

open a can of whoop ass »    A good-humored threat of physical harm.

open a can of whoop ass »    I'm gonna open up a can of whoop-ass on ya.

opening time »    hour at which a pub can start serving

orphan drug »    But which is not manufactured or marketed because the demand is insufficient to cover the costs of supply.

out of character »    Not in character; not successfully performing within the mindset of a given character in a theatrical performance. See also break character, drop character.

out of house and home »    Cassandra Chrones Moore, Haunted Housing: How Toxic Scare Stories Are Spooking the Public Out of House and Home.

out of line »    Inappropriate or unsuitable, especially by reason of being unmannerly or indelicate.

out of nowhere »    In an unexpected or inexplicable manner of arrival or occurrence.

out of one's league »    In a situation in which one is mismatched with one or more others, whose accomplishments, preparedness, or other characteristics are on a significantly higher or lower level than one's own.

out of sorts »    Irritable or somewhat unwell, with vague medical symptoms.

out of the way »    Taken care of.

out of touch »    No longer maintaining contact or communications.

out of whack »    Wrong, broken; specifically.

out of whole cloth »    Fabricated, fictitious.

out on a limb »    in a precarious position

out the window »    Made obsolete; altered drastically as a result of situational change.

out to lunch »    Clueless, inattentive or careless.

over one's head »    More complex or confusing than one can understand; beyond one’s comprehension..

over the transom »    Said of an unsolicited work submitted for publication.

overkill »    A destructive capacity that exceeds that needed to destroy an enemy; especially with nuclear weapons.

owing to »    because of

packing heat »    Carrying one or more firearms on one's person, especially in a concealed manner.

pain in the ass »    Something that causes discomfort or is otherwise troublesome.

paint oneself into a corner »    To create a predicament or problem for oneself; to do something that leaves one with no good alternatives or solutions.

paper »    A written document that reports scientific or academic research and is usually subjected to peer review before publication in a scientific journal or in the proceedings of a scientific or academic meeting .

parade of horribles »    A rhetorical device employing a series of progressively more terrible results following from an act.

park the car in Harvard Yard »    A sentence used to illustrate that the Boston accent is non-rhotic; typically pronounced "pahk the cah in Hahvad Yahd".

pass on »    To convey or communicate.

peachy keen »    Extremely good, exactly right; all right. Often used in the negative or with an ironic or sarcastic connotation to mean the opposite.

peg it »    To run away; to leg it; to scarper.

pelt of the dog »    An immoderate, excessive quantity of alcohol drunk the morning after whilst suffering withdrawal symptoms or a hangover, which goes beyond alleviating the complaint to causing drunkenness; cf. hair of the dog.

penny pincher »    One who spends little money; one who is very frugal or cautious with money.

perfect storm »    A powerful hurricane or other major weather disturbance, especially as produced by a combination of meteorological conditions.

perfect storm »    A situation where a calamity is caused by the convergence and amplifying interaction of a number of factors.

perp walk »    The intentional public display before news cameras of someone in police custody, especially someone famous or notorious, for the purpose of satisfying public interest, demonstrating the authorities' effectiveness, or shaming the person.

physical break »    A short break in a meeting or in a classroom setting, intended to improve attention.

pi%C3%A8ce de r%C3%A9sistance »    A masterpiece; the most memorable accomplishment of one’s career or lifetime..

pick up »    To point out (a person's behaviour, habits or actions),in a critical manner.

pickin' and grinnin' »    Vigorously playing folk or country music on a stringed musical instrument, especially the guitar or banjo, while smiling broadly.

piece de resistance »    A masterpiece; the most memorable accomplishment of one’s career or lifetime..

piece of cake »    A job, task or other activity that is easy or simple to do.

piece of cake »    One slice of cake.

pinchpenny »    One who spends little money; one who is very frugal or cautious with money.

pink slip »    An automobile roadworthiness inspection certificate.

pissing contest »    A boys' prankish competition to determine who can urinate the furthest up a wall.

pitched battle »    A hostile engagement involving sustained, full-scale fighting between opposing forces in close combat.

play along »    To take part in a charade, deception, or practical joke.

play for love »    To play a game of cards without stakes.

play hardball »    To use every means possible to achieve a goal, especially in disregarding the harm caused.

play it safe »    To take a cautious, risk-free approach.

play Old Harry »    Blenkiron and I have been moving in the best circles as skilled American engineers who are going to play Old Harry with the British on the Tigris. — John Buchan, "Greenmantle", 1916..

play one against another »    To manipulate two persons into competing against one another in a way that benefits the person carrying out the manipulation.

play one's cards right »    To act sensibly; to make the right moves.

play possum »    To feign death; to remain quiet and still to escape attention or remain undetected; to lay low.

play the fool »    To behave in a foolish or comical manner.

play the race card »    Donald A. Carson, Love in Hard Places p.94.

play the race card »    Mark Fuhrman, Murder in Brentwood p.153.

play the race card »    To assert that race or racism is responsible for a course of events, especially when race is not of particular significance to the issue in question; to attempt to inspire a particular reaction by raising the issue of race.

play to the gallery »    To appeal to the least sophisticated parts of an audience in order to obtain maximum approval.

play up »    To make or attempt to make something appear more important, likely or obvious; to showcase or highlight.

play with fire »    To put oneself in a precarious situation with a high risk of getting harmed, particularly emotionally or financially.

point out »    To tell, remind, indicate to someone.

poison tree bears poison fruit »    Unethical actions in the service of good intentions will have immoral or unethical consequences.

pop a cap in someone's ass »    To shoot someone with a gun.

pop off »    To release flatulence, in most cases, in short rapid succession.

pore over »    To examine something carefully and attentively.

poster child »    One who is a prototypical or quintessential example of something.

Postpone »    to cancel until a future a time

pot calling the kettle black »    A situation in which somebody comments on or accuses someone else of a fault which the accuser shares.

pound the pavement »    To campaign diligently; to seek something, such as business, employment, or answers.

pour oil on troubled waters »    To calm something or someone who is tenacious or misbehaving.

power chord »    A chord or combination of notes used in rock music and typically selected to sound good at high volume and high levels of distortion. Power chords make extensive use of intervals such as open fourths and fifths.

power point »    electrical socket

power up »    To turn the electrical power on to a device as a precondition to make it operational.

power up »    To become ready for operation as a result of the provision of electrical power.

pre-war »    Describing the most recent or significant war in a culture's history.

press the flesh »    To shake hands and socialize, especially in a political gathering.

price on one's head »    A compensation for capturing or killing a person, especially someone guilty of a crime.

pride comes before a fall »    A person who is extremely proud of his or her abilities will often suffer a setback or failure, because he or she tends to be overconfident and to make errors of judgment.

problem child »    A child who is particularly difficult to raise or educate, especially due to a lack of self-control and disruptive and antisocial behavior.

pronunciamiento »    A military uprising or coup in Spain or the Spanish American republics, particularly in the 19th century. They received this designation because coups were usually accompanied by a statement declaring the existing government null and void.

proverbs run in pairs »    Every proverb seems to be contradicted by another proverb with an opposed message, such as "too many cooks spoil the broth" and "many hands make light work."1863, Sir Richard Burton, Abeokuta and the Camaroons Mountains, vol. 1, Tinsley (London), p. 309:Moreover, all the world over, proverbs run in pairs, and pull both ways: for the most part one neutralizes, by contradiction, the other.

puddle jumper »    A small passenger airplane, typically used for shorter connecting trips to smaller airports.

pull my finger »    A phrase used when playing a prank regarding flatulence, in which a mark is asked to pull the finger of the person playing the prank, who simultaneously flatulates so as to suggest a causal relationship between the pulling of the finger and the resulting expulsion of gas.

pull over »    To cause to pull over.

pull teeth »    To remove teeth, usually because they are diseased or damaged.

pull the other leg »    In imperative/precative form, used to imply that the speaker does not accept or believe what another has just said.

pull the other one, it's got bells on »    The implication is that one leg has been pulled, and the joker will have more fun with the other one due to the bells.

pull the plug »    To cease from production or publication.

pull up »    Lift upwards or vertically.

pump up »    To cause one's muscles to swell by means of focussed weightlifting.

punch in »    To enter a workplace by punching a time card.

put across »    To perform a theatrical production.

put aside »    To ignore or intentionally forget something, temporarily or permanently, so that more important things can have one's attention.

put away »    To catch a fly ball or tag out a baserunner.

put by »    To preserve food by canning, freezing, drying, etc.

put down »    To set down, stop carrying, or place in a low location.

put down »    To replace the telephone receiver and terminate a call. To hang up.

put down to »    To state the cause of a situation.

put into practice »    To take a theory and make it a practical reality.

put one's foot down »    To make a car go faster, accelerate.

put oneself across »    To explain one's ideas and opinions clearly so that another person can understand them and get a picture of your personality.

put out »    The statistic of the number of outs a defensive player directly caused.

put someone in mind of »    To remind someone of; to inspire a mental image or awareness of; to cause thoughts concerning.

put the cart before the horse »    To put things in the wrong order or with the wrong priorities.

put the cat among the pigeons »    If you set the cat among the pigeons, you will cause a flutter in the dovecote.

put the cat among the pigeons »    Professor Stephen Hawking put the cat among the pigeons last week with his cheery remarks about comet Machholz-2, which some astronomers believe could be heading our way. — The Times, 19 September 1994.

put the cat among the pigeons »    To cause alarm.

put up »    To place in a high location.

put up »    To cajole or dare to do something.

quake in one's boots »    To be frightened, scared, or nervous.

quantum mechanics »    Something overly complicated or detailed.

quantum mechanics »    The branch of physics which studies matter and energy at the level of atoms and other elementary particles, and substitutes probabilistic mechanisms for classical Newtonian ones.

question mark »    The punctuation mark “?”, used at the end of a sentence to indicate a question..

Rabbit »    Caught like a rabbit in the headlights.

rabble rouser »    Someone or something that tends to inspire mobs; something controversial or provocative.

rag bagger »    A sailboat, usually a cruising sailboats which tend to carry and store lots of supplies along the deck, or any sailboat that looks like a neglected vessel, or messy vessel.

rags to riches »    In a biographical context, from poverty to exceptional wealth.

rain cats and dogs »    To rain very heavily.

rain check »    In social interactions, a polite way to turn down an invitation, with the implication one is simply postponing it and that another time would be acceptable.

rain dogs and cats »    To rain very heavily.

rained cats and dogs »    poured

raise Cain »    To behave in a disruptive manner.

raise Cain »    To cause trouble.

raise hell »    To cause a great disturbance.

raise the spectre »    To cause concern that something unfortunate might happen.

raise the stakes »    To increase in significance or risk.

rattle someone's cage »    To demand attention; to nag, nudge, or remind.

real job »    A job that can't be replaced advantageously by a machine or a procedure.

real job »    A job which requires the employee to, work regular hours for a consistent wage that often exceeds the provisions of applicable minimum wage legislation. A job that produces a living wage.

real men don't eat quiche »    (aphorism, humorous) The stereotypical man does not do things that are considered effeminate, as to do so would imply they are effeminate.

reality check »    A wake-up call, reminder.

rearrange the deck chairs on the Titanic »    To do something pointless or insignificant that will soon be overtaken by events, or that contributes nothing to the solution of a current problem.

reckon without »    To ignore that which cannot readily be ignored.

red card »    referee's item

red face test »    A hypothetical test of a person's embarrassment, that is either passed or failed. Saying one passes the red face test means one would not blush and thus would not be embarrassed by disclosing something to others or doing something, and saying one fails the red face test means a situation would cause them discernible embarrassment.

red light »    A warning light, especially as a traffic signal indicating ‘stop’..

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

reflect on »    To think carefully about something, and give it due consideration.

rest his soul »    Used parenthetically to mark the referent as being deceased.

rev up »    To increase the speed of an engine, especially that of a stationary motor car.

ridden hard and put away wet »    Mistreated; not properly cared for.

ride the short bus »    To have a need for a special education program, as because learning disabled.

ride the short bus »    To participate in a special education program, such as for those with learning disabilities.

right back »    Used in several informal constructions to indicate return -- especially imminent return to a point of origin.

ring around »    To call a number of people by phone, usually a circle of friends, to organise something.

ring back »    To return a phone call.

ring back »    To make another phone call to the same person.

ring in »    To make a phone call to one's usual place of work.

ring out »    To make a phone call from an internal phone system to a general telephone network number.

ring round »    To call a number of people by phone, usually a circle of friends, to organise something.

ring up »    To telephone, to call on the telephone.

ring up »    To enter a payment into a cash register, or till in a shop.

roach coach »    Whimsically, a catering or food truck.

roadwarrior »    A person who carries a mobile device such as a laptop or PDA and uses wireless internet connections to work.

rob the cradle »    To marry or become romantically involved with a much younger person.

rock up »    To work one's way vertically up a chimney or cleft using a rocking movement.

roll down the windows »    To flail one's arms in a circular motion when off-balance, as to mimic the act of rolling down a car window.

roll out the red carpet »    To extend the utmost hospitality; to treat someone as an honored guest; to welcome or host, especially in a showy or extravagant manner.

Rome wasn't built in a day »    It takes a long time to create something complicated or impressive.

root cause »    An initiating cause of a chain of events which leads to an outcome or effect of interest.

rough around the edges »    In need of refinement; unsophisticated.

round off »    To change a number into an approximation having fewer significant digits.

rule with an iron fist »    To rule with absolute authority or to the detriment of the people. To rule tyrannically.

rumor campaign »    A method of persuasion in which damaging rumors or innuendo are deliberately spread concerning a person or other target, while the source of the rumors tries to avoid detection.

run a mile »    To escape, flee or leave a situation or relationship, usually as a result of a shocking or sudden announcement or revelation.

run away »    escape

run away with »    To be misled by imagining that one's desires can come true.

run back »    To take someone home by car. Give someone a lift to their house.

run back »    To rewind a film or cassette.

run down »    To hit someone with a car or other vehicle and injure or kill them.

run for »    To try to obtain political position through the democratic voting process.

run for office »    To seek political power.

run for one's money »    A difficult challenge for the person indicated, especially one involving a competitive situation.

run for one's money »    A reasonable opportunity to succeed, perform acceptably, or escape harm, especially in a difficult situation.

run into »    To cause to collide with.

run into »    To cause to blend into.

run off with »    To leave with someone with the intention of living with them or marrying them. Usually in secret because other people think it is wrong.

run over »    To drive over, causing injury or death.

run roughshod over »    To treat roughly or without care, respect, or moderation; to act without control; to damage.

run scared »    To try everything to avoid defeat.

sacred cow »    Something which cannot be tampered with, or criticized, for fear of public outcry.

say grace »    To recite a prayer of invocation or thanksgiving at meal time.

scare out of one's wits »    To frighten someone to such an extent that they behave irrationally.

scare the bejeebers out of »    To thoroughly terrify.

scare the pants off of »    To scare or startle thoroughly.

scared shitless »    Very scared, terrified.

scared to death »    Extremely frightened.

scarf down »    To eat something quickly.

school of hard knocks »    An education consisting of real-world experiences, especially harsh experiences.

screw it »    "I don't care enough to continue"; whatever.

screw this »    "I don't care enough to continue"; "This is too stressful for me"; whatever.

seagull approach »    The occurence of casual, ill-informed and hasty decisions or comments made by outside authorities who lack an understanding of the local issues or a real understanding of the facts of a particular situ.

seagull manager »    A manager who comes into the workplace or office only on occasion, especially when a problem arises or to criticize or critique employees.

seat-of-the-pants »    Done by feel, guess, or trial and error rather than by careful planning, thought or technique.

second banana »    A person who serves in a supporting, secondary, or subsidiary capacity; an assistant.

see red »    To receive a red card, and be dismissed from the playing field.

see yellow »    To receive a yellow card.

seeing is believing »    You need to see something to believe it; visible facts cannot be denied.

seek and ye shall find »    something can be found if it is looked for.

seize the day »    To make the most of today by achieving fulfillment in a philosophical or spiritual sense.

sell »    To pretend that an opponent's blows or maneuvers are causing legitimate injury; to act.

sell down the river »    To betray, especially in a manner which causes serious difficulty for the one betrayed.

sell like hot cakes »    To sell fast.

sell-by date »    The final date on which a perishable product can be legally sold to the public.

sell-by date »    Used to indicate that something, or someone, is old and out of date.

send to Coventry »    To ostracize, or systematically ignore someone.

send up »    To imitate someone or something for the purpose of satirical humour.

serpentine »    Of, or having attributes associated with, the mythological serpent, such as craftiness or deceitfulness.

set down »    Simple sum of parts set + down, to place, especially on the ground or a surface; to cease carrying.

set off »    To begin; to cause; to initiate.

set off »    To cause to explode.

set one's cap at »    . Or, more generally, to choose something as a goal.

set to work »    To cause to begin working.

set up shop »    To physically arrange a shop or workplace.

settle someone's hash »    To physically or verbally subdue someone.

sexual enjoyment »    Sexual intercourse that produces physical and psychological pleasure.

sexual tension »    Physically induced libidinal unrest arising between two individuals when aware of each other's presence.

sharp cookie »    One who is intelligent, bright, or sharp; especially, one who can identify attempts to deceive or mislead.

sharp tongue »    The practice or characteristic of speaking to others in a harsh, critical, or insulting manner.

shell out »    To use a program's "shell escape" function to execute an unrelated command or to invoke a subsidiary, interactive shell.

shit happens »    Bad things happen, and there is nothing we can do about it.

shit one's pants »    To involuntarily defecate into one's pants or other clothing.

shit-eating grin »    A broad smile indicating self-awareness that may suggest self-satisfaction, smugness, discomfort, or embarrassment.

shoo-in »    A candidate or contestant generally agreed upon as the presumptive winner; somebody who is well-liked or widely agreed upon.

shoot first and ask questions later »    To take action with serious consequences without delay, preserving the benefit of surprise by not providing indication of one's intent.

shoot oneself in the foot »    To deliberately sabotage an activity in order to avoid obligation, though it causes personal suffering. Origins in first world war trench warfare.

shoot the messenger »    To blame a problem on whoever reported it; to hold somebody accountable a problem because he/she brought attention to it.

shoot the moon »    To attain great heights, a high value, or a numerically high measurement.

shoot the shit »    To chat casually; to gossip.

shotgun »    A gun which fires loads consisting of small metal balls, called shot, from a cartridge.

show the flag »    Of a naval vessel or military force, to identify itself by displaying the flag of its country of origin, especially in order to establish an authoritative presence and to exert diplomatic or political influence.

show up »    To appear, arrive, or attend, especially suddenly or erratically.

showstopper »    A performance or segment of a theatrical production that induces a positive reaction strong enough to pause the production.

shroud »    A covered place used as a retreat or shelter, as a cave or den; also, a vault or crypt.

shroud »    A rope or cable serving to support the mast sideways.

shuffle »    The act of shuffling cards.

shut the hell up »    Indicating disbelief.

side issue »    An issue or topic which is not of direct significance to a primary concern.

sign off »    Term used to describe the closing of a radio or television station's studios and cessation of a broadcasting signal, usually during the overnight hours.

sign on »    The time of day when a radio or television station begins broadcasting, usually after being off the air for several hours.

silver bullet »    A bullet made of silver, usually with reference to the folkloric belief that such bullets are the only weapons which can kill a werewolf.

since when »    Used to indicate doubt as to the veracity of a statement.

sing soprano »    To perform vocal music in a higher pitch than alto.

sing soprano »    To suffer castration or an injury to the testicles.

singing soprano »    Castrated or injured in the testicles.

sit out »    To escape a hold while face-down by swinging one's legs around into the sitting position.

skate on thin ice »    In a risky, potentially dangerous or delicate situation.

slanging match »    A row; an argument in which names are called.

slip someone's mind »    To be forgotten; to escape one's memory.

slip through the cracks »    To escape notice or lack sufficient attention.

slippery as an eel »    So crafty, or cunning that they cannot be caught by the police, although it is known that they are acting illegally.

slippery slope »    A chain of events that, once initiated, cannot be halted; especially one in which the final outcome is undesirable or precarious.

slippery slope »    A logical argument that follows a chain of events or causes and effects to some conclusion.

slowly but surely »    In a slow, yet careful manner

small arms »    Firearms designed to be carried and fired by a single person; often held in the hand.

small change »    A minor or insignificant amount of money.

smear campaign »    An effort to damage or call into question someone's reputation, by propounding negative propaganda.

smell test »    An informal method for determining whether something is authentic, credible, or ethical, by using one's common sense or sense of propriety.

smoke signal »    A method of long-distance communication sometimes used in ancient and undeveloped societies, consisting of messages conveyed by means of columns or intermittent puffs of smoke.

smoke signal »    An indirect message or indication, especially concerning a future event.

snake oil »    A type of 19th century patent medicine sold in the United States that claimed to contain snake fat, supposedly a Native American remedy for various ailments.

sniff out »    To find, especially to find something that cannot be seen.

snow on the mountaintop »    Gray or white hair on one's head, especially as an indication of aging.

snow on the rooftop »    Gray or white hair on one's head, especially as an indication of aging.

so far so good »    Up to this point, all is OK.Well, you've packed your bags for the holiday, bought your tickets, reserved the hotel and put the dog in kennels. So far so good, now let's get to Minorca without any troubles.

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

so quiet one can hear a pin drop »    Said during a lull in a normally bustling place or scene, or as the result of a sudden dramatic or tense moment.

so-called »    Same as above, without the negative connotation.

so-called »    So named; called by such a name, with a very strong connotation that the item is not worthy of that name.

socialized medicine »    A politically charged term used to contrast such systems with free market alternatives and emphasize the perceived link to socialism.

socialized medicine »    An umbrella term for any system of government-run health care.

soft sawder »    Cajoling or flattery.

softly softly »    Discreet, low-key, careful.

some days you get the bear, other days the bear gets you »    One cannot always overcome a powerful adversary.

some people »    Expresses disgust at the actions of a person; a response to a person doing something silly, bizarre, nonsensical or ill-mannered.

sort oneself out »    To calm down emotionally.

sort out »    To attack physically.

sour grapes »    A putting down or expression of disdain about something that one desires but cannot have.

space out »    To stupefy, intoxicate, disorient, or lose attention or focus, especially by the use of drugs.

space out »    To plant seedlings etc at regular intervals with a calculated space between them.

spaghetti western »    Nickname for a motion picture produced by an Italian-based company and filmed in Europe, depicting a tale of cowboys and desperadoes set in the American Old West.

spare tire »    An extra wheel or tire carried as a replacement in case of a flat.

spare tyre »    An extra tyre carried in case one of the vehicle's tyres is damaged or deflated.

speak up »    To make oneself or one's opinions known; to advocate or assert oneself.

special needs »    Needs for special care, services or accommodations.

spill one's guts »    To confess, or to divulge secrets, typically speaking freely and at length after a change of motive or an incentive.

spine-tingling »    Nervy or scary.

split up »    Separate, disassociate, cause to come apart.

spring onion »    scallion

square meal »    A satisfying meal, especially suitable for one performing physical labor.

squaring the circle »    The historical problem of how to construct, using compass and ruler, a square having the same area as a given circle.

squirrel away »    To stash or hide; to hoard, collect, save, or accumulate; to create a reserve, stash, or hoard of some supply, so as to recall a squirrel's burying of nuts.

staircase wit »    Thinking of an idea or course of action too late to use it effectively, or the tendency to do so.

stamp out »    To get rid of, eradicate.

stand back »    To stand a long way behind the wicket so as to catch balls from a fast bowler.

stand for »    To advocate, to support.

stand from under »    To escape something falling or being thrown from above.

stand to reason »    To make sense; to seem logical, reasonable, or rational.

stand up »    To stand immediately behind the wicket so as to catch balls from a slow or spin bowler, and to attempt to stump the batsman.

stave in »    To stave from the outside, to crush inward, to cause to collapse inward.

step in front of a moving train »    To sacrifice one's own life for a noble and loyal cause.

step on a rake »    To step on the tines of a garden rake, causing the handle of the rake to rise from the ground rapidly, invariably striking the person walking in the face.

stepping stone »    A stone that can be stepped on in crossing something, especially a marsh or creek.

stick in someone's craw »    To cause lasting annoyance, irritation, or hard feelings.

stick in the mud »    A person unwilling to participate in activities, often because he or she believes the activity is not wholly kosher; a party pooper.

stickhandle »    To deal capably and swiftly with a situation, especially in a manner which deflects potential problems.

sticking point »    A disputed issue or state of affairs that causes an interruption or outright impasse in progress towards some goal or resolution, especially in negotiation or argumentation.

sticks and stones »    Evocative of the saying "sticks and stones may (or will) break my bones, but words (or names) will never hurt (or harm) me".1957, Brendan Gill, The Day the Money Stopped

stiff upper lip »    The quality of being resolute and showing self-restraint, associated with stereotypical British people.

still water runs deep »    A person with a calm appearance has, or may have, considerable inner emotion, character, or intellect

still waters run deep »    A person with a calm appearance has, or may have, considerable inner emotion, character, or intellect.

stir-crazy »    Of a prisoner, mentally unbalanced due to prolonged incarceration.

stone's throw »    A short distance, roughly equivalent to how far a person can throw a stone.

stop press »    The event or news article important enough to delay or interrupt the print, or require a reprint, of a publication, particularly of a newspaper edition.

stop up »    To fill a hole or cavity, or block an opening or passage, as with a plug.

stop up »    To increase the aperture of a photographic lens, moving from an f/stop represented by a higher number to an f/stop represented by a lower number and causing more light to pass into the camera.

straight man »    A member of a team of comic performers who plays a supporting role by helping to set up jokes and punch lines through engaging in preparatory dialog with the principal comedian; a foil who plays such a role in theatrical comedy.

straight out of the chute »    Something done immediately, or "from the beginning". Taken from rodeo routine: the bucking bronco, or bull, or the calf for the calf-roping contest is kept in a narrow pen, a chute, until it is released and dashes out to its fate.

strange bedfellows »    An unusual combination or political alliance.

straw poll »    A survey of opinion which is unofficial, casual, or ad hoc.

stretch limo »    long car

strike through »    Partly obliterate text by drawing a continuous line through the centre thereof, usually to indicate the deletion of an error or obsolete information.

stuff up »    Cause to be blocked.

stump up »    To pay for something. Often indicating reluctance to pay.

suck in »    To cause someone to become slowly more and more involved in a business or situation that is often not to that person's liking.

suck into »    To cause someone to become slowly more and more involved in a business or situation that is often not to that person's liking.

surprise surprise »    An indication that the unsurprising happened, especially contrary to someone's hopes or assertions.

sweat »    Fluid that exits the body through pores in the skin usually due to physical stress and/or high temperature for the purpose of regulating body temperature and removing certain compounds from the circulation.

sweep someone off their feet »    To seduce someone romantically.

swing state »    A state which may vote Democratic or Republican, in a given election or generally; a purple state.

swiss roll »    cake

sword and sandal »    Of or pertaining to a genre of books or films relating fantasy-adventure tales involving heroic exploits in ancient or biblical times.

sword and sorcery »    Of or pertaining to a genre of narratives—including short stories, novels, television shows, films, and computer games—which combines wizardry and other fantastical supernatural elements with violent combat using medieval weaponry..

tail between one's legs »    A reaction to a confrontation, specifically one with excessive shame and hurt pride.

take a crap »    To defecate.

take a picture »    To photographically capture an image.

take a shit »    To defecate.

take aback »    Of a ship: to catch it with the sails aback suddenly.

take back »    To cause to remember some past event or time.

take care of the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves »    If you take care of little things one at a time, they can add up to big things.1750, Chesterfield, letter 5 Feb. (1932) IV. 1500:Old Mr. Lowndes, the famous Secretary of the Treasury, ?used to say?Take care of the pence, and the pounds will take care of themselves.1912, G. B. Shaw, Pygmalion ii. 132:Take care of the pence and the pounds will take care of themselves is as true of personal habits as of money.1979, R. Cassilis, Arrow of God, iv. xvii.:Little things, Master Mally. Look after the pennies, Master Mally, and the pounds will look after themselves.1999,

take down »    To remove something from a wall or similar vertical surface to which it is fixed.

take down »    To remove a temporary structure such as scaffolding.

take for granted »    To assume something to be true without verification or proof.

take it easy »    Immediately calm yourself down; your state of panic does not help.

take it out on »    To unleash one's anger on [a person or thing other than the one that caused it].

take its toll »    To affect, especially negatively; to damage or degrade; to cause destruction.

take off »    To imitate, often in a satirical manner.

take one's lumps »    To receive physical abuse and to survive.

take one's time »    To go about something slowly and carefully.

take the cake »    To be especially good or outstanding.

take the cake »    To be particularly bad, objectionable, or egregious.

take the wind out of someone's sails »    To discourage someone greatly; to cause someone to lose hope or the will to continue.

take to the cleaners »    To take a significant quantity of a person's money or valuables, through gambling, unfavorable investing, fraud, litigation, etc.

take up »    That which takes up or tightens; specifically, a device in a sewing machine for drawing up the slack thread as the needle rises, in completing a stitch.

talk like an apothecary »    To use hard or gallipot words: from the assumed gravity and affectation of knowledge generally put on by the gentlemen of this profession, who are commonly as superficial in their learning as they are pedantic in their language.

talk through one's hat »    To speak lacking expertise, authority, or knowledge; to invent or fabricate facts.

task force »    A group of people working towards a particular task, project, or activity, especially assigned in a particular capacity.

taxi driver »    cabby

tempus fugit »    time flies (used as an alternative to this phrase)."Meanwhile, the irreplaceable time escapes", expressing concern that one's limited time is being consumed by something which may have little intrinsic substance or importance at that moment.

ten a penny »    So common as to be practically worthless.

thanks a bunch »    A mildly sarcastic thank you.

thanks a bunch »    An unsarcastic thank you.

that does it »    Expression of annoyance or frustration; indicates that one has reached the limit of one's patience or temper.

that's just me »    Indicates the expression of a personal opinion, but often used ironically as an understatement.

that's the way life is »    That is the way things happenCertain things cannot be changed, helped or improved; struggle and objection are pointless.1935, Louis Bromfield, The Man Who Had Everything [1], page 279:That's the way life is, and there's no use trying to go against it.1979, Jay Edward Abrams, A Theology of Christian Counseling: More Than Redemption [2], ISBN 0310511011, page 45:There are no standards, no values; that's the way life is. Learn to accept it and slide with it. Stop fighting it.2002, B. Eugene Ellison, Rings of the Templars, ISBN 059524050X, page 337:Shit happens; that's the way life is. In fact, I want you to take an additional thousand for your efforts.

the apple doesn't fall far from the tree »    A child grows up to be very similar to its parents in the way they act and in their physical abilities.

the calm before the storm »    A period of peace before a disturbance or crisis; an unnatural or false calm before a storm.

the die is cast »    The future is determined; there are no more options; events will proceed in an irreversible manner.

the dogs bark, but the caravan goes on »    Life goes on, even if some will try to stop or talk against progress.

the early bird catches the worm »    the early bird gets the worm

the end justifies the means »    Morally wrong actions are sometimes necessary to achieve morally right outcomes; actions can only be considered morally right or wrong by virtue of the morality of the outcome.

the end of one's rope »    At the limit of one’s patience, when one is so frustrated or annoyed that one can no longer take it..

the finger »    An obscene gesture, typically consisting of extending the middle finger at somebody.

the fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you get »    (vulgar) The sexual satisfactions that one receives from a spouse or romantic partner are not sufficient to compensate for the significant periods of bad faith and unpleasant treatment which such relationships routinely involve.1971, Allen Churchill, The Literary Decade, ISBN 9780135375228:Years later she expressed her disillusionment with sex by saying, "The fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you get."1999, Ben Sonnenberg, Lost Property: Memoirs and Confessions of a Bad Boy, ISBN 9781582430454, p. 93:Maitland got drunk at his parties and threw his arm around you and pulled you over to his wife and made you look down her dress, saying, "The trouble with marriage is that the fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you get."2008, Joseph Heywood, Blue Wolf In Green Fire, ISBN 9781599213590, p. 63:"I can't believe a little pussy got me into dis mess." "Shit happens," Service said. "Sometimes the fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you get."

the icing on the cake »    Something wonderful at the end of something good.

the jig is up »    An expression used to mean "We have been caught out and have no defence", or if spoken to a person who's just been found out as the perpetrator of an offense, it means "You've been discovered.".

the pen is mightier than the sword »    More influence and power can be usurped by writing than by fighting.

the plot thickens »    Used, often ironically, to describe an increasingly complex or mysterious situation.

the rabbit died »    A statement spoken to indicate one's own pregnancy, or that someone has found out they are pregnant.

the road to hell is paved with good intentions »    well-intended acts can lead to disaster

the straw that broke the camel's back »    A small and seemingly insignificant addition to a burden that renders it too much to bear; the small thing which causes failure, or causes inability or unwillingness to endure any more of something.

the terrorists will have won »    Phrase used following a description of an activity to indicate that if that activity is not continued or carried out, those who seek to disrupt normal activities through terror will have succeeded, an which is an unacceptable result.

there may be snow on the rooftop but there is fire in the furnace »    Even if a person is in his or her senior years, with gray hair, he or she can still have ambition and energy, especially sexual energy.

there's many a slip twixt cup and lip »    In any situation, however well planned, something can always go wrong.

there's more than one way to skin a cat »    A problem generally has more than one solution.

there's no accounting for taste »    When it comes to subjective matters of taste, people have wildly different opinions.Disagreements about matters of taste can't be objectively resolved.

there's no point crying over spilt milk »    You should not be upset over something that cannot be undone.

there's nowt so queer as folk »    Nothing is as strange as people can be.

there, there »    Conveys comfort; used to calm somebody urge somebody to relax, especially when the person is crying.

think twice »    To reconsider, use judgement; to proceed with caution or thought.

three Rs »    The basic education any child can expect to receive, but not necessarily limited to reading, writing and arithmetic.

three Rs »    The basic education received in primary schools. Literally; reading, writing and arithmetic.

three skips of a louse »    Said about some trifling or insignificant matter.

three-martini lunch »    A leisurely, expensive, midday meal associated with drinking, which is tax-deductible because business is discussed.

throw a sickie »    To take a day off from work, supposedly because of ill health. The illness could be either real or feigned.

throw away »    To discard or dispose of something.

throw caution to the wind »    Do something despite the risks.

throw cold water on »    To belittle or dismiss; to cast doubt upon; to debunk.

throw dirt enough, and some will stick »    If enough allegations are made about someone or something, then even if they are all untrue, people's opinion of the person or thing will be diminished.1759, John Wesley, letter to John Downes, Rector of St. Michael's, Wood Street, read at Wesley Center Online at [1] on 14 Oct 06.I hope...that you are ignorant of the whole affair, and are so bold only because you are blind...And blind enough; so that you blunder on through thick and thin, bespattering all that come in your way, according to the old, laudable maxim, 'Throw dirt enough, and some will stick.'1857, Thomas Hughes, Tom Brown's Schooldays, read at fullbooks.com on 14 Oct 06,But whatever harm a spiteful tongue could do them, he took care should be done. Only throw dirt enough, and some will stick.1864, John Henry Newman, Apologia Pro Vita Sua, Penguin Classics (1994), p. 10,Archbishop Whately used to say

throw down »    To cause something one is holding to drop, often forcefully.

throw enough mud at the wall and some of it will stick »    Try the same thing (or similar things) often enough, and, even if the general standard is poor, sometimes one will be successful.2005, Mike Busson (poster on UKScreen forum) Re: Voiceovers!, read at [1] on 02 Nov 06,In terms of places to send your URL or CD's, there's no easy answer. It really is a case of throw enough mud at the wall and some of it will stick.2005, "forwardone" (administrator posting on the HYIPForum), re: Alertpay phishing email, read at [2] on 02 Nov 06,I also think that sometimes they send out phishing e-mails in the hope that it`ll hit people who do have an account with a particular organization. You know, throw enough mud at the wall and some of it will stick theory.2006, Rob Manuel, How to be funny, read in Comedy Soup on the BBC website at [3] on 02 Nov 06,Throw enough mud at the wall and some of it will stick. Be prolific and don't be afraid to make stuff that's rubbish. If you keep trying eventually you'll get there.2006, Rex Pierce, Re: [303rd-Talk] D Day read on 303rd Bomb Group Talk Forum at [4] on 02 Nov 06,Believe the planners worked on the principle of "throw enough mud at the wall, and some of it will stick".If enough (perhaps false or reckless) accusations are made against someone, his reputation will suffer, whether or not this is deserved2006, "money" (poster on eTalk Money), Some thoughts about compact surfing, read at [5] on 02 Nov 06,Word of advice NVUS time to distance yourself from LuukH as quickly as possible and dish some dirt, otherwise well the saying goes - throw enough mud at the wall and some of it will stick.

throw enough mud at the wall, some of it will stick »    Try the same thing (or similar things) often enough, and, even if the general standard is poor, sometimes one will be successful.2001, And still no one is shouting stop. read in The Kingdom archives at [1] on 02 Nov 06,Many team managers are of the philosophy that if you throw enough mud at the wall some of it will stick. They believe that team preparation is all about physical fitness. They run the players into the ground and they believe they will be "flying on the day".2001, Robert McCrum, Let them eat cake, in The Observer 16 Dec 01, read on Guardian Unlimited site at [2] on 02 Nov 06,Australian publishing boomed and in the past 10 years the country's literary culture has undergone a mini golden age, capped by Carey's triumph at the 2001 Booker Prize. As one Australian arts administrator said to me many years ago: 'Listen, mate, if you throw enough mud at the wall, some of it will stick.'2001, Chris Collin, Re: 2-cp speys on The Strathspey Server mailing list archive at [3] on 02 Nov 06,I am finding that "if you throw enough mud at the wall, some of it will stick". It doesn't always work of course (especially on the nights when the class is mostly the beginners), but the class seems to thrive on the challange.2005, Ray Craft (poster on The right scale blog), Fitzhooie and his Burden, read at [4] on 02 Nov 06,Prosecutors everywhere have bad habits of overcharging lots of cases, knowing that if the throw enough mud at the wall some of it will stick.2005, Sean Kelleher, Spike Milligan: His part in our downfall in Business 07 Aug 05, read at [5] on 02 Nov 06,As long as there is negligible regulation and enforcement anyone can actually try and do the job...Weak regulation allows the industry to build strategies on full time recruitment. The theory goes: throw enough mud at the wall, some of it will stick.c2005, Everything You've Learned About Marketing Is Wrong, read on LINC Performance website at [6] on 02 Nov 06,They have the money to continue to believe in the repetition side of the equation. You throw enough mud at the wall, some of it will stick. But it still isn

throw off balance »    To unsettle, to catch by surprise.

throw one's cap over the windmill »    To act in a crazed manner.

throw one's hat in the ring »    To announce one's candidacy in a contest.

throw out »    To discard; to dispense with something; to throw away.

throw the baby out with the bathwater »    To discard something valuable, often inadvertently, in the process of removing waste.

throw to the dogs »    To remove or cast out someone or something out of one's protection, such as into the streets.

throw to the wolves »    To remove or cast out someone or something out of one's protection, such as onto the streets, especially towards predators.

throw under the bus »    To betray or blame; to use as a scapegoat.

throw under the bus »    To discard or disown.

tiger team »    An engineering or other group assembled to tackle especially difficult or critical problems, often outside the normal chain of command.

time out »    To call for a suspension of activity or conversation.

time out »    To call for a time-out.

timing is everything »    Consideration of other events can greatly influence some desired outcome (such as an audience laughing to a comedian's joke).Telling the old joke about a butt-crack was not a good idea, just as the plumber arrived, Bob.You know what they say: "timing is everything." I'm sure we can find another plumber before the house floods.

tip of the iceberg »    Only the beginning; just a small indication of a larger possibility; a problem is much bigger than it seems.

tip one's hand »    In card playing, to accidentally reveal one's cards or hand.

tip the scales »    To turn to one side a balanced situation.

tip-off »    An obvious clue or indication.

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

to be the cat's whiskers »    To perform better than was generally supposed possible.

to thine own self be true »    The easiest person to deceive is oneself."This above all:to thine own self be true,and it must follow, as the night the day,Thou canst not then be false to any man." -William Shakespeare

today we are all »    An expression indicating that the speaker empathizes with members of an identifiable group that was the subject of a disaster, and projects that others empathize as well.

today we are all »    August 12, 2008:, Robert Barnes, "McCain to Georgian President: "Today, We Are All Georgians"", Washington Post.

today we are all »    September 12, 2001: Jean-Marie Colombani, "Today, We Are All Americans", Le Monde.

tomato tomato »    Uses insignificant pronunciation difference to dismiss a correction to one's adherence to an alternative standard.

tomorrow is another day »    Tomorrow will bring new opportunities and a fresh start for one's endeavors.1600, author unknown, "Phillidaes Love-call to her Coridon, and his replying" (song), in England's Helicon, printed at London by I.R. for John Flasket:Phil. Yonder comes my Mother, Coridon,whether shall I flie?Cor. Under yonder Beech my lovely one,while she passeth by.Say to her thy true-Love was not heere,remember, remember,to morrow is another day:1896, Amelia E. Barr, A Knight of the Nets, ch. 8:"Well, well, my dear lass, to-night we cannot work, but we may sleep. . . . Keep a still heart tonight, and tomorrow is another day."1936, Margaret Mitchell, Gone with the Wind, ch. 63:"Tomorrow, I'll think of some way to get him back. After all, tomorrow is another day."2005, Fran Schumer, "JERSEY: In Princeton, Taking On Harvard's Fuss About Women," New York Times, 19 June (retrieved 18 Aug. 2009):"Half of me is depressed

too big for one's boots »    Far less capable than one's claims to be.

toss-upness »    The quality of being a toss-up, usually used in reference to a toss-up state in American presidential elections.

touch a nerve »    To make a remark or perform a deed which produces a strong response, especially an emotional response such as anxiety or annoyance, because it calls to mind something which has been a source of concern or embarrassment.

touch base »    To consult, visit, or communicate with.

touch of the tar brush »    Of South Asian or Afro-Caribbean in their background and/or in their appearance.

touch off »    To start; to cause, especially used for unstable situations that may magnify if disturbed.

touch with a barge pole »    Get romantically involved with.

touch%C3%A9 »    An acknowledgement of the success, appropriateness or superiority of an argument, sometimes used sarcastically to mock one's opponent's absurd logic.

touch-and-go »    Precarious, delicate, dangerous, risky, sensitive or of uncertain outcome.

touchy-feely »    Having a fondness for physical contact with other people, especially to an excessive degree.

tough call »    A choice or judgment which is difficult to make, especially one involving only two alternatives.

tough cookie »    A person who can endure physical or mental hardship; a hardened, strong-willed person.

toy with »    Handling something in a careless or frivolous manner.

track down »    To hunt for or locate; to search for; to find.

trailer trash »    Deleted from the movie trailer. Not included in theatrical run.

tread lightly »    To proceed carefully; especially, to seek to avoid causing offense.

trench mouth »    Acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis, a severe bacterial infection of the gums, typically characterized by inflammation, bleeding, deep ulceration, necrotized tissue, pain, fever, enlarged lymph nodes, fatigue, and halitosis.

trick out »    To trick out; to mod or customize an object, typically for the purpose of both personalization as well as enhancing the object's performance capabilities and more particularly for the purpose of performing stunts with that object.

trigger-happy »    Inclined to react excessively or violently at the slightest provocation.

trip to the woodshed »    An occasion on which a reprimand or punishment is administered.

try out one's own chops »    To produce one's own records with one's own vocals.

turf war »    A fight or confrontation between two divisions or parties for access to resources or capital.

turn into a pumpkin »    Used to indicate a curfew, or the time by which one must depart.

turn the corner »    To pass a critical point.

turn to stone »    To cause something to become stone.

twist someone's arm »    To coerce, force, or cajole.

two can play that game »    The tactics and/or strategies of an enemy can be used against him.

two for two »    In baseball, meeting two out of two attempts at-bat. Specifically, it means the batter has reached base safely two out of two times.

two thumbs up »    A hand gesture indicating strong approval.

two wrongs don't make a right »    (ethics) A wrongful action is not a morally appropriate way to correct or cancel a previous wrongful action.1915, William MacLeod Raine, The Highgrader, ch. 15:"But when it comes to taking what belongs to another

two wrongs make a right »    A logical fallacy whereby a wrongful action is justified by the commission of another

two-bit »    Insignificant or worthless.

two-fisted drinker »    Either someone who can handle their liquor well, or an alcoholic clutching a drink in each hand.

under a cloud »    Under suspicion; subject to critical inspection.

under a spell »    Bewitched, held by the power of a magical spell.

under lock and key »    Imprisoned with little or no chance of escape.

under pressure »    Being subjected to physical pressure.

under the influence »    Drunk; intoxicated; affected by alcohol.

under the knife »    Undergoing a surgical procedure.

under the weather »    Somewhat intoxicated or suffering from a hangover.

university of life »    The real world as a source of instruction, as opposed to a formal education.

unwashed masses »    Of people who are considered by someone to be somehow uneducated, uninformed, godless, or in some other way unqualified for inclusion in the speaker's elite circles.

up-and-coming »    Emerging; aspiring; improving; beginning to attract attention or critical acclaim.

upset the applecart »    To spoil carefully laid plans or arrangements; to spoil something.

urban fabric »    The physical aspect of urbanism, emphasizing building types, thoroughfares, open space, frontages, and streetscapes; while excluding without prejudice to this useful term, environmental, functional, economic and sociocultural aspects.

valley of death »    The phase of a startup business beginning with the entrepreneur's fulltime commitment to it and ending when the business has achieved sustainable cash flow.

vertically challenged »    Of a person, short.

victory at sea »    Ocean conditions very windblown and messy, possibly to the point of being inimical to surfing and other water sports.

walk a tightrope »    To undertake a precarious course of action.

walk in the snow »    An occasion when a momentous career decision is made, especially a decision to resign or retire.

walk on eggshells »    To be careful and sensitive, in handling very sensitive matters.

walk on eggshells »    To be overly careful in dealing with a person or situation because they get angry or offended very easily; to try very hard not to upset someone or something.

wall to wall carpets »    floor coverings

wash out »    To cancel due to bad weather.

wash up »    To be carried on to land by water.

watch one's mouth »    To be careful about what one says, especially with regard to disrespectful or profane language.

watch one's step »    To be cautious.

watch one's step »    To move cautiously.

watch out »    To be aware or conscious; to look closely or carefully; to use caution. Often used in the imperative.

watch this space »    An indication that a development will follow.

water over the dam »    An event or set of events which has already happened and cannot be changed.

water under the bridge »    Something in the past that cannot be controlled or undone, but must be accepted, forgiven, or forgotten.

wax lyrical »    To become, or tend to become lyrical.

wax lyrical »    To talk about something with much interest or excitement.

wear down »    To cause physical or mental fatigue.

wear off »    To disappear because of being abraded, over-polished, or abused.

wear out »    To cause to become damaged, useless, or ineffective through continued use, especially hard, heavy, or careless use.

wear out »    To exhaust; to cause or contribute to another's exhaustion, fatigue, or weariness, as by continued strain or exertion.

wear out »    Of a shirt, not tucked into the pants; worn in a casual manner.

weigh in »    To bring in one's weight, metaphorically speaking, to bear on an issue.

well ain't that the catfish in the trap »    A sentence commonly spoken in the Southern United States. It can often be used in place of "well, I'll be damned". Used to express surprise.

what of it »    So what? Who cares? Expresses disinterest, disregard or lack of concern.

what with »    Owing to; because of; as a result of.

what's up »    A casual greeting with usage similar to "How are you?" or "Nice to meet you".

wheel around »    To transport someone or something to various locations by pushing a wheeled transporter such as a wheelchair or a wheelbarrow or trolley.

when in Rome »    Adjust to local customs.

when push comes to shove »    When the pressure is on; when the situation is critical or urgent; when the time has come for action, even if it is difficult.

when the cat's away »    People are likely to take advantage of the absence of authority or enforcement of compliance.

when the cat's away the mice will play »    In the absence of a controlling entity, subordinates will take advantage of circumstances.

when the chips are down »    When the pressure is on; when the situation is urgent or critical.

when you're up to your neck in alligators, it's easy to forget that the initial objective was to drain the swamp »    Only because it seems so urgent.

when, as, and if »    Used to indicate the timing and contingency of some obligation in contracts, especially financial.

whisper campaign »    A method of persuasion in which damaging rumors or innuendo are deliberately spread concerning a person or other target, while the source of the rumors tries to avoid detection.

whistle-stop train tour »    A tour in a political campaign that makes many brief stops in small communities.

white coat hypertension »    Elevated blood pressure measured by a medical practitioner and deemed to result from the patient's emotional response to the medical environment.

white hole »    A theoretically possible but physically highly unlikely singularity which would emit matter and energy; the antithesis of a black hole.

white trash »    A poorly educated white person with low moral and social standards and low social status.

white-knuckle »    Causing fear, excitement, apprehension, suspense, or nervousness.

who pays the piper calls the tune »    One who pays for something controls it.

who's 'she', the cat's mother%3F »    A rebuke especially directed towards children for having referred to their mother, or any other woman in the third person, instead of using a properly respectful title or their name when appropriate.

wind back »    To wind a tape, cassette, or film, etc towards the beginning; to rewind.

wind down »    To slow; to become calmer or less busy.

window dressing »    These latest modifications are mere window dressing, the same problems remain.

winter rat »    An old, unattractive automobile, purchased for little money, to be driven during brutal Great Lakes winters while the owner's "good" car remains garaged and protected from corrosive road salt for the season.

wipe out »    To physically erase something written.

wits' end »    A. 1911, John Muir, in John Muir and Michael P. Branch, John Muir's Last Journey: South to the Amazon and East to Africa, 2002, page 138.

wits' end »    Limit of one's sanity or mental capacity; point of desperation.

work against the clock »    To work very quickly because you know you only have a very limited period of time to do something.

work around the clock »    To work all day and all night without a break, because it is imperative to finish something.

work at »    To make a physical or mental effort to progress some specified task.

work out »    To calculate.

work out »    To do exercises, especially physical.

work over »    To physically attack someone to cause them injury.

work the room »    To interact enthusiastically with the attendees at an event, by moving among them, greeting them, and engaging them in conversation.

worse for wear »    In poor physical condition due to long or heavy use.

worth the risk »    The benefit of the success is more valuable than the problems caused by the potential loss.

wrap in the flag »    To claim one's cause deserves support for patriotic reasons or that one's own motives are patriotic.

wrap up »    To summarize or recapitulate.

wreak havoc »    To cause damage, disruption, or destruction.

wreck havoc »    cause destruction

write off »    unrepairable car

year dot »    A very long time ago, from the beginning or as far back as one can remember.

yellow card »    booking

yellow journalism »    Material published in a broadcast or periodical, such as a tabloid newspaper or magazine, which is sensationalistic and of questionable accuracy and taste.

yes to death »    To agree with someone, often sarcastically.

you and whose army%3F »    You can't do all that on your own.

you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar »    It's easier to persuade others with polite requests and a positive attitude than with rude demands and negativity.

you can hang your hat on that »    It's something to put faith in, to rely upon or trust (when used in a positive connotation).

you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink »    You can show someone how to do something, but you can't make them do it.

you can say that again »    That is very true.

you can't always get what you want »    It is not always possible to get what is wanted.

you can't fight city hall »    (chiefly US) Nothing can be done to change the situation, because it is a governmental decision.I see they're going to build the airport after all. I suppose you can't fight city hall.

you can't get a quart into a pint pot »    What is being discussed is not possible.They've asked me to get to New York by five o'clock, but you can't get a quart into a pint pot!

you can't judge a book by its cover »    It is not possible to make reliable judgments about things or people by considering external appearances alone.

you can't make a silk purse of a sow's ear »    It is not possible to produce something refined, admirable, or valuable from something which is unrefined, unpleasant, or of little or no value.

you can't make an omelette without breaking eggs »    In order to achieve something, it is inevitable and necessary that something should be destroyed.

you can't polish a turd »    (vulgar) Something inherently bad cannot be improved.

you can't run with the hare and hunt with the hounds »    You can't have it both ways.

you can't say fairer than that »    That is good, reasonable, or fair; one cannot hope for a better decision or outcome.

you can't take it with you »    It is not possible to take one's material wealth to whatever world may await one after death.1900, E. Phillips Oppenheim, A Millionaire of Yesterday, ch. 6:"The clause which

you can't teach an old dog new tricks »    It is impossible, or almost impossible, to change people's habits or traits or mindset.

you can't tell a book by its cover »    Alternative form of you can't judge a book by its cover.

you can't unring a bell »    Some things can't be undone.

you get what you pay for »    In commercial transactions, the quality of goods and services increases as the prices increase, i.e., the more one pays, the better the merchandise.2003, Michael Blumenthal, "For Whom the School Bell Tolls," Time, 7 Dec.:Though it may sound unapologetically capitalistic to say so

you know it »    Indicates agreement, approval, encouragement.

you knows it »    Indicates agreement, approval, encouragement.

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