ad fontes »
Go to the sources: An expression emphasizing the importance of conducting fundamental research and of consulting primary sources.
|
adams ale »
water
|
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
|
at heart »
In spirit; according to one's beliefs, views or feelings; deep down, really, fundamentally.
|
bad penny »
A counterfeit or damaged penny.
|
bash about »
To physically damage something or assault someone.
|
blot one's copy book »
To damage one's own reputation through bad behavior.
|
bounce back »
To recover from a negative without seemingly any damage.
|
bread and butter »
That which is central or fundamental, as to one's business, survival, or income; a staple or cornerstone.
|
cast aspersions »
To make damaging or spiteful remarks.
|
damn by association »
Discredit or condemn a position, person, or thing by attacking those things with which he/she/it is associated.
|
damn the torpedoes »
Used to dismiss the risks of a dangerous action.
|
damn with faint praise »
To provide praise that is so minimal or inconsequential as to actually amount to criticism.
|
damned if one does and damned if one doesn't »
A dilemma where either choice results in a negative outcome.
|
damp squib »
A firework that fails to go off, due to wetting.
|
damp squib »
Anything that doesn’t work properly, or fails to come up to expectations..
|
damson jam »
fruit preserve
|
deep down »
Fundamentally; in essence; in reality; really.
|
dimber damber upright man »
The chief of a gang of thieves or gypsies.
|
do a number on »
To damage; to treat harshly; to produce ill effects.
|
do one's damnedest »
To do one's utmost; to make every effort or to try every possible approach or way.
|
flogging the land »
Damaging agricultural land through excessive grazing or clearing.
|
forbidden fruit »
The fruit forbidden to Adam.
|
from the ground up »
From the beginning; starting with the basics, foundation, or fundamentals.
|
fruit of one's loins »
C. 1950, Kay Boyle, "Adam's Death" in Fifty Stories , ISBN 9780811212069, p. 541.
|
golden rule »
A fundamental rule or principle.
|
greenwash »
A false or misleading picture of environmental friendliness used to conceal or obscure damaging activities.
|
have egg on one's face »
To suffer embarrassment or humiliation; to damage one's reputation.
|
lay the groundwork »
To create a foundation; to provide the basics or fundamentals.
|
lemonize »
To damage something and then deny or be aloof from the damage.
|
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.
|
mend fences »
To repair damage to a friendship or relationship after a disagreement or other mishap.
|
mess up »
To damage; injure.
|
nine lives »
Durability; near immunity to damage.
|
nuts and bolts »
The basic, inner workings of something; the fundamentals or basics; that which makes something operate, on a basic level.
|
odd and curious »
A way to designate special coins, namely coins that are both odd and imperfect or seriously damaged.
|
off the rails »
In an abnormal manner, especially in a manner that causes damage or malfunctioning.
|
party pooper »
Someone who unnecessarily dampens fun.
|
plus »
(literally) The more it changes, the more it's the same thing (sometimes loosely translated as the more things change, the more they stay the same).Although the outward appearance may change, fundamentals are constant.
|
pull teeth »
To remove teeth, usually because they are diseased or damaged.
|
put a damper on »
To stop people from enjoying an activity.
|
put one foot in front of the other »
To walk, decomposed to stress the fundamentality of the task.
|
rediscover fire »
To relearn fundamental concepts, principles or practices that had been previously well known and widely practiced at a prior time in human society.
|
road to Damascus »
A road to Damascus moment, or change, is an important point in someone's life where a great change, or reversal, of ideas or beliefs occurs.
|
road to Damascus »
That was my Road to Damascus moment. They played one hit after another and this is the song I remember most clearly.
|
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 roughshod over »
To treat roughly or without care, respect, or moderation; to act without control; to damage.
|
smear campaign »
An effort to damage or call into question someone's reputation, by propounding negative propaganda.
|
spare tyre »
An extra tyre carried in case one of the vehicle's tyres is damaged or deflated.
|
take its toll »
To affect, especially negatively; to damage or degrade; to cause destruction.
|
tear up »
To damage.
|
through and through »
Completely; entirely; fundamentally.
|
water over the dam »
An event or set of events which has already happened and cannot be changed.
|
wear out »
To cause to become damaged, useless, or ineffective through continued use, especially hard, heavy, or careless use.
|
weather the storm »
To reach the end of a very difficult situation without too much harm or damage.
|
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.
|
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.
|
wreak havoc »
To cause damage, disruption, or destruction.
|
| Search from any page on the Web with Abbreviations.com AutoSearch. It's free! |
[