a golden key can open any door »
Sufficient money can accomplish anything.
|
a life of its own »
An independent existence with some characteristics of life.
|
a riddle wrapped up in an enigma »
Something very mysterious and hidden.
|
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.
|
accident of birth »
Reference to the fact that various benefits or detriments to the life of a person arise from the circumstances into which that person was born, these being entirely beyond his control.
|
accident waiting to happen »
A thing or situation which is almost certain to eventually lead to an accident.
|
ace in the hole »
A hidden or secret strength, or unrevealed advantage.
|
albatross »
A long-term impediment, burden, or curse.
|
all at once »
Unexpectedly; without warning; all of a sudden.
|
all of a sudden »
Adv suddenly, quickly.
|
all of the sudden »
Suddenly, rapidly.
|
arm's length »
Independent, but related.
|
ask my arse »
A common reply to any question; still deemed wit at sea, and formerly at court, under the denomination of selling bargains.
|
At ease with nudity »
ISM free identification with nude recreation
|
at home »
In one's place of residence.
|
autem cackler »
Dissenters of every denomination.
|
autem diver »
Pickpockets who practice in churches; also churchwardens and overseers of the poor.
|
back-to-back »
Identical or similar and sequential.
|
barge in »
To intrude; to enter or interrupt suddenly and without invitation.
|
bash in »
To break or dent badly by hitting violently.
|
be taken ill »
Due to sudden illness.
|
bear out »
To corroborate, prove, or confirm; to demonstrate; to provide evidence for.
|
beat up »
To alarm by a sudden attack.
|
blaze a trail »
To set precedent or do something novel; to break new ground.
|
blow up »
To suddenly get very angry.
|
blurt out »
To say suddenly, without thinking.
|
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.
|
bottle up »
Keep suppressed and hidden.
|
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 away »
To leave suddenly.
|
break into »
To begin suddenly.
|
break out »
To begin suddenly; to emerge in a certain condition.
|
bring out »
To make a shy person more confident.
|
broken-hearted »
Alternative spelling of brokenhearted. Feeling depressed, despondent, or hopeless, especially over losing a love.
|
brown thumb »
Lack of skill at growing plants; something possessed by a poor gardener.
|
bump up »
To increase something suddenly.
|
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.
|
by the by »
Used to introduce a new topic; incidentally.
|
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.
|
call on »
In a classroom, to select a student.
|
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.
|
carry away »
To break under sudden pressure of violent wind.
|
carry off »
Knowledge, confidence, or familiarity.
|
cat in the meal-tub »
Something concealed; a hidden danger.
|
catch up »
To pick up suddenly.
|
caucus race »
The competitive process in which a political party selects their candidate, esp. presidential; a primary election via caucus.
|
chip on one's shoulder »
A tendency to take offence quickly.
|
class clown »
A student who frequently makes jokes or pokes fun; a wiseacre.
|
close shave »
A near accident or mishap; a dangerous or risky encounter or incident.
|
cold turkey »
The sudden and complete withdrawal of a dependent substance, especially of a drug.
|
come across »
To find, usually by accident.
|
come to a head »
To suddenly make mature or perfected that which was inchoate or imperfectly formed.
|
come to a head »
To suddenly reveal that which has lain latent for a time.
|
come unstuck »
To get into trouble, to have an accident or mishap, to go off the rails.
|
common or garden variety »
Ordinary, standard. Nothing special.
|
common-and-garden »
Ordinary, standard.
|
common-or-garden »
Ordinary, standard.
|
concrete jungle »
An urban or other populated area containing a high density of buildings constructed of concrete or similar materials, especially one which lacks greenery and which seems unattractive, harsh, or unsafe.
|
cookie-cutter »
Of or pertaining to identical looking things.
|
coug it »
To suddenly lose a contest through reversal of fortune, mistakes, or bad judgment. The phrase is analogous to "blow it", or "snatch defeat from the jaws of victory".
|
crop up »
To occur, especially suddenly or unexpectedly.
|
dead to rights »
With sufficient evidence to establish responsibility definitively.
|
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.
|
den of iniquity »
A place of immoral behavior, usually of a sexual type.
|
depend on »
To be dependent on something or someone for support or help.
|
diamond in the rough »
A person whose goodness or other positive qualities are hidden by a harsh or unremarkable surface appearance.
|
do something with mirrors »
To insinuate one has performed a magic or optical trick with the use of hidden mirrors, insinuating trickery and sham.
|
don't take any wooden nickels »
Do not permit yourself be cheated or duped; do not be naive.
|
drop a bomb »
To announce surprising or alarming information suddenly and without warning.
|
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.
|
eureka moment »
The moment of a sudden unexpected discovery.
|
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.
|
factor space »
A space obtained from another by identification of points that are equivalent to one another in some equivalence relation.
|
fair enough »
An expression used to concede a point; denotes that, upon consideration, something is correct or reasonable; an expression of acknowledgment or understanding.
|
feel up to »
To be confident in being able to do something.
|
feet of clay »
To say that someone, who appears strong or invincible, in fact has a hidden weak point which could cause their fall.
|
fight fire with fire »
To respond to an attack with a similar or identical method.
|
find one's feet »
To grow in confidence in a new situation as one gains experience.
|
flat-earther »
A person who believes or advocates an outlandish, discredited theory; a person who refuses to acknowledge the truth despite overwhelming evidence.
|
fools rush in where angels fear to tread »
A person who does not plan ahead and think matters through becomes involved in risky or unfavorable situations which prudent people avoid.
|
forbidden fruit »
Illicit pleasure; something that one should not take or get involved with, such as an another person's spouse.
|
forbidden fruit »
The fruit forbidden to Adam.
|
forbidden fruit is the sweetest »
Forbidden things have more worthwhile short-term consequences.
|
fork over »
To turn over soil with a gardening fork.
|
freak flag »
Unconventional or unrestrained behavior; extreme, nonconformist views; the side of one's personality which harbors a tendency toward such behavior or such views.
|
front and center »
A command to come to the center of attention of an assemblage, as of military personnel or students.
|
fruit of one's loins »
One's child, children, or descendents.
|
fruit of the poisonous tree »
And which is therefore excluded from being admitted as evidence in a trial.
|
full-fledged »
Having full qualification, credentials or preparation; entire; real.
|
garden variety »
Ordinary, common, or unexceptional.
|
get away with »
To do something which is prohibited, forbidden or generally not allowed, and not be punished for the action.
|
get into trouble »
To perform an action which is illegal, prohibited, forbidden or proscribed and to become subject to punishment for such action.
|
go in off »
To pot the cue ball accidentally after hitting the object ball.
|
go it alone »
To do something alone or independently, especially something that is normally or better done in groups.
|
go off at score »
Of a horse, to break suddenly into a gallop; of a person, suddenly to say or do something impetuous.
|
God works in mysterious ways »
Expressing confidence that a conundrum has a solution despite it not being apparent.Expressing that a seemingly unfortunate or unfavourable situation or change may be beneficial later or in the long run.Person A: It seems that I'm about to be fired from my job.Person B: Well, God works in mysterious ways - maybe it'll be the kick you need to apply to university...
|
golden duck »
The score of zero runs after getting out on the first ball faced.
|
golden handcuffs »
Any arrangement or agreement designed to provide extremely favorable benefits or pay, so as to discourage participant from wanting to leave, especially to retain a choice employee.
|
golden handshake »
A generous severance payment, especially as an inducement to leave employment.
|
golden hello »
A payment offered to an employee as an inducement to join, especially if currently working for a competitor.
|
golden opportunity »
Ideal moment to do something.
|
golden rule »
A fundamental rule or principle.
|
golden rule »
The principle that one should treat other people in the manner in which one would want to be treated by them.
|
golden syrup »
light treacle
|
golden ticket »
A philosophy that a quick fix can be achieved.
|
golden ticket »
A qualification, person or thing that can provide lucrative opportunities.
|
great minds think alike »
Used to emphasize a coincidence, or two people reaching the same conclusion in any manner at the same time.
|
green fingers »
A seemingly natural gardening ability.
|
green thumb »
A natural skill for gardening.
|
groaning »
That is heavily laden.
|
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.
|
gun it »
To accelerate or speed up quickly or suddenly.
|
harden »
To become hard.
|
harden »
To become or make a thing resistant or less sensitive.
|
harden someone's heart »
To make someone more resistant to something.
|
have a fit »
To become suddenly enraged.
|
have a green thumb »
A person with a green thumb, a natural skill for gardening.
|
have an eye for »
To have good taste; to have the ability to discriminate or identify quality.
|
head scratcher »
December 2007, W:Daily News Tribune - Golden Globes nominations a head-scratcher.
|
head-in-the-sand »
Exhibiting disregard or denial of a problem or threat.
|
here goes nothing »
Indicates a lack of confidence or certainty about the activity about to be tried.
|
here's to »
Denoting proposed salutation while drinking alcohol, toast.
|
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.
|
hit the nail on the head »
To identify something exactly; to arrive at exactly the right answer.
|
horse of a different color »
An unrelated or only incidentally related matter with distinctly different significance.
|
horse sense »
Common sense, especially with a connotation of folk wisdom independent from, and trumping, formal education.
|
hot spot »
dangerous place; accident place
|
house cooling party »
A party to celebrate when a person decides to leave a house or flat, and sometimes to help prepare the space for the incoming residents.
|
in evidence »
Visibly present; noticeable.
|
in the act »
In the process of doing something; used to emphasize the eye-witness evidence.
|
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
|
itchy trigger finger »
A tendency to act in haste or without consideration.
|
joe job »
An act of e-mail spamming where the sender's identity and address are those of an innocent third party, intended either to tarnish that person's reputation or to flood that person's e-mail with bounces.
|
jump »
To attack suddenly and violently.
|
jump to conclusions »
Make conclusions before being presented with all the evidence.
|
keep away from »
To deny access to.
|
kick in »
To start or connect suddenly.
|
kick off »
To shut down or turn_off suddenly.
|
kick out »
To stop, stall, or disconnect suddenly.
|
kill the goose that lays the golden eggs »
To seek short term gain at the sacrifice of long term profit.
|
knock down »
To hit or knock (something), intentionally or accidentally, so that it falls.
|
lash out »
To make a sudden blow.
|
lay low »
To remain hidden or to hide oneself.
|
lead down a garden path »
To mislead; to seduce.
|
lead someone down the garden path »
To deceive, hoodwink.
|
leader of the free world »
The President of the United States.
|
lemonize »
To damage something and then deny or be aloof from the damage.
|
let slip »
To divulge a secret, as by accident or mistake.
|
lion's den »
Any dangerous or frightening place.
|
lion's den »
The lair of a lion.
|
lone gunman »
An individual person who acts on his or her own initiative, without partners, especially one who has sole responsibility for doing something questionable, confidential, or iniquitous.
|
lose the plot »
To have one's results decline severely in quality or suddenly fall below an acceptable standard, especially when compared to past excellence.
|
lower the boom »
To suddenly overpower, with "on".
|
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 book »
To be very confident.
|
move house »
To change one's place of residence.
|
move out »
To vacate one's place of residence.
|
murder will out »
Secrets or hidden crimes will eventually be exposed or discovered.
|
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.
|
near miss »
narrowly avoided accident
|
no ifs, ands, or buts »
Period; exactly so; without modification, limitation, or addendum.
|
no man is an island »
All people are connected to other people and dependent on other people.1623, John Donne,
|
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.
|
not on your tintype »
An answer indicating outright rejection or denial; no way; absolutely not.
|
off the hook »
Relieved of a duty, burden, responsibility, or pressure.
|
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.
|
on accident »
Accidentally; not intentionally; because of error, misfortune, or lack of caution.
|
one and the same »
The same person or thing. Used to emphasize the identity or equivalence of two things.
|
pack up »
To move one's residence.
|
paper trail »
A written record, history, or collection of evidence.
|
penny wise and pound foolish »
Prudent and thrifty with small amounts of money, but wasteful and profligate with large amounts.
|
pile-up »
A traffic accident or collision involving multiple vehicles.
|
point out »
To identify with a bodily gesture, notably by pointing a finger or implement.
|
pop off »
To die suddenly.
|
pop up »
appear suddenly
|
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.
|
rake »
A garden tool with a row of pointed teeth fixed to a long handle, used for collecting grass or debris, or for loosening soil.
|
red light »
Denial to proceed. Ruling out of any possibility.
|
rely on »
To be confident in.
|
rely on »
To be dependent upon.
|
ridden hard and put away wet »
Mistreated; not properly cared for.
|
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 »
To leave home, or other place of residence, usually unannounced, or to make good on a threat, with such action usually performed by a child or juvenile.
|
run out on »
To leave a partner suddenly and without prior warning.
|
see the light »
To gain an understanding of something previously not understood, especially in a sudden insight.
|
seeing is believing »
You need to see something to believe it; visible facts cannot be denied.
|
sharp cookie »
One who is intelligent, bright, or sharp; especially, one who can identify attempts to deceive or mislead.
|
shoot off at the mouth »
Don't let [presidential press secretary Ron] Ziegler shoot off at the mouth without our knowledge.
|
shot in the dark »
A guess, attempt, or choice made with little or no evidence or knowledge.
|
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.
|
shroud »
A covered place used as a retreat or shelter, as a cave or den; also, a vault or crypt.
|
shrouded »
Concealed or hidden from sight, as if by a shroud.
|
silence is golden »
Peace and quiet have immense value.Often the best choice is to say nothing.
|
smoking gun »
Evidence, particularly of a crime, that is difficult or impossible to dispute.
|
snap someone's head off »
To suddenly and sharply rebuke or insult a person, especially in response to a harmless remark.
|
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.
|
speak to »
To give evidence regarding something; to attest for.
|
spill over »
To enter into another zone by way of accident or overcrowding; to overflow.
|
spring to mind »
To appear suddenly in one's thoughts, often as an example of something.
|
staircase wit »
Thinking of an idea or course of action too late to use it effectively, or the tendency to do so.
|
stand on its own »
To be independent of others.
|
stand on one's own two feet »
To be independent. To survive without any help.
|
start up »
To rise suddenly.
|
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.
|
stop dead »
To stop suddenly.
|
stop on a dime »
To stop dead; stop suddenly.
|
stumble across »
To discover or find something by accident.
|
stumble on »
To discover or find something by accident.
|
stumble upon »
To discover or find something by accident.
|
sugarcoated »
Made superficially more attractive. This often implies the reality has faults that are being hidden.
|
sure of oneself »
Self-confident.
|
take aback »
Of a ship: to catch it with the sails aback suddenly.
|
talk is cheap »
It is easy to make boastful or unrealistic statements which are not supported by actions or evidence.
|
teacher's pet »
A student who is perceived to be favored by the teacher.
|
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.
|
there is nothing new under the sun »
There is nothing truly novel in existence. Every new idea has some sort of precedent or echo from the past.
|
thin edge of the wedge »
Beginning; opening; precedent.
|
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
|
tip one's hand »
In card playing, to accidentally reveal one's cards or hand.
|
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 »
March 11, 2004: Denis MacShane, Guardian Unlimited.
|
too big for one's britches »
Disturbingly confident, unacceptably cocky.
|
toss-upness »
The quality of being a toss-up, usually used in reference to a toss-up state in American presidential elections.
|
tough cookie »
A person who can endure physical or mental hardship; a hardened, strong-willed person.
|
trigger-happy »
Having a tendency or desire to shoot a firearm irresponsibly before adequately identifying the target.
|
tumble to »
To discover, or suddenly understand something.
|
turn down »
To refuse, decline, or deny.
|
turn up »
To show up; to appear suddenly or unexpectedly.
|
under one's hat »
Concealed; confidential; secret.
|
under wraps »
Secret or hidden.
|
up one's sleeve »
Hidden, in reserve.
|
upper crust »
The topmost layer of a bread, pastry dish, or other item with a hardened coating.
|
walk in on »
To enter suddenly or unexpectedly while something is happening; to intrude or interrupt by entering.
|
walk out »
To leave suddenly, especially as a form of protest.
|
wash over »
Said of the way an emotion affects one suddenly.
|
what do I know »
Implies that a statement is based on a guess or assumption rather than on knowledge or evidence.
|
where there's smoke, there's fire »
If there is telltale evidence of some event, the event is probably occurring.
|
white elephant »
An ornament etc that is unwanted or is a financial burden; an unprofitable investment.
|
wooden spoon »
A spoon made from wood.
|
wooden spoon »
An ironic prize for finishing last in a competition.
|
wooden-top »
Uniformed police officers.
|
work spouse »
A man or woman in the workplace with whom one shares a special relationship having bonds similar to those of a marriage: special confidences, loyalties, shared jokes and experiences, and unusual degree of honesty or openness.
|
yield up »
To disclose something hidden.
|
zonk out »
To fall suddenly into a very deep sleep.
|
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