a miss is as good as a mile »
A failure remains a failure, regardless of how close to success one has actually come.
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a riddle wrapped up in an enigma »
Something very mysterious and hidden.
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balls-up »
Something which becomes muddled or botched in some way.
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bang on about »
To keep talking endlessly about the same subject.
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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.
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beddy-bye »
Bedtime for a toddler, going to sleep, going to bed.
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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.
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bone idle »
lazy
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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.
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break out »
To separate from a bundle.
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bum steer »
Bad advice, regardless of intention.
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bundle of energy »
One who is especially lively, continually active, or industrious.
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bundle of energy »
The energy associated with being lively, continually active, or industrious.
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bundle of joy »
A newborn baby.
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bundle of joy »
A pet.
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bundle of nerves »
A lively, continually active person.
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bundle of nerves »
A person with an especially nervous, excitable, or fearful disposition.
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burn one's candle at both ends »
To work extremely or excessively hard; to work too hard for good health or peace of mind.
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busy work »
Work or activity performed with the intention or result of occupying time, and not necessarily to accomplish something productive; routine work of low priority undertaken for the sake of avoiding idleness.
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camel through the eye of a needle »
Hyperbole to illustrate that something is almost impossible to do or to happen.
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cast off »
To finish the last row of knitted stitches and remove them securely from the needle.
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cast on »
To start the first row of knitting by putting stitches on a needle.
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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.
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cat's cradle »
A children's string game.
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cat's cradle »
Any complicated structure which appears to be without purpose.
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center field »
The defensive position in the outfield in the middle, typically played by a player that can run fast.
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cheaper by the dozen »
Things are handled more efficiently as a group, rather than individually.
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come hell or high water »
Regardless of the hardships.
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con man »
swindler
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cop a feel »
To stealthily fondle someone in a sexual manner.
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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.
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curveball »
A forespin pitch thrown by rotating the index and middle fingers down and resulting in motion down "curve".
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dead of night »
Middle of the night.
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dirty old man »
An adult male - usually middle-aged or elderly - who acts in a lecherous or lewd manner.
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drag one's feet »
To procrastinate, put off; to dawdle, avoid, or make progress slowly and reluctantly.
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faith will move mountains »
Belief in oneself (read sometimes as belief in God) can help one overcome any hurdle in life's path.
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fiddle faddle »
nonsense
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fit as a fiddle »
Perfectly fit; in excellent health.
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fly off the handle »
To become very angry or enraged; to throw a fit or go crazy.
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get a handle on »
To build or acquire a basic level of understanding or control.
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get busy »
Start working, usually in opposition to idleness.
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goof off »
To dawdle; to engage in idle activity or inactivity.
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handle with kid gloves »
To treat something very delicately or carefully.
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have a handle on »
To be in control; to understand or grasp.
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have one's heart set on »
To want or desire deeply, regardless of practicality or rationality.
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high noon »
Exactly noon; midday; the middle of the day.
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hold a candle »
To compare; to be even remotely of the same quality, skill, etc. as another.
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horse around »
To play or fiddle; to clown; to do nothing of importance or consequence.
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horses for courses »
A person suited for one job may not be suited for another job, regardless of their expertise in the former job.
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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.
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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.
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jack up »
To ruin; wreck; mess up; screw up; sometimes as a bowdlerized substitution for f** up.
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jump rope »
The length of rope, sometimes with handles, casing or other additions, used in that activity.
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keep on truckin' »
To continue or persist, regardless of circumstances or setbacks; to keep trying or striving.
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kit and caboodle »
Everything entirely, the whole lot.
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kit and kaboodle »
Everything; the lot.
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light middleweight »
type of boxer
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long finger »
Middle finger.
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march to the beat of a different drum »
To do things in one's own way regardless of societal norms and expectations.
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mess around »
To fiddle idly.
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mess up »
To cause a problem with; to introduce an error or mistake in; to make muddled or confused; spoil; ruin.
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mess up »
To manhandle; beat up; rough up.
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middle ground »
A compromise position between extremes.
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middle ground »
The middle distance.
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middle of nowhere »
Nowhere; any place lacking population, interesting things, or defining characteristics.
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middle of the road »
Having a centrist attitude or philosophy; not extreme, especially politically.
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middle of the road »
Of a type of melodic popular music that has wide appeal.
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moses basket »
portable cradle
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needle in a haystack »
Something that is difficult or impossible to locate; something impossibly complex or intractable.
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no matter »
regardless of
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no matter how thin you slice it, it's still baloney »
Regardless of how many clever points or fine distinctions one makes, what one is saying is still false or is still nonsense.
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on pins and needles »
Feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety; in a state of suspense.
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one can't hold two watermelons in one hand »
do not attempt to take on more than you can handle
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one candle short of a box »
not bright; stupid
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out of one's depth »
To be in a situation which one is poorly prepared or unprepared to handle.
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out of reach »
The adult magazines were out of reach of toddlers.
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pay the fiddler »
To contribute in order to participate.
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pay the fiddler »
To face the consequences of one’s actions..
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peter out »
To dwindle; to trail off; to diminish to nothing.
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pick up stitches »
Stitches to the knitting needle that were previously bound off, or that belong to the selvage, during the process of knitting or entrelac.
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piss and moan »
To complain, especially needlessly and loudly.
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play second fiddle »
To play a subsidiary or subordinate role to someone or something else.
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play someone like a fiddle »
Skilfully.
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puddle jumper »
A small passenger airplane, typically used for shorter connecting trips to smaller airports.
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rain or shine »
Regardless of what the circumstances are, and how the weather is.
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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.
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ride tall in the saddle »
To act or conduct oneself in a manner that is imposing, impressive, resolute, or manly.
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ride tall in the saddle »
To ride a horse in an erect, imposing manner.
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rip off »
To steal, cheat or swindle.
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rob the cradle »
To marry or become romantically involved with a much younger person.
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rob the cradle »
To use a young person for a purpose inappropriate to his or her age.
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rocket scientist »
Someone qualified to understand or handle that which is overly complex, detailed or confusing; a genius.
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rough up »
To manhandle or beat up.
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second fiddle »
A fiddle part in harmony to the first fiddle.
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second fiddle »
A sidekick or subordinate, or the role of such a person.
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second fiddle »
The person playing second fiddle.
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shuffle »
A rhythm commonly used in blues music. Consists of a series of triplet notes with the middle note missing, so that it sounds like a long note followed by a short note. Sounds like a walker dragging one foot.
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spanner »
A hand tool shaped like a small crank handle, for winding the spring of a wheel lock on a musket.
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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.
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stick one's nose in »
To be nosy; to meddle or interfere in the affairs of another.
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stickhandle »
To deal capably and swiftly with a situation, especially in a manner which deflects potential problems.
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stickhandle »
To maintain individual possession of the puck or ball by controlling it with movements of one's stick, especially to do so in a skillful manner.
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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.
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tall in the saddle »
Imposing, impressive; resolute; manly.
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the finger »
An obscene gesture, typically consisting of extending the middle finger at somebody.
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twiddle one's thumbs »
To circle one's thumbs around one another, usually with the fingers interlaced, usually done idly while waiting or bored.
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twiddle one's thumbs »
To wait or dawdle; to accomplish nothing useful or lack a useful occupation.
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two-fisted drinker »
Either someone who can handle their liquor well, or an alcoholic clutching a drink in each hand.
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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.
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up a creek without a paddle »
In a difficult situation, without any help. Superlative form of up a creek: most up a creek.
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up shit creek without a paddle »
Alternative form of up the creek without a paddle.
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up the creek without a paddle »
In a difficult situation with no means of rectifying it.
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waste breath »
To speak in a manner which is needless or futile; in discussion or argument to make points which are not appreciated or heeded.
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wrap up »
To wear more clothes as protection from the weather; to bundle up.
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