We've found 2484 phrases for ea (0.116 seconds):

a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush »    It is preferable to have a small but certain advantage than a mere potential of a greater one.

a bit much »    More than is reasonable.

a chain is only as strong as its weakest link »    An organization (especially a process or a business) is only as strong or powerful as its weakest person. A group of associates is only as strong as its laziest member.

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

a drop in the ocean »    A drop in the bucket.

a dumb priest never got a parish »    (Irish) Those who fail to speak up fail to get what they want.

a fool and his money are soon parted »    It is easy to get money from foolish people, especially rich ones.

a good beginning makes a good ending »    Good beginnings promise a good end; start off on a good note to reap the benefits at the end.

a great deal »    Very much; to a great extent; a lot; lots.

a into g »    Ass into gear.

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 new broom sweeps clean »    New management will often make radical changes.

a penny saved is a penny earned »    A maxim for thrift that says that money not spent may be spent later, or may earn interest in the meantime

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 rising tide lifts all boats »    Benefits provided to a few may lead to conditions that are beneficial to all.

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 watched pot never boils »    A process appears to go more slowly if one waits for it rather than engaging in other activities.

able seaman »    ordinary sailor

abound in »    To have something in great numbers or quantities; to possess in such abundance as to be characterized by.

abound with »    To have something in great numbers or quantities; to possess in such abundance as to be characterized by.

absence makes the heart grow fonder »    When someone or something is faraway, you realise how much you love (or miss) them or it.

accident waiting to happen »    A thing or situation which is almost certain to eventually lead to an accident.

according to »    Our zeal should be according to knowledge. - Thomas Sprat.

ace in the hole »    A hidden or secret strength, or unrevealed advantage.

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

acknowledge the corn »    To cop a plea; to admit to a small error but not a larger one.

across the pond »    On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.

actions speak louder than words »    It is more effective to act directly than to speak of action.

ad fontes »    Go to the sources: An expression emphasizing the importance of conducting fundamental research and of consulting primary sources.

add fuel to the fire »    To worsen a conflict between people; to inflame an already tense situation.

add up »    To make sense; to be reasonable or consistent.

admiral of the blue »    A landlord or publican wearing a blue apron, as was formerly the custom among men of that vocation.

after one's own heart »    Of a person: having the same ideas, opinions or behaviour as oneself.

against the clock »    In a time-restricted manner, to meet a deadline, hurriedly, timed.

against the grain »    To sand or plane a piece of wood parallel or nearly parallel to the fibers such that splinters forming ahead of the tool originate below the cutting surface.

age before beauty »    A phrase said to allow older people to go before younger ones.

agree to disagree »    To tolerate each other's opinion and stop arguing; to acknowledge that an agreement will not be reached.

ahead of one's time »    Showing characteristics of changes yet to be; present in one's work before later advances in the field; coming earlier than could be generally accepted.

ahead of the game »    Having completed a task before it is due; ready, prepared, or anticipating.

air out »    To expose to air; to leave open or spread out, as to allow odor or moisture to dissipate.

albatross »    A double eagle, or three under par on any one hole.

albatross »    Any of various large seabirds of the family Diomedeidae ranging widely in the Southern Ocean and the North Pacific and having a hooked beak and long narrow wings.

all and sundry »    Each one.

all but »    nearly; except that

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

all clear »    permission to proceed

all ears »    Awaiting an explanation.

all ears »    Listening intently; fully focused.

all eyes and ears »    To be attentive.

all fur coat and no knickers »    Of superficial appearance and with no real substance beneath.

all hell breaks loose »    Vi A place or state of fury, turmoil, destruction, or chaos.

all hell broke loose »    A great disaster happened or chaos ensued.

all mouth and no trousers »    Superficial, engaging in empty, boastful talk, but not of real substance.

all mouth and trousers »    Superficial, engaging in empty, boastful talk, but not of real substance.

all one's eggs in one basket »    Investing heavily in just one area.

all over but the shouting »    The substance of the contest is complete, leaving only the cheering.

all over the map »    Widely scattered or distributed; numerous and differing greatly.

all over the place »    Inconsistent; lacking a clear pattern.

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

all set »    Ready; prepared.

all talk and no action »    Speaking, promising, or boasting much, but doing little

all that glitters is not gold »    Things that appear valuable or worthwhile might not actually be so, things that look nice might not be as good as they look.

all the tea in China »    Something priceless or invaluable.

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.

all's fair in love and war »    unpleasant behavior is acceptable during love and conflict.

all-a-mort »    Sad; at death's door.

almost doesn't count »    Near success (or correctness) is not deemed success (or correctness).

an apple a day »    Healthy eating and living using traditional temperate-zone fresh foods.

an apple a day keeps the doctor away »    Apples are healthy and stave off illness.Eat healthy and you won't get sick.

and counting »    Used to show that the number previously mentioned is continuously changing, i.e. increasing or decreasing.

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.

another nail in one's coffin »    One in a series of factors which lead, or purport to lead, to downfall.

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.

are your ears burning »    Said of somebody who was not present but was the topic of discussion.

argue out »    To discuss to reach an agreed conclusion, or decision.

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.

arm to the teeth »    To equip thoroughly with weapons.

arm's length »    Barely within reach.

arrive at »    To reach.

arsy varsey »    Tumbling upside down; head over heels.

as a dog returns to his vomit, so a fool repeats his folly »    Foolish people repeatedly do foolish things.

as you sow, so shall you reap »    The personal consequences of one's actions are in proportion to the good or bad intentions towards others.

ask for »    To increase the likelihood of something by persisting in some action; to invite.

ask my arse »    A common reply to any question; still deemed wit at sea, and formerly at court, under the denomination of selling bargains.

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

ass into gear »    Get going; get moving; start producing.

ass over teakettle »    Frantically.

ass over teakettle »    Tumbling upside down.

assault and battery »    . This legal distinction exists only in jurisdictions that distinguish assault as threatened violence rather than actual violence.

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

at all hours »    Late into the night or early morning; when people ought to be sleeping.

at cross-purposes »    Mutually misunderstanding each other's plans, intentions or meanings.

at death's door »    About to die; in a life-threatening state of health.

At ease with nudity »    ISM free identification with nude recreation

at hand »    Near; soon; approaching; imminent.

at hand »    Readily available; within easy reach; nearby.

at heart »    In spirit; according to one's beliefs, views or feelings; deep down, really, fundamentally.

at home »    At ease, comfortable.

at loggerheads »    Unable to agree; opposing.

at one's fingertips »    Readily available.

at peace »    Dead.

at peace »    Free of worries; peaceful.

at peace with »    Not disturbed or upset by.

at peace with »    Not menacing or hostile toward.

at sea »    Confused, lost, or adrift; bewildered.

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

at the end of the road »    No longer living. Dead.

at the ready »    Ready; in a state of preparation or waiting; in position or anticipation.

atom bomb »    nuclear weapon

avoir du pois lay »    Stealing brass weights off the counters of shops.

away with the fairies »    Not with it, dreaming, not all there.

back off »    To become less aggressive, particularly when one had appeared committed to act.

back onto »    To overlook something from the rear.

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

back up »    As a security measure.

back water »    A very remote, rural area.

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

backseat driver »    By extension, anybody offering unsolicited or unwelcome advice.

bacon fed »    Fat, greasy.

bad for you »    Unhealthy.

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 news »    News of unpleasant, unfortunate or sad events.

bad penny »    A person or thing which is unpleasant, disreputable, or otherwise unwanted, especially one which repeatedly appears at inopportune times.

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.

bag of rations »    A fussy or overly zealous military superior.

baggage »    Heavy baggage; women and children. Also a familiar epithet for a woman; as, cunning baggage, wanton baggage, &c.

bail out »    To secure the release of an arrested person by providing bail money.

bail out »    To leave or not attend.

bald eagle »    american bird

ball-breaker »    A person or task which is excessively demanding or punishing.

bank night »    An event where patrons are enticed to buy entry tickets into some venue, for example a movie theater, with the anticipation that they will be entered into a drawing to win an amount of money if their ticket is drawn and they are on-site at the time of the winning.

bankers' hours »    Any easy job, especially one with a short working day.

banyan day »    In British naval tradition, this originally referred to a day of the week when galley kitchens served no meat on board ship.

baptism by fire »    A change in initial attitude or ideals through a traumatic situation.

baptism by fire »    A trying ordeal that was not experienced before.

bark up the wrong tree »    To attempt or pursue the wrong thing; to take the wrong approach; to follow a false lead.

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 wave that breaks with a hollow compartment.

barrel »    The hollow basal part of a feather.

base over apex »    Falling over in a jumbled heap.

bash in »    To break or dent badly by hitting violently.

bat a thousand »    To achieve success at each attempt.

bat a thousand »    To reach first base on every at-bat.

bat an eyelash »    To react in any slight way; to respond.

bat an eyelid »    To react in any slight way; to respond.

bat around »    When at least nine batters bat in a half inning.

bat for both sides »    To be a batter for both teams in an amateur baseball game.

bat for the other team »    To be homosexual.

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

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

be in for »    To be able to expect or anticipate; to be about to suffer, generally said of something unpleasant.

be mother »    To pour out tea for others.

be my guest »    Do as you wish; go ahead; help yourself; go for it!.

be off »    To leave.

be on about »    Talk about; mean, intend.

be on the edge of one's seat »    To be in suspense; to wait eagerly or anxiously for some resolution.

be on to »    To figure out; to realize the truth.

be still my heart »    Calm down, this situation is too exciting or overly distressing.

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.

beam up »    To teleport another person or object in the same manner.

bear down »    To approach another vessel from windward.

bear down »    To press down on someone.

bear down »    To intensify one's efforts.

bear down »    When giving birth, to push.

bear down on »    To approach someone in a very determined way.

bear hug »    wrestling hold

bear in mind »    Remember; consider; note.

bear in with »    Nearer.

bear on »    To influence, have an effect on.

bear on »    To be relevant to.

bear out »    To corroborate, prove, or confirm; to demonstrate; to provide evidence for.

bear up »    To sail close to the wind.

bear up »    To endure hardship cheerfully.

bear with »    To be patient with.

beat a dead horse »    To persist or continue far beyond any purpose, interest or reason.

beat around the bush »    To delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant.

beat around the bush »    To treat a topic but omit its main points, often intentionally.

beat Banaghan »    An Irish saying of one who tells wonderful stories, or of something which is amazing and remarkable.

beat down »    To strike with great force.

beat down »    To haggle someone to sell at a lower price.

beat down »    To severely beat someone up.

beat feet »    To flee.

beat feet »    To run.

beat it »    To go away.

beat off »    To drive something away with blows.

beat off »    To masturbate.

beat off »    To waste time.

beat one's head against a stone wall »    To waste effort on a futile project.

beat one's meat »    To masturbate.

beat out »    To sound a rhythm on a percussion instrument such as a drum.

beat out »    To extinguish.

beat out »    To win by a narrow margin.

beat somebody to the punch »    To do something before somebody else is able to.

beat someone's brains out »    To beat someone very severely.

beat the crap out of »    To beat really badly.

beat the shit out of »    To beat really badly.

beat up »    To give a severe beating to.

beat up »    To alarm by a sudden attack.

beat up »    To sail to windward using a series of alternate tacks across the wind.

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

beat up »    To feel badly guilty and accuse oneself over something. Usually followed by over.

beat up »    Repeatedly bomb a military target or targets.

beat up »    To get something done, derived from the idea of beating for game.

beat up »    To verbally assault repeatedly.

beats me »    I don't know; I have no idea.

beauty is in the eye of the beholder »    Individuals have different inclinations on what is beautiful. Individuals have different beauty standards.

beauty is only skin deep »    What matters is a person's character, rather than his/her appearance.

beauty mark »    Or artificially using cosmetics.

beauty sleep »    C. 1900, Ralph Connor, The Man From Glengarry, ch. 23.

beauty sleep »    Extra sleep or a special nap.

beauty sleep »    Sleep before midnight, on the belief that early sleep hours conduce to health and beauty.[1].

beauty spot »    mole

beaver away »    To busily undertake a large task.

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

bed of roses »    A pleasant or easy situation.

beddable »    [...] feminine, great body great legs great taste, trained and beddable, Jesus, how beddable.

beefed out »    Having been improved greatly or upgraded; beefed up.

been there, done that »    An assertion that the speaker has personal experience or knowledge of a particular place or topic and is now bored.

been there, done that, bought the T-shirt »    Expresses the speaker's complete familiarity with a situation, with overtones of cynicism or exhaustion.

beer and skittles »    Something pleasurable.

behind the bit »    An equestrian term, meaning that the horse is evading the bit.

believe you me »    An emphatic form of "believe me"; you [the subject] had better believe me [the speaker].

bells and whistles »    Extra features added for show rather than function; fancy additions or features.

belly up »    Dead or defunct.

bench jockey »    A baseball term for a player, coach or manager who is annoying and distracts opposition players and umpires from his team's dugout bench with verbal repartee.

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

bend somebody's ear »    Sorry to bend your ear with the whole story, but I think you ought to know.

bend somebody's ear »    To bore; to talk too long.

bend the truth »    To change or leave out certain facts of a story or situation, generally in order to elicit a specific response in the audience.

between a rock and a hard place »    Having the choice between two unpleasant or distasteful options; in a predicament or quandary.

between Scylla and Charybdis »    Similar in meaning to between a rock and a hard place.

beyond the black stump »    Extremely remote, outside the populated area.

big break »    A breakthrough, especially the first big hit of a previously unknown performer or performers in the entertainment industry.

big deal »    Something very important, difficult, or of concern.

big kahuna »    A boss, leader, chieftain, or top-ranking person in an organization.

big mouth »    The mouth of someone who talks too much, especially by making exaggerated claims or by inappropriately revealing information.

big picture »    The main film in a double feature.

big sleep »    Death.

big up »    To increase one's muscle mass through exercise.

big wheel »    A person with a great deal of power or influence, especially a high-ranking person in an organization.

bigger fish to fry »    A higher valued result or target to reach.

bill of goods »    A set of misleading or deceptive claims; misinformation.

bird of one's own brain »    One's own idea or conception.

birds of a feather »    C1710, Jonathan Swift, "A Conference," lines 11-12.

birds of a feather »    People having similar characters, backgrounds, interests, or beliefs.

birds of a feather flock together »    People of similar character, background, or taste tend to congregate or associate with one another.

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 someone's head off »    To severely berate someone.

bite to eat »    A snack or quick meal.

bitter pill »    Something unpleasant that must be accepted or endured.

black »    Lacking cream, milk, and creamer.

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.

blaze a trail »    To set precedent or do something novel; to break new ground.

blimp out »    To become fat or fatter, especially as a result of excessive eating.

blind »    An 1800s baseball term meaning no score.

blind »    Any device intended to conceal or hide; as, a duck blind.

blind as a bat »    Nearly totally blind, having a very poor sense of vision.

blow away »    Flabbergast; scintillate; impress greatly.

blow chunks »    To be very bad, inadequate, unpleasant, or miserable; to thoroughly suck.

blow chunks »    To suffer from explosive diarrhea.

blow off »    To pass gas; to break wind.

blow off steam »    To rant or shout in order to relieve stress; to vent.

blow out of proportion »    To overreact to or overstate; to treat too seriously or be overly concerned with.

blow smoke »    To speak with a lack of credibility, sense, purpose, or truth; to speak nonsense.

blow someone out of the water »    To trounce; to defeat someone thoroughly, at a game or in battle.

blow this popsicle stand »    To leave an establishment speedily.

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

bog standard »    Especially plain, ordinary, or unremarkable; having no special, excess or unusual features; plain vanilla.

boil down »    As an allusion to the cooking technique of reducing liquids by heat, one boils down a problem, argument, etc. to its most central elements.

bomb around »    The drive around at speed for pleasure.

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

born in a barn »    Engaging in the annoying behavior of inappropriately, and usually neglectfully, leaving open a door or window.

born with a silver spoon in one's mouth »    Born rich or in a wealthy family.

born yesterday »    New, naive, innocent, inexperienced or easily deceived.

borne out »    Past participle of bear out.

bottoming the house »    The process by where someone cleans their house 'from top to bottom'. It is a very thorough clean indeed, even more so than 'spring cleaning'.

bought the farm »    Simple past tense and past participle of buy the farm: died; often refers to death in battle.

bow out »    To resign, or leave, with one's credibility still intact.

bowl a googly »    Something unexpected, underhand or requiring a quick reaction or correction.

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

boxer shorts »    underwear

boys and their toys »    Used to evoke the idea that adult men sometimes dote excessively on machines, automobiles, and gadgets in a childish manner.

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.

brain fart »    A lapse in the thought process; an inability to think or remember something clearly.

brain teaser »    puzzle

brain-dead »    Having an irreversible loss of brain function and cessation of brain activity.

brain-dead »    Having no useful thoughts; stupid; ditzy.

brass monkey »    Said of the weather when it is very cold.

bread and butter »    Bread spread with butter.

bread and butter »    That which is central or fundamental, as to one's business, survival, or income; a staple or cornerstone.

breadwinner »    The member of a household who earns all or most of the income

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 a sweat »    ' , Karon Karter - The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Pilates Method page 119.

break a sweat »    January 2008, The Age - Walkovers blaze a trail for women's equal-pay theory.

break a sweat »    To put effort into something.

break a sweat »    To start sweating.

break away »    To leave suddenly.

break down »    To fail.

break down »    To become unstable, mentally or otherwise.

break down »    To decay.

break down »    To give more detail.

break even »    To neither gain nor lose money.

break even »    To stay the same; to neither advance nor regress.

break ground »    To begin digging in the earth at the start of a new construction, or, originally, for cultivation.

break ground »    To initiate a new venture, or to advance beyond previous achievements.

break ground »    To lift off the sea bottom when being weighed.

break in »    To enter by force or illicit means.

break in »    New function more naturally through use or wear.

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

break into »    To enter illegally or by force.

break into »    To open or begin to use.

break into »    To try to start in a profession or business.

break into »    To begin suddenly.

break new ground »    By extension, to initiate a new venture.

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

break off »    To end abruptly, either temporarily or permanently.

break off »    To remove a piece from a whole by breaking or snapping.

break one's duck »    To do something for the first time.

break one's duck »    To score one's first run in an innings.

break out »    To escape, especially forcefully or defiantly.

break out »    To bring out, use, or present.

break out »    To separate from a bundle.

break out »    To begin suddenly; to emerge in a certain condition.

break rank »    To march or charge out of the designated order in a military unit.

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

break the back of »    To achieve the greater part of some project.

break the bank »    To exhaust one's financial resources.

break the bank »    To win more money than is available to be paid.

break the buck »    Fall below the value of one dollar per share.[1].

break the ice »    To start to get to know people, by avoiding awkwardness.

break up »    To break or separate into pieces; to disintegrate or come apart.

break up »    To end a relationship.

break up »    To dissolve; to part.

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

break up »    To break or separate into pieces.

break up »    To stop a fight; to separate people who are fighting.

break wind »    To flatulate; fart; to expel gases generated during digestion through the anus.

breakfast of champions »    An ironic appellation for beer, junk food, or other foods implied to be unhealthy.

breath of fresh air »    Something relieving, refreshing, or new.

breathe down someone's neck »    To follow someone too closely, making it uncomfortable for them.

breathe easy »    To relax or feel secure about something.

brick by brick »    To create or build something in a steady, step-by-step fashion.

brickbat »    A piece of brick used as a weapon, especially if thrown, or placed in something like a sock and used as a club.

brickbat »    Reason Magazine: Daily Brickbat[1].

bridge »    A construction or natural feature that spans a divide.

bridge »    A system which connects two or more local area networks at layer 2.

bridge »    A valence bond, atom or chain of atoms that connects two different parts of a molecule; the atoms so connected being bridgeheads.

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

bright line »    A clear distinction in the context of a legal or moral judgment.

bright-eyed and bushy-tailed »    Alert and in an eager, frisky, or playful mood; full of life.

bright-line rule »    A clear-cut, easy to make decision.

bright-line rule »    A clearly defined rule or standard, comprised of objective factors, which leaves little or no room for varying interpretation.

bring down »    To make something flying fall to the ground. Usually by firing a weapon of some kind.

bring forth »    To produce, bear as fruit.

bring forth »    To create, generate, bring into existence.

bring forward »    To make something happen earlier than originally planned.

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

bring in »    To earn money for a company or for the family.

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

bring it weak »    To fail to accomplish an accomplishable task or to make an attempt at less than maximum effort; to "half-ass" or "fake the funk".

broad across the beam »    Without fat on the hips and the bottom.

broad church »    A wide scope of philosophies and ideas.

broad in the beam »    Without fat on the hips and the bottom.

broken-hearted »    Alternative spelling of brokenhearted. Feeling depressed, despondent, or hopeless, especially over losing a love.

brown bread »    Bread with a brown colour as distinct from white bread, wholemeal, granary or other specific types of bread.

brown power »    The production of electricity made from conventional sources, such as coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear power.

buck up »    Cheer up; take courage; take heart.

bucket down »    To rain heavily.

buckle up »    To fasten one's seat belt or safety belt.

bug off »    Used to tell somebody to leave them alone.

bugger up »    To break or spoil something, or make it inoperative, useless etc.

build a better mousetrap »    To invent the next great thing; to have a better idea.

bulletproof »    Unbreakable, very tough.

bum rap »    A false accusation, or an injustice, especially one that leads to imprisonment.

bump and grind »    A sexually suggestive dance involving exaggerated hip movements, especially a striptease dance.

bump up »    To increase something suddenly.

bundle of nerves »    A person with an especially nervous, excitable, or fearful disposition.

bunny hop »    A ground ball that hops along the field instead of rolling.

bunny hop »    A jump made where both wheels leave the ground.

bunny hug »    A sweatshirt with a hood.

buoy up »    To uplift, hearten, inspire or raise the spirits.

buried treasure »    Something, having been concealed for a long time, which later is found and is profitable.

buried treasure »    Treasure stashed underground or underwater.

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 rubber »    To accelerate so rapidly from standstill that it leaves a mark of burnt rubber on the road from the tire.

bury the hatchet »    To stop fighting or arguing; to reach an agreement, or at least a truce.

bury the lead »    To begin a story with details of secondary importance to the reader while postponing more essential points or facts.

bury the lede »    To begin a story with details of secondary importance to the reader while postponing more essential points or facts.

bush league »    A low-ranking or inferior level among groups, professions, organizations, etc.

bush league »    A professional sports association at the lower levels of minor league organization.

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.

busted flush »    Anything which ends up worthless despite great potential.

busy beaver »    Someone who is very busy or hard-working.

butt heads »    To argue uncompromisingly with someone.

buy to let »    To purchase a property as in investment, and to let it out for rental instead of living in it.

by all means »    Yes certainly; definitely.

by dint of »    By reason of; by means of.

by far »    To a considerably large extent, easily.

by heart »    Knowing completely; as having committed completely to memory.

by hook or by crook »    By any means possible; one way or another.

by leaps and bounds »    Rapidly. Said of making progress.

by no means »    Certainly not; definitely not.

by one's own hand »    As a result of one's own actions, especially with reference to death by suicide.

by the same token »    For a similar reason; in a similar manner; similarly; likewise; along the same lines.

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 the way »    [...] I had counted on a life-lease of the profits, whereas I only received those of a few short years. But this is by the way.

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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't wait »    To eagerly anticipate; to find it unbearable to wait for a forthcoming pleasurable event.

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.

carry away »    To break under sudden pressure of violent wind.

carved in stone »    Unchangeable.

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

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

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 »    Any complicated structure which appears to be without purpose.

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 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 up »    To be reaching something that had been ahead.

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.

catmeat »    Catfood consisting of meat.

catmeat »    Meat from a cat.

catmeat »    Someone who has been badly beaten.

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

caveat lector »    Reader beware.

cease fire »    truce

cease to be »    To die.

center field »    The part of a baseball field which is beyond the infield and straight ahead left if you stand on home plate and face the pitcher.

chain reaction »    A nuclear reaction in which particles produced by the fission of one atom trigger fissions of other atoms.

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

change horses in midstream »    To change plans or approaches at an inopportune time, such as when an effort is already underway, generally considered an inadvisable thing to do.

change of heart »    A change of one's opinion, belief or decision.

change one's tune »    To reconsider; rethink; to reach a different conclusion.

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.

cheaper by the dozen »    Things are handled more efficiently as a group, rather than individually.

cheat on »    To be unfaithful to.

cheat sheet »    A sheet of paper containing notes used to assist on a test.

cheat sheet »    Any summary or quick reference used as a shortcut or reminder, a crib sheet.

cheaters never prosper »    One does not gain from cheating.

check out »    To leave in a hurry.

cheer on »    To cheer and support a team, to barrack, to root for.

cheese down »    To coil the tail of a rope on deck so as to present a neat appearance.

cherry pick »    To position oneself near the opponent's goal to attempt to receive an errant or intentional pass for an easy score, as in basketball or versions of soccer where offsides are not enforced.

chicken out »    To shy away from a daring task; to decline, refuse, or avoid something due to fear or uncertainty.

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

child's play »    Something particularly simple or easy.

children should be seen and not heard »    Children should behave well and be quiet, especially in the presence of adults.

chill out »    Relax, take it easy.

chow down »    To eat, especially to eat vigorously.

chuck it down »    To rain heavily.

cite chapter and verse »    To speak authoritatively, providing detailed factual information.

claim to fame »    That for which one has bragging rights; one's reason for being well-known or famous.

clamp down on »    To take measures to stop something; to put an end to.

class clown »    A student who frequently makes jokes or pokes fun; a wiseacre.

clay »    An earth material with ductile qualities.

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

clean house »    To clean the interior of a house.

clean house »    To reform by removing undesirable personnel and procedures.

clean out »    To clean, especially to tidy by removing the contents.

clean out »    To empty completely; to remove all money or possessions from.

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.

clean up »    To make a large profit; to win by a large margin, or to win a large amount, especially in gambling. Also clean house.

clean up »    To make an area or a thing clean; to pick up a mess; to tidy.

clean up one's act »    To reform; to improve one's habits.

clear cut »    Having had all vegetation removed.

clear cut »    Straightforward, obvious, simple, or basic.

clear the decks »    To prepare for action.

clear the decks »    To remove, or fasten, all loose material, or partitions prior to a naval engagement.

clear up »    To clarify, to correct a misconception.

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

climb up »    To make a gradual ascent or increase.

clock in »    To be measured at.

clogs to clogs in three generations »    (UK) Wealth earned in one generation seldom lasts through the third (grandchild

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

close in on »    To near a goal or completion.

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

close shave »    A near accident or mishap; a dangerous or risky encounter or incident.

close shave »    A shave that is very short or near the skin.

close the stable door after the horse has bolted »    To attempt to prevent a problem only to find it has already happened.

close up »    To heal a cut or other wound.

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.

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.

cock a snook »    To spread one hand, place the thumb on the nose and wriggle some of the fingers as a gesture of disrespect.

cold comfort »    C. 1594, William Shakespeare, The Taming of the Shrew, act 4, sc. 1.

cold comfort »    Much less reassurance, consolation, aid, or pleasure than one needs or desires.

cold fish »    A heartless individual; a person lacking empathy and emotion.

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

Cold hands, warm heart; Dirty feet, no sweetheart! »    A few old timer's "fun" way to compliment a lady & to find out if she could be courted.

cold snap »    A period of exceptionally cold weather.

come a cropper »    To fall headlong from a horse.

come across »    To give an appearance or impression; to project a certain image.

come by »    To come near to; to pass.

come clean »    To confess; admit.

come down to »    To reach by moving down or reducing.

come of age »    To reach a specific age where one is legally considered to be an adult.

come out »    To be discovered, be revealed.

come out of one's shell »    To reveal one's true self.

come out of the woodwork »    To appear or emerge as though out of nowhere, frequently in large numbers or quantity.

come round »    To cease anger or hostility.

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

come to »    To reach; to arrive at.

come to a head »    To rapidly come to a turning point.

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 to grips »    To confront or deal with directly.

come to mind »    To appear in one's thoughts.

come to terms »    To reach an agreement or settle a dispute.

come up »    To appear before a judge or court.

come up »    To begin to feel the effects of a recreational drug.

come up with »    To invent, create, or think of.

coming out of one's ears »    In great or excess quantity.

company »    As he had worked for the CIA for over 30 years, he would soon take retirement from the company.

company »    I treasure your company.

company »    Keep the house clean, I have company coming.

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.

consume mass quantities »    To eat or drink abundant amounts of food or beverage.

cook up »    To prepare a heroin dose by heating.

cook up »    To prepare a meal.

cop a feel »    To stealthily fondle someone in a sexual manner.

cop-out »    An excuse made in order to avoid performing a task or duty; a reason offered when someone cops 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.

cotton on »    To realize; come to understand.

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".

cough up »    To lose a competition by one's own mistakes, usually near the end of the contest.

country mile »    A long way, a great distance.

cover up »    To conceal or disguise.

crack a crib »    To break into a house.

crack up »    To laugh heartily.

crack up »    To cause to laugh heartily.

crack up »    To become insane; to suffer a mental breakdown.

crank up »    To increase, as the volume, power or energy of something.

crap out »    To break down.

crash course »    A quick, intense course of learning, especially one which is informal or hurried.

cream in one's jeans »    To ejaculate while wearing one's trousers.

cream in one's jeans »    To experience an orgasm while clothed; to be thoroughly excited or delighted.

cream of the crop »    The best or most desirable among some selection.

creature comfort »    Any small item or detail that makes a person comfortable and at home.

creature feature »    A horror film in which one or more monsters plays a prominent role.

creep up »    To advance with stealth, unnoticed.

crocodile tear »    A tear shed insincerely, in a false display of sorrow or some other emotion.

crocodile tears »    A display of tears that is forced or false.

crocodile tears »    Plural form of crocodile tear.

cross my heart »    A declaration that the speaker is telling the truth.

cross that bridge when one comes to it »    To deal with a problem or situation only when it arises.

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 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 line »    To cross the equator, as a vessel at sea.

crowned heads »    monarchs

cry for help »    Acting out as a means of displaying a subconscious desire for attention or help.

cry for help »    In her second year at the school Alexis stopped doing her homework and would often scribble on walls. Her teachers wondered whether this was a cry for help, or if she was simply misbehaving.

cry out »    To shout in a loud voice, due to pain, or fear, or unhappiness.

cry wolf »    To raise a false alarm; to constantly warn others about an imagined threat, thereby failing to get assistance when a real threat appears.

crystal clear »    Completely clear and understood.

crystal-clear »    Completely clear and understood.

cube out »    To reach the volume limit of a container.

cup of tea »    A cup full of tea.

cup of tea »    Whatever suits or interests one.

cure all »    panacea

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 and dried »    Simple, straightforward, clear, or certain.

cut in »    Especially, to dance with someone who is already dancing by replacing his or her partner.

cut in »    When painting, to paint edges, corners, or trim in preparation for rolling larger areas.

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

cut one's coat according to one's cloth »    Live according to your means.

cut one's teeth »    To begin; to gain early experience.

cut red tape »    To reduce bureaucracy.

cut up »    distress greatly

cutting edge »    The forefront, or position of greatest advancement in some field.

dar brincos »    To jump, leap.

darn tootin' »    Absolutely correct; speaking the truth.

dash off »    To leave a place quickly or briefly.

dawn on »    To occur to somebody; to be realized.

day and age »    A time period of years or more.

day and night »    All the time; round the clock; unceasingly.

dead »     : So hated by that they are absolutely ignored.

dead »    Broken or inoperable.

dead »    Completely inactive; without power; without a signal.

dead »    Exact.

dead »    Figuratively, not alive; lacking life.

dead »    Full and complete.

dead »    No longer living.

dead »    No longer used or required.

dead »    Not in play.

dead »    Stationary; static.

dead »    Unproductive.

dead »    Without emotion.

dead »    Without interest to one of the senses; dull; flat.

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 as a dodo »    That has become out of date.

dead as a dodo »    Undoubtedly and unquestionably dead.

dead as a doorknob »    Entirely, unquestionably or certainly dead.

dead as a doornail »    Unquestionably dead. Used for both inanimate objects and once living beings.

dead duck »    A project that is doomed to failure from the start.

dead duck »    One who is in serious danger or trouble.

dead end »    A path or strategy that goes nowhere or is blocked on one end.

dead giveaway »    Obvious, easily apparent.

dead heat »    A close race or contest in which no winner is apparent.

dead in the water »    Nearly dead, doomed.

dead last »    The standings, often by a considerable margin to the next-to-last-place finisher or after an exceptionally poor showing or season.

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 of night »    Middle of the night.

dead on »    Exactly at.

dead ringer »    Someone or something that very closely resembles another; someone or something easily mistaken for another.

dead set against »    Completely opposed, with no possibility of a change of mind.

dead shot »    Perfect shooter

dead to rights »    With sufficient evidence to establish responsibility definitively.

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

dead weight »    That which is useless or excess; that which slows something down.

dead weight »    Weight that does not move.

dead wood »    Dead limbs and branches still attached to a living tree.

dead wood »    Personnel no longer contributing to an organization.

deadbeat dad »    A man, especially one who is divorced or estranged from his partner, who fails to provide monetary child support when he is legally required to do so.

deadstick landing »    When a pilot lands a plane after the engine has died; a landing lacking any propulsion control.

deadweight »    A useless, usually encumbering factor.

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.

deaf as a doorpost »    Stone deaf.

deafening silence »    A silence, or a lack of any response, that signifies disapproval or lack of any enthusiasm.

deal breaker »    To fail.

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

death knell »    A sign or omen foretelling the death or destruction of something.

death knell »    The tolling of a bell announcing death.

deathblow »    A strike or blow that leads to death, especially a coup de grace.

deathblow »    Something that prevents the completion, or ends the existence of some project etc.

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 down »    Fundamentally; in essence; in reality; really.

deep water »    Waters suitable for deep-draft ships, especially ocean-going.

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 »    ...grasp the demands and exactions of business life. He learns that the main thing to do is to "deliver the message to Garcia"....

deliver the message to Garcia »    ...heaves in a deep breath, gathers himself as though he's crossed a continent to deliver the message to Garcia.

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.

diamond in the rough »    A person whose goodness or other positive qualities are hidden by a harsh or unremarkable surface appearance.

diamonds are a girl's best friend »    A statement that suggests, while love is a luxury, material wealth (particularly jewellery) is more valuable in the long run.

dicky-bird »    Endearing term for a small bird, often used when talking with young children.

dictated but not read »    Dictated, as to a secretary or stenographer, but not proofread by the person who dictated the text so annotated.

die »    To stop living; to become dead; to undergo death.

dig in »    To begin eating.

dig up »    To discover something by digging; to unearth.

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.

dirty laundry »    A clothes hamper or other container used to place unclean or soiled laundry.

dirty laundry »    Laundry that is unclean or soiled.

dirty word »    The name of a topic that a person does not like to hear or discuss.

dish out »    On to a dish ready for eating.

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 number on »    To damage; to treat harshly; to produce ill effects.

do a slow burn »    To experience a gradually increasing feeling of anger or frustration.

do justice »    To really allow to be apprehended in its full scope.

does a bear shit in the woods »    Rhetorical question in response to a question where the answer is an emphatic yes.

dog and pony show »    Originally, a small, traveling circus featuring animals as entertainment.

dog's breakfast »    An unappealing mixture; a disorderly situation; a mess.

dog's life »    A life of indolence where the individual may do as he or she pleases, just like a pampered dog.

dog-eat-dog »    Harsh and ruthless.

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 give up your day job »    Implying that they could not earn a living from it without other regular employment.

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 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.

don't shoot the messenger »    The bearer of bad news should not be held accountable for the bad news.

don't take any wooden nickels »    Do not permit yourself be cheated or duped; do not be naive.

don't try to teach grandma how to suck eggs »    Don't presume to give advice to those who are more experienced.

done deal »    An agreement that has been finally resolved or decided.

donkey's ears »    A long time.

donkey's years »    A long time.

double back »    To retrace one's steps; to go back where one has already gone.

double cream »    dairy product

double entendre »    A phrase that has two meanings, especially where one is innocent and literal, the other risqué, bawdy, or ironic; an innuendo..

double talk »    Speaking in a mixture of real English and English-sounding gibberish, for humorous effect.

down for the count »    Decisively beaten; rendered irrelevant for the long term.

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

down pat »    Thoroughly practiced, rehearsed, or understood.

down to the wire »    At the very end of a process or project, especially one with a fast-approaching deadline.

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.

drama queen »    Who behaves and speaks in an overly dramatic manner so as to garner attention.

draw back »    To retreat from a position.

draw on »    To appeal to, make a demand of, rely on; to utilize or make use of, as a source.

draw on »    To approach, come nearer, as evening.

draw out »    To extract, bring out, as concealed information; elicit; educe.

draw out »    To use means to entice or force to be more open or talkative.

draw stumps »    To cease doing something, at least for the day.

drawing near »    approaching

dress down »    To wear casual or informal clothes.

dress up »    To wear smart clothes for an occasion.

dress up »    To wear fancy dress or a costume.

dressed to the nines »    Very fancily or formally dressed; wearing very showy or splendid clothing.

drill down »    To examine information at another level or in greater detail; especially in a database, to navigate to a more detailed level or record.

drip »    To leak slowly.

drive away »    To force someone or something to leave.

drive off »    To force to leave or go away.

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 bomb »    To release faeces from the bowels; to excrete.

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

drop a hint »    To reveal a clue or hint about something.

drop off »    To deliver; to deposit or leave.

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

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

dry one's eyes »    To cease crying.

dry out »    To sober up; to cease to be drunk.

dry run »    A practice; a rehearsal.

duck soup »    Easy, or a piece of cake.

duke it out »    To argue heavily or at length.

dummy run »    A trial or practice before the real attempt.

dusty miller »    One of several species of plants with leaves of a dusty appearance: Centaurea cineraria, Senecio cineraria, and Lychnis coronaria.

dye in the wool »    To dye woolen fibers before they are spun into thread.

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.

each to his own »    Everyone is entitled to their own opinion or tastes.My housemate is a strict vegan. I personally could never not eat meat, but each to his own.

eager beaver »    Who is very excited or enthusiastic to begin a task.

ear splitting »    very loud

ear trumpet »    old hearing aid

ear tunnel »    A part of the ear.

ear tunnel »    A piece of jewelry that fits into a stretched earlobe hole and makes it seem like a peephole and makes it see-through.

early bath »    Being shown a red card in soccer.

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

early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise »    platitude from Benjamin Franklin under the pseudonym Poor Richard.

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.

ears are burning »    Being the topic of discussion in another place; or sensing that this is happening.

east sussex »    english county

easy as falling off a log »    Very easy.

easy as pie »    Very easy.

easy come, easy go »    Easily won and easily lost; usually said when resigned to a loss.

easy does it »    Relax; do something gently, lightly or carefully; slow down; calm down.

easy on the eyes »    Attractive; beautiful.

easy street »    A carefree situation or lifestyle, especially as resulting from possession of wealth.

eat crow »    To recognize that one has been shown to be mistaken or outdone, especially by admitting that one has made a humiliating error.

eat for two »    To be pregnant.

eat humble pie »    To admit one's faults; to make a humiliating apology.

eat one's hat »    Used in a result clause to express disbelief in the conditional clause proposition.

eat one's heart out »    To feel overwhelming sorrow, jealousy or longing, to grieve.

eat one's own dog food »    To test the beta programs that are in the test phase on one's own computers; to dogfood.

eat one's own dog food »    To use or consume the economic goods or services that oneself is producing; to be part of a closed household economy.

eat one's words »    To regret or retract what one has said.

eat one's young »    To betray a constituent or charge out of self-serving interests or desperation; savaging.

eat out »    To dine at a restaurant or such public place.

eat out »    To perform cunnilingus.

eat out of somebody's hand »    To behave in a docile, submissive way towards somebody.

eat pussy »    To perform cunnilingus.

eat someone out of house and home »    C. 1598, William Shakespeare, Henry IV, Part 2, Act II Scene I.

eat someone out of house and home »    To consume such a portion of one's store of food that little is left for the owner.

eat someone's dust »    To be outrun.

eat someone's dust »    To get one to be on a losing end.

eat the wind »    To take a walk.

eat up »    To accept or believe entirely, immediately, and without questioning.

eat up »    To consume completely.

egg somebody on »    To tease, provoke or encourage.

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

eleventh hour »    Nearly too late; the last minute.

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

end of the line »    Final cessation or discontinuance of a process, institution, or person, especially one which has existed for a considerable period of time; death.

end of the world »    End of habitability for life on Earth.

end of the world »    End of the planet Earth.

engine room »    The source of power in a team or other group.

enough is as good as a feast »    Just the right amount is as good as more than enough: there is no value in excess.

enquire after »    To ask about the health of someone.

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

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 day is a school day »    You learn something new every day.

every silver lining has a cloud »    Every good situation has the potential to turn bad.2007, Diab A. Shetayh, Actuality : The Reality RequiemA great partnership isn't a self-maintaining entity. Perseverance and persistence make it thrive. For every silver lining has a cloud. Ignorance of this reality is not an option.

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 rogue wireless access point installed near a legitimate one for purposes of eavesdropping or phishing.

experience is the best teacher »    Lessons learned from experience are the most lasting.

expose oneself »    To appear nude in public.

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

f** it »    An expression of great indifference or nonchalance.

f** knows »    I don't know; nobody knows; it is unclear.

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**ing hell »    An exclamation of great surprise.

face off »    The starting point, in a match of ice hockey. Two players face each other, for snatching the puck.

face the music »    To accept or confront the unpleasant consequences of one's actions.

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

face value »    No more or less than what is stated; a literal or direct meaning or interpretation.

faceplant »    Death or defeat in popular multiplayer online games.

fade out »    decrease gradually

fair enough »    An expression used to concede a point; denotes that, upon consideration, something is correct or reasonable; an expression of acknowledgment or understanding.

fair game »    A game that is fair, that does not involve cheating etc.

fair off »    To clear.

fair weather friend »    Only when it is advantageous or easy.

faith will move mountains »    Belief in oneself (read sometimes as belief in God) can help one overcome any hurdle in life's path.

fall apart »    To break into pieces through being in a dilapidated state.

fall away »    To cease to support a person or cause.

fall back »    To retreat.

fall off the wagon »    To cease or fail at a regimen of self-improvement or reform; to lapse back into an old habit or addiction.

fall on deaf ears »    Of a request, complaint, etc, to be ignored.

false friend »    A word in a foreign language bearing a deceptive resemblance to a word in one's own language.

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 and away »    By a large degree or margin; greatly.

far and wide »    Over a great distance, or large area; nearly everywhere.

far be it »    A disclaimer stating that the person speaking will not do something.

fat of the land »    The greatest part of anything; the finest and most abundant share of resources; the cream of the crop.

fear »    A phobia, a sense of fear induced by something or someone.

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

fear »    Extreme veneration or awe, as toward a supreme being or deity.

feast for the eyes »    Visually pleasing sight.

feast or famine »    A situation in which something is always either extremely abundant or in extremely short supply.

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

feather one's nest »    To achieve benefits, especially financial ones, by taking advantage of the opportunities with which one is presented; to amass a comfortable amount of personal wealth.

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.

fencepost problem »    In computer programming, a problem dealing with how to treat the initial or boundary values of a discrete problem.

field day »    A great time or a great deal to do, at somebody else's expense.

field day »    A great time or a great deal to do.

field day »    Top-to-bottom all-hands cleaning.

fight a losing battle »    To continue to wage war when it is clear that one is not going to win.

fight fires »    To deal with urgent matters and minor emergencies rather than longer-term work.

fight off »    To succeed in defeating a challenge, or an attack.

fight tooth and nail »    To use every means possible to overcome a difficult opposition.

final cut »    In the movie industry, the final released version of the film.

fine feathers make fine birds »    Something that appears beautiful or good is by definition beautiful or good.

fire-breathing »    Caustic, vitriolic or scathing.

fire-breathing »    That emits flame from the mouth or nostrils.

first come, first served »    People will be dealt with in the order they arrive.

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

fish or cut bait »    To choose between taking action now, or forgoing the opportunity and putting that energy into another endeavor; to decide.

fishing expedition »    A non-specific search for information, especially incriminating information.

fit as a fiddle »    Perfectly fit; in excellent health.

fit as a lop »    In good health, fitness.

five by five »    I hear you loud and clear

flap one's gums »    To speak idly; to talk without effect.

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

flat-chested »    Having a flat chest; having small breasts.

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.

flea in one's ear »    A stinging rebuke or rebuff.

flesh out »    To complete; to create details from a basic outline, structure or skeleton.

flick the bean »    To masturbate by stimulating the clitoris.

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 extra work out of a ship's crew during the dead horse period.

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

flogging the land »    Damaging agricultural land through excessive grazing or clearing.

flower »    A plant that bears flowers.

flower »    Of plants, a state of bearing blooms.

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

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 in the ointment »    Something which ruins or spoils everything else; a nuisance or problem; an unpleasant or disagreeable detail.

fly on the wall »    A quiet, non-participating, or unseen observer; an eavesdropper or witness.

fly the freak flag »    To behave in a unconventional or unrestrained manner; to exhibit the uninhibited side of one's personality.

fly-by-night »    A creatures which flies at night; a nocturnal flier or traveler.

fly-by-night »    Businesses that appear and disappear rapidly, or that give an impression of transience.

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

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.

footloose and fancy free »    Able to do as one pleases, unconstrained by social ties or responsibilities.

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

for all the world »    Entirely, to all appearances.

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

for heaven's sake »    Expresses frustration, exasperation, or annoyance.

for kicks »    In order to obtain pleasure or excitement; for fun.

for my money »    Used to mark a statement made by the speaker as an opinion or something not known with certainty.

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 record »    Already publicly known.

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

for XYZ reasons »    For reasons unknown and not worth speculating on.

forbidden fruit »    Illicit pleasure; something that one should not take or get involved with, such as an another person's spouse.

force of habit »    An act that has been repeated to the point where the performance of the act becomes automatic.

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."

forewarned, forearmed »    Alternative form of forewarned is forearmed.

fountain of youth »    Anything reputed to have the power to restore health and vitality or to restore a youthful appearance.

four score and seven years ago »    87 years prior to today.

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

four-eyes »    A person who wears spectacles.

four-leaf clover »    A bringer of good luck.

four-leaf clover »    An uncommon variation of the clover, having four leaves instead of the usual three.

four-on-the-floor »    Characterised by a steady, uniformly accented beat with a 4/4 time signature.

fourth wall »    The imaginary invisible wall at the front of the stage in a proscenium theatre, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play.

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.

friend with benefits »    A friendship with no reserves when it comes to the release of shared sexual tension thus leading to sexual fraternization.

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

from my cold, dead hands »    A statement that something will not be taken away from you until the day you die.

from soup to nuts »    From the first course of a meal to the last.

from the bottom of one's heart »    In earnest; sincerely; with one's full feeling.

from time to time »    C. 1595, William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, act 3, sc. 3.

fruit of one's loins »    C. 1950, Kay Boyle, "Adam's Death" in Fifty Stories , ISBN 9780811212069, p. 541.

fry up »    Full English breakfast.

full as a goog »    Having eaten too much, or being drunk.

full English »    A cooked breakfast consisting of bacon and eggs, and other foods.

full of beans »    Energetic and enthusiastic.

full of beans »    Incorrect; uninformed; exaggerating or expressing falsehood.

full of hot air »    Talking a lot, especially without saying anything of value or meaning.

full of it »    Speaking nonsense; lying, exaggerating, or boasting.

full of shit »    Characterized by speaking nonsense or falsehoods.

full speed ahead »    A command, especially on military vessels, to move forward at maximum speed.

full speed ahead »    Maximum effort without reservations or delay.

full-fledged »    Having all its feathers; able to fly.

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

funny money »    Money gained in a devious or sneaky manner.

gallows humor »    Comedy that makes light of death or other very serious matters.

game plan »    Any strategy devised to reach a given objective.

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"

gear up »    To prepare for an activity.

get »    Lineage.

get a jump on »    To start early, especially to start before something begins or before others begin.

get a leg up »    To gain some advantage; to get a head start.

get a rise out of »    To obtain a reaction from someone, especially one of annoyance.

get at »    mean, intend

get at »    reach

get by »    To subsist; to succeed, survive, or manage, at least at a minimum level.

get down to brass tacks »    Deal with the important details.

get into one's stride »    To become familiar with something recently learnt.

get it »    To "get what's coming to him/her"; to feel one's wrath; to receive punishment; to receive a retaliation; to receive a beating.

get it »    To realize or understand why a joke is funny.

get it into one's head »    imagine

get it over with »    To do or finish, especially said of something unpleasant.

get off one's high horse »    To stop acting in an imperious, overbearing or bossy manner.

get on someone's wick »    To annoy or upset someone, usually by repeated disagreeable actions.

get out of bed on the wrong side »    To start the day in a bad mood for no apparent reason.

get out of Dodge »    To leave; in particular to leave a difficult or dangerous environment with all possible haste.

get out of here »    To leave or exit a place.

get ready »    prepare oneself

get something over with »    To do something quickly and hastily; without procrastination, especially so as to have something unpleasant behind oneself.

get the better of »    To overwhelm or overcome; to influence heavily; to tend to control or persuade.

get the boot »    To be voted off a competition in a reality television show.

get the chop »    To be eliminated from a competition in a reality television program.

get the drift »    To understand, at least at some basic or general level.

gift of the gab »    The ability to talk readily, glibly, and convincingly.

give 'em enough rope »    Allow one to function unhindered, or without further overbearing oversight.

give a man a fish »    Shortened form of give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime

give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime »    It is more worthwhile to teach someone to do something, than to do something for them.

give as good as one gets »    To behave toward others in a manner resembling or commensurate with their behavior towards oneself, especially in a situation where one is insulted or otherwise ill-treated.

give birth »    To invent a new idea.

give ear »    Dante Gabriel Rosetti, A Death-Parting, lines 5-6.

give ear »    To listen: to devote one's attention to an auditory event.

give head »    To perform oral sex on another person.

give in »    To droop the head.

give it the gun »    Literal meaning.

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

give notice »    To announce one's intent to leave a job; to inform an employer that one is leaving.

give somebody a hard time »    To tease, kid, or rib.

give somebody an earful »    To shout very loudly at someone.

give somebody the creeps »    To give someone a feeling of uneasiness or mild fright.

give somebody the heave-ho »    To fire, expel or break up with someone.

give somebody what-for »    To admonish or berate; to speak angrily at somebody.

give someone the chair »    To execute a person by means of the electric chair.

give the devil his due »    To acknowledge the positive qualities of a person who is unpleasant or disliked.

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

glutton for punishment »    One persistent in an effort in spite of harmful or unpleasant results.

go ahead »    To proceed; to begin.

go away »    Command asking someone to leave them alone.

go back on »    To be treacherous or faithless to; betray; as, to go back on friends.

go back to the drawing board »    To start again; to scrap a previous idea or plan and try again from the beginning.

go batshit »    To become completely irrational; to react in an irrationally extreme manner.

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 commando »    To not wear underpants.

go down »    To decrease; to change from a greater value to a lesser one.

go down the wrong way »    To swallow food or drink so that it goes down the wrong tube in one's throat and makes one cough or for a short period lose one's breath or choke.

go Dutch »    To pay for one's own food and bills, or split the cost, when eating at a restaurant or going out for entertainment.

go for the gold »    To attempt to achieve the maximum reward or result in an endeavor.

go in one ear and out the other »    Failed to pay attention.

go native »    Of a contractor or consultant, to begin working directly as an employee for a company and cease to work through a contracting firm or agency.

go off »    To depart; to leave.

go off at score »    Of a horse, to break suddenly into a gallop; of a person, suddenly to say or do something impetuous.

go off the boil »    Cease to boil when heat is no longer applied.

go out »    To leave, especially a building.

go out »    To leave one's abode to go to public places.

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 create a response or impression.

go round in circles »    To repeatedly do the same thing; without making any progress.

go south »    To become unfavorable; to decrease; to take a turn for the worse.

go to someone's head »    To strongly affect a person, especially to the detriment of their senses or mental faculties.

go to the mat »    To continue to struggle or fight until either victorious or defeated.

go to work »    Beat up, batter.

go without saying »    To be obvious, apparent or clear, or already established.

god fearing »    pious

gold standard »    A test or measure of comparison that is considered ultimate or ideal.

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 opportunity »    Ideal moment to do something.

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

good drunk »    A person who is cheerful and companionable when intoxicated, retaining reasonable control of his or her mental and emotional faculties.

good to go »    Ready for some specific task or ready for normal activity, especially after preparation or recovery.

good to go »    Ready for use or ready for normal operation, especially after repair or renewal.

grab bag »    A gift, purchase, etc. whose contents are concealed until after a selection is made.

gravy train »    An occupation or any lucrative endeavor that generates considerable income whilst requiring little effort and carrying little risk.

gray area »    A part that is not clear or certain; something that is open to interpretation.

grease monkey »    A mechanic, often with the specific connotation of an automobile mechanic.

grease 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.

grease someone's palm »    To bribe a person.

greasy spoon »    An inexpensive diner or other informal restaurant, especially one specializing in frying or grilling.

great dane »    dog

great minds think alike »    Used to emphasize a coincidence, or two people reaching the same conclusion in any manner at the same time.

great oaks from little acorns grow »    Alternative form of mighty oaks from little acorns grow.

great unwashed »    A contemptuous term for the populace, particularly the working class.

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

green about the gills »    Having the appearance of being ill.

green with envy »    Consumed by envy; envious to the point where it is noticeable to others.

greenwash »    A false or misleading picture of environmental friendliness used to conceal or obscure damaging activities.

grey area »    A topic that is not clearly one thing or the other.

grey area »    An area intermediate between two mutually exclusive states or categories where the border between the two is fuzzy.

grind one's gears »    To annoy or irritate.

grind to a halt »    Coming to a standstill, or ceasing to be productive or make progress, due to an obstacle.

groaning »    That is heavily laden.

grow on »    To become more likeable to someone.

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.

gulp down »    To eat very quickly without chewing the food properly.

gunshy »    Fearing the consequences of repeating an act, especially after being reprimanded.

gussie up »    To make fancy or attractive, as by artificial or contrived means.

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

gut reaction »    An instantaneous reaction made without thought.

hack into »    To gain unauthorized entry to, particularly by exploiting little-known weaknesses.

hair-splitting »    The act of finding exceedingly small differences which are probably neither important nor noticeable to most people.

hair-splittingly »    With exceedingly small differences which are probably neither important nor noticeable to most people.

half-baked »    Partially cooked by heating in an oven.

hand over fist »    Quickly or in great quantity, especially in reference to earning money.

handle with kid gloves »    To treat something very delicately or carefully.

hands down »    Without much effort; easily.

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

hanging offence »    A crime so serious that it is punishable by means of death by hanging.

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

hard done by »    Used, cheated, dejected.

hard of hearing »    Having difficulty hearing; somewhat deaf.

hard shoulder »    mortorway shopping area

hard-hearted »    unfeeling

hard-nosed »    Hardheaded.

harden someone's heart »    To make someone more resistant to something.

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

hardwired »    Not changeable.

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 job »    A treatment which serves primarily to disparage its subject; a piece of criticism which aims to destroy a reputation.

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

haul ass »    To hurry; to move quickly, especially to leave.

haul off »    To leave.

have a heart »    To be kind or sympathetic; to treat others kindly.

have a scream »    To have a good time, to have a blast.

have a screw loose »    A phrase meaning that the subject is insane or irrational.

have a seat »    A polite directive to sit down.

have a seat »    See have; seat.

have a seat »    To sit down; to take a seat.

have a whale of a time »    To enjoy oneself greatly.

have a word with »    To talk or speak with.

have been around »    To be experienced in worldly matters; to be seasoned, not naive.

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 had it up to here »    To have become very frustrated or angry; to have reached the limit of one's patience or forbearance.

have it large »    To engage intensely in pleasure-seeking activities.

have one's ears lowered »    To get a haircut.

have one's head in the clouds »    To daydream; to think about matters other than the present reality.

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 second thoughts »    To change one's opinion, or be uneasy about a previous decision.

have something to eat »    To eat anything.

have the biscuit »    To be of no further use; to be near death.

have the floor »    To have permission or time to speak, especially in a formal situation.

have the run of »    To have permission or freedom to move around throughout an area or to use something at will.

have to do with the price of tea in China »    To have any relation or bearing whatsoever on the topic at hand, usually used to emphasize the lack of relationship of a non sequitur.

have truck with »    To have dealings with.

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 and shoulders »    "He was head and shoulders above the others in the law firm.".

head and shoulders »    "She was head and shoulders better than any of her rivals.".

head and shoulders »    To a considerable degree; better; outstanding.

head for »    go towards

head for the hills »    To go to a safe place; to seek refuge; to flee.

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

head girl »    senior female pupil

head honcho »    The person in charge; the highest-ranking person in an organization.

head over heels »    At top speed; frantically.

head over heels »    Hopelessly smitten.

head over heels »    Tumbling upside down.

head scratcher »    A device used to scratch the head.

head scratcher »    A particularly puzzling or confusing event.

head scratcher »    December 2007, W:Daily News Tribune - Golden Globes nominations a head-scratcher.

head scratcher »    July 2002, Fox News - Attorney: Williams' Kids Near Compromise About Father's Remains.

head south »    Alternative form of go south; to decrease or become unfavorable; to take a turn for the worse.

head start »    For example, prior to the beginning of a race.

head start »    A factor conducive to superiority and success.

head to toe »    Entirely; completely; over one's full body.

head up »    To lead or take the lead; to direct; to take charge.

head-in-the-sand »    Exhibiting disregard or denial of a problem or threat.

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

head-on »    Of a collision, from the front or in the direction of motion.

heads or tails »    A game to bet upon a which side of a coin lays face up after it is thrown.

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

heads will roll »    Some people will be fired for incompetence.

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

hear on the grapevine »    To hear rumors; to learn through friends of friends.

hear out »    To listen to someone until that person has finished.

hear the grass grow »    To be very aware or discerning; to pay attention to every small detail.

hear the grass grow »    To have an extremely sensitive sense of hearing.

hear the grass grow »    To hear very well due to being in an exceptionally quiet environment.

hear through the grapevine »    To hear rumors; to learn through friends of friends.

hear, hear »    Let us hear and applaud the previous speaker; I endorse the previous statement; Expression of support, agreement, or enthusiasm for what has just been said.

heart of glass »    A very fragile romantic state.

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

heart to heart »    A sincere, serious, or personal conversation.

heart-breaking »    That causes extreme sorrow or grief.

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

heat wave »    A period of exceptionally hot weather.

heat wave »    spell of hot weather

heaven helps those who help themselves »    A maxim encouraging people to get involved in their own problems.

heavy-hearted »    Sad, melancholy.

heebie-jeebies »    A general feeling of anxiety, fear, uneasiness, or nausea.

hell on earth »    A very unpleasant situation; torment, particularly when widespread.

hell raiser »    wild pleasure seeker

hiding to nothing »    A situation in which victory has little or no value, but defeat has a huge cost.

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

high horse »    An appearance or sense of smug superiority.

hike up »    To raise or increase sharply.

hill of beans »    Something of no importance.

hindsight is 20/20 »    (idiomatic) In hindsight things are obvious that were not obvious from the outset; one is able to evaluate past choices more clearly than at the time of the choice.

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.

history repeats itself »    Things that have happened in the past will happen again.

hit home »    To be especially memorable or meaningful; to be fully understood, believed or appreciated.

hit home »    To do something particularly great.

hit it big »    To have great success.

hit on »    To flirt with; to approach and speak to (someone), seeking romance, love, sex, etc.

hit on »    To discover, pinpoint; to think up; to realize; to invent.

hit one out of the ballpark »    To hit a fair ball so well that the ball flies over all of the spectators' seats and lands outside the stadium.

hit one's stride »    To reach a full level of efficiency, competence, comfort, etc.; to get going.

hit one's stride »    When walking or running, to reach a full or comfortable pace.

hit paydirt »    To strike it rich; to get lucky or have a big break.

hit the bricks »    To leave or depart; to get out.

hit the headlines »    To appear prominently in the news, especially on the front page.

hit the jackpot »    To realise a huge load of luck; to receive a more favorable outcome than imagined.

hit the nail on the head »    To identify something exactly; to arrive at exactly the right answer.

hit the pavement »    Literal meaning.

hit the road »    To leave a place; to go away.

hit the spot »    To be particularly pleasing or appropriate; to be just right.

hit the trail »    To leave or depart.

hit upon »    To think of; to invent; to realize.

hog heaven »    A state of contented bliss.

hold a grudge »    Far longer than is reasonable.

hold back »    To act with reserve; to contain one's full measure or power.

hold forth »    Talk at great length; expatiate; harangue.

hold one's breath »    To inhale and then intentionally close the epiglottis so that one's breath is not exhaled.

hold one's breath »    To wait, as if breathlessly.

hold one's tongue »    To keep quiet; especially, to leave something unsaid.

hold over »    Something left from an earlier time.

hold that thought »    Used to acknowledge that one's attention needs to be diverted from what an speaker was saying.

hold your fire »    Do not discharge your weapon. Used originally for weapons needing a spark or lighting of a fuse to ignite gunpowder, now sometimes used to mean any weapon launching a projectile.

home is where the heart is »    One's true home is where one feels happiest.

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.

honest-to-goodness »    Real; genuine.

honey trap »    The use of a seductive woman to entice a man into revealing secret information.

hoover up »    Into a vacuum cleaner, irrespective of brand.

horse opera »    A theatrical production, film, or program on radio or television depicting adventures of characters in the American Old West; a western.

horse's ass »    A jerk; an unpleasant, unlikable person; an asshole.

horse's ass »    A thing or person which is visually unappealing.

Horsefeathers »    Absolute nonsense; poppycock

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 »    A throw that stays in the air long enough that it allows too many people to get underneath it, increasing the risk of injury and a trip to the hospital. Thus, a hospital pass.

hospital pass »    Exempting one from regular activities, to instead visit a hospital.

hot and heavy »    Enthusiastic.

hot and heavy »    Passionate.

hot desking »    The working practice of sharing desks or workstations between workers, as a means of saving space and resources.

hot mess »    A warm meal, usually cooked in a large pot, often similar to a stew or porridge; or, service of such a heated meal to soldiers.

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 off the presses »    Freshly printed, minted, written, or created.

hot on »    Knowledgeable about.

hot to trot »    Eager for sexual activity.

hot to trot »    Eager to begin; anxious to get going.

hot up »    To increase in temperature.

hot up »    To become more heated.

hotheaded »    Easily excited or angered.

hothouse »    A heated greenhouse.

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.

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

household name »    A brand name that is well known to the great majority of households.

how come »    Why; why is it; for what reason or purpose?.

how's the weather »    An inquiry about the weather.

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

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 cream »    dessert item

if it ain't broke, don't fix it »    Leave something alone; avoid correcting, fixing, or improving what is already sufficient, as it could end up being detrimental

if pigs had wings they would fly »    (colloquial) Expresses speakers skepticism toward a hypothetical argument by another.

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.

if you lie with dogs you will get fleas »    It is important whom to choose as one's closest acquanitances.

ill health »    A state of illness, or bad health.

ill use »    maltreat

in a bind »    In a difficult situation, usually of one's own making; having a dilemma; faced with a problem or a set of problems for which there is no easy solution.

in a canter »    Without much effort; easily.

in a league of one's own »    Far excelling even the closest contender; not having any worthy competition.

in Abraham's bosom »    No longer living. Dead.

in black and white »    Explicitly, in writing, clearly and without doubt or misunderstanding, without any grey areas.

in business »    Ready to proceed in a desired activity.

in evidence »    Visibly present; noticeable.

in focus »    Clearly perceived.

in focus »    Sharp and clear with no fuzziness.

in for an inch, in for a mile »    Given that one is partly involved in or committed to a project, action, position, etc., there is no reason to refrain from becoming fully involved or fully committed.

in front of one's nose »    Plain; clearly apparent; obvious.

in heaven's name »    An intensifier used with questions.

in hot water »    In trouble; in the position of arousing somebody's anger or displeasure.

in its infancy »    Still in an early stage.

in line »    Suitable or appropriate; keeping with expectations, norms, ideals, or rules.

in no uncertain terms »    With great clarity, emphasis, or exactness; without any ambiguity.

in one hell of a hurry »    In a very great hurry; very fast or hastily.

in one's right mind »    Sane, sensible, reasonable; thinking clearly.

in one's stockinged feet »    Wearing socks, stockings or other hosiery on one's feet but no shoes.

in order »    Ready, prepared; orderly; tidy.

in shape »    I hope to get in shape for summer swimsuit season.

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

in the black »    Having positive net income; having greater income than expenses; making a profit.

in the clear »    Not guilty or not suspected of wrongdoing.

in the driver's seat »    Having the most important role in a storyline or recognition. Of primary importance.

in the first place »    To begin with; earlier; first; at the start.

in the hot seat »    Under pressure to perform; under scrutiny; at the center of attention.

in the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king »    Among others with a disadvantage or disability, the one with the mildest disadvantage or disability is regarded as the greatest.Even someone without much talent or ability is considered special by those with no talent or ability at all.

in the offing »    Nearby, soon to come, in the near future.

in the pink »    In very good health.

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

in the wake of »    In the noticeable disturbance of water behind .

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

in this day and age »    In the current time period of years.

in touch »    The ball, or a player, is in touch when it, or he, is outside the playing area or touching the touchlines of the playing area.

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

in vino veritas »    drunken folks speak truth, one tells the truth under the influence of alcohol

inquire after »    To ask about the health of someone.

inside joke »    A joke that is understood or meant to be understood only by certain people who are in the know about the details.

inside track »    The lane or track nearest to the interior.

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 is easy to find a stick to beat a dog »    (rare or obsolete, proverb) If a person is determined to punish someone, they will find a way to do so.1596

it is what it is »    This circumstance is simply a fact and must be accepted or dealt with as it exists.

it's about time »    Used to express impatience at the eventual occurrence of something that the speaker or writer considered to be long overdue.

it's all Greek to me »    I tried reading the instructions, but it’s all Greek to me..

it's better to ask forgiveness than permission »    The value of acting promptly and making a mistake requiring forgiveness is greater than value of delaying to get permission.

it's not the whistle that pulls the train »    Boasting and loud talk should not be mistaken for the work that produces real achievements; bravado is no proof of action.1956, James Reston, "Washington: It's Not the Whistle that Pulls the Train," New York Times, 1 July, p. E8:

ivory tower »    A sheltered, overly-academic existence or perspective, implying a disconnection or lack of awareness of reality or practical considerations.

jack it in »    An imperative to stop doing something that the speaker finds annoying.

jack of all trades »    One competent in many endeavors, especially one who excels in none of them.

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.

jack up »    To raise, hoist, or lift a thing using a jack, or similar means.

jack up »    To raise, increase, or accelerate; often said of prices, fees, or rates. See also jack up the price.

jet set »    A set of wealthy people who travel for pleasure.

jet-setter »    A member of the jet set, a rich person who travels for pleasure.

jug ears »    Ears whose plane is markedly not parallel to the plane of the head.

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 down »    To leave an elevated position to a lower position by one jump.

jump rope »    A single jump in this game or activity, counted as a measure of achievement.

jump rope »    The activity, game or exercise in which a person must jump, bounce or skip repeatedly while a length of rope is swung over and under, both ends held in the hands of the jumper, or alternately, held by two other participants. Often used for athletic training and among schoolchildren. Variations involve speed, chants, varied rope and jumper movement patterns, multiple jumpers and/or multiple ropes.

jump the queue »    To desire preferential treatment, undue influence; impatient.

jump the queue »    To move into a queue ahead of others who have been waiting longer or that have a higher priority; push in.

jump through hoops »    To put forth effort for the sake of appearance or demonstration.

jumped-up »    Describes a person who thinks he is superior in some way that the speaker disagrees with. For instance, of a higher class, or has more authority than they have in reality.

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

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 a weather eye open »    To be alert; to concentrate on a matter in hand.

keep a weather eye open »    To maintain a background awareness of something; to remain alert to changes without it occupying your full attention.

keep an eye out »    To watch for, look for, or search for.

keep down »    To cause not to increase or rise.

keep down »    To lie low. To stay concealed by not standing up.

keep it real »    In the imperative, an exhortation used as a departing salutation.

keep it real »    To be authentic, true to oneself; to be cool.

keep it up »    To maintain or continue a positive streak.

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

keep one's lips sealed »    To keep quiet; to keep a secret; to not tell.

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

keep straight »    To avoid confusing or mixing up something; to keep something clear or organized.

keep up »    To stay even or ahead.

keep up appearances »    To pretend to be all right or that everything is going well.

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.

kernel of truth »    A core accuracy at the heart of a claim or narrative which also contains dubious or fictitious elements.

kick around »    To abuse or mistreat; to bully.

kick ass »    To beat someone at something.

kick ass »    To beat someone in a fight.

kick butt »    To be impressive; to be decisively good or pleasant.

kick down »    To break or demolish something by physical bodily force.

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.

kick up a fuss »    To show annoyance, or to complain loudly about something, often when it is of little importance in reality.

kicking and screaming »    With extreme reluctance.

kill off »    To represent or portray as being dead.

king of hearts »    picture card

kiss of death »    A kiss on the cheek that signifies the death of the receiver, as delivered by a mob boss or one with such influence.

kiss of death »    Something that may seem good and favourable but that actually brings ruin to hopes, plans, etc.

kitchen table software »    Especially in the early years of personal computers, a set of computer programs developed by an entrepreneurial advanced amateur or self-employed professional computer programmer in his or her own home; software developed by a small business using the services of such programmers.

knacker's yard »    A place to send a person or object that is spent beyond all reasonable use.

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

knock out »    To render someone unconscious, as by a blow to the head.

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

knock somebody's socks off »    To impress greatly; amaze; stun.

knock up »    To exhaust; wear out; weary; beat; tire out; to fatigue until unable to do more.

knock up »    To become exhausted or worn out; to fail of strength; to become wearied, as with labor; to give out.

knocked for a six »    to be defeated; outwitted; outfoxed; beaten

knocking on heaven's door »    Dying, close to death.

know like the back of one's hand »    To be intimately knowledgeable about something, especially a place.

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 drop of water that makes the vase overflow.

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 trump »    The moment of God's final judgement on Earth.

last word »    The final statement uttered by a person before death.

late bloomer »    A person who reaches puberty comparatively later than their peers.

laughing stock »    C. 1598, William Shakespeare, Merry Wives of Windsor, act 3, sc. 1.

laughter is the best medicine »    It is healthy to laugh.

lay it on the line »    To state something, for example an ultimatum, strongly and clearly.

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

lay open »    reveal

lay rubber »    To accelerate so rapidly from standstill that it leaves a mark of burnt rubber on the road from the tire.

lay the groundwork »    To create a foundation; to provide the basics or fundamentals.

lead »    A roof covered with lead sheets or terne plates.

lead »    A thin strip of type metal, used to separate lines of type in printing.

lead »    Bullets.

lead »    I would have the tower two stories, and goodly leads upon the top. — Bacon.

lead »    Sheets or plates of lead used as a covering for roofs.

lead »    To estimate velocity in knots.

lead »    Used in pencils.

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

lead a charmed life »    To always be lucky and safe from danger.

lead down a garden path »    To mislead; to seduce.

lead nowhere »    To have no purpose, to result in nothing.

lead someone down the garden path »    To deceive, hoodwink.

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.

leader of the free world »    The President of the United States.

leading lady »    starring actress

leaf through »    Rapidly reading short sections at random.

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

lean on »    To apply pressure on.

lean on »    To depend upon for support.

lean to »    shed

lean towards »    To favor in a decision.

leap year »    Period of 366 days

learn by heart »    To memorize.

leather working »    The technology of making products from leather.

leave behind »    To abandon.

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

leave no stone unturned »    To search thoroughly for something, looking in every conceivable place.

leave nothing to the imagination »    He stripped down to a pair of see-through briefs that left nothing to the imagination.

leave nothing to the imagination »    To cover or hide very little or nothing.

leave somebody high and dry »    To abandon somebody; to stop providing assistance at a crucial moment.

leave somebody holding the bag »    To abandon somebody, leaving the responsibility or blame.

leave somebody in the lurch »    To abandon somebody; especially, to abandon somebody and leave him or her in a difficult situation.

leave to one's own devices »    To leave alone, unsupervised, without assistance.

leave well enough alone »    To leave something alone; to avoid attempts to correct, fix, or improve what is already sufficient.

leave well enough alone »    To leave something alone; to avoid attempts to correct, fix, or improve what is already sufficient

legal beagle »    A skillful and adroit attorney.

legal duty »    A duty prescribed by the law, to act or forbear from acting.

legal eagle »    A skillful and adroit attorney.

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

lemon law »    A law dealing with defective items, especially automobiles, and consumers' rights.

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 it be »    To leave something to follow its natural course.

let on »    To reveal, disclose, or divulge.

let sleeping dogs lie »    To leave things as they are; especially, to avoid restarting or rekindling an old argument; to leave disagreements in the past.

let someone have it »    To attack someone with great force.

level-headed »    Sensible; rational; possessing sound judgment.

licence to print money »    A means of generating a large income with little effort.

lick one's chops »    To anticipate something eagerly.

lick one's chops »    To look forward avidly to eating something.

lick one's chops »    To use one's tongue to remove moistness from the sides of one's mouth, as when salivating or at the conclusion of a meal.

lick one's wounds »    To withdraw temporarily while recovering from a defeat.

lie back and think of England »    Used to preface any unpleasant but inevitable experience.

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

life of the party »    A person who participates in entertainment events in a very enthusiastic manner and who has a leading role in inspiring others to join in the spirit of festivity.

life's a bitch »    An expression of acceptance of misfortune.1950, Joy Davidman, Weeping Bay, page 184:She'd have been willing enough to use them, poor dead little bitch. Life's a bitch. Life's a bad joke.

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.

like crazy »    To a great or excessive degree; with great speed, output, enthusiasm, etc.

like father, like son »    A son will have traits similar to his father upon reaching adulthood.

like gangbusters »    Vigorously, rapidly, zealously, or forcibly; in a manner which has considerable impact.

like the new time »    Furiously or vigorously, repeatedly.

line one's pockets »    To accumulate personal wealth, especially in an illegal or morally objectionable manner.

link whore »    Someone who goes to great lengths to get other people to link to his/her website or blog.

listen in »    To eavesdrop; to listen secretly.

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).

little pitchers have long ears »    Alternative form of little pitchers have big ears.

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 one »    Someone who is easily fooled, victimized, or ridiculed.

live paycheck to paycheck »    To spend all that one earns without saving anything.

Living high on the hog »    Living richly, often above one's means

loaded for bear »    Mentally prepared for a daunting situation or confrontation.

loaded for bear »    Thoroughly equipped, as for a demanding task or confrontation.

lock up »    To cease responding, to freeze.

long arm »    A pole tool used for handling things too far away to reach.

long arm »    Influence, far-reaching power.

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 shot »    Something unlikely; something that has little chance of happening or working. The term arose from the accuracy of early ship guns, which were effective only at close range and unlikely to hit the mark at any great distance.

long time no hear »    I haven't heard from you for a long time.

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

look before you leap »    Don't jump into something too precipitously; be at least a bit foresightful or circumspect.

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

look for »    To search; to seek.

look forward »    To anticipate or expect; especially, to expect something to be pleasant.

look forward to »    To anticipate, expect, or wait for, especially with a feeling of approval or pleasure.

look like »    To be similar in appearance to; resemble.

look off »    To mislead by directing one's apparent attention away from one's true object of intent.

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

look through rose-tinted glasses »    Alternative spelling of wear rose-colored glasses.

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.

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

lord of the flies »    A ruler over a worthless kingdom; leader of a meaningless microcosm.

lose one's head »    To go crazy.

lose the plot »    To cease to be behaving in a predictable and/or rational manner.

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

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

luck out »    To experience great luck; to be extremely fortunate or lucky.

lucky break »    A stroke of luck; a fortunate event, particularly of the sort that propels one to success, fame, etc.

lump together »    To put different items or groups together and treat them, or think of them as one single group.

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.

made in China »    Cheaply manufactured in East Asia.

made in Japan »    Cheaply manufactured in East Asia.

made in the shade »    In a condition characterized by comfort, success, easy living, or general well-being.

magic bullet »    A simple remedy to a difficult or complex problem, especially a cure for a disease.

magnum opus »    greatest work

make a fool of oneself »    To appear foolish to others.

make a killing »    To win or earn a large amount of money.

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

make a meal of »    That is the eleventh edit that you have made to that word, you are really making a meal of it.

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 mountain out of a molehill »    To treat a problem as greater than it is; to blow something out of proportion; to exaggerate the importance of something trivial.

make a pig's ear of »    To do badly; to make a mess of.

make a point »    To argue or promote an idea.

make a virtue of necessity »    C. 1595, William Shakespeare, Two Gentlemen of Verona, act 4, sc.1.

make for »    head towards

make fun of »    To tease, ridicule or make jokes about.

make head or tail of »    To determine to be good or bad.

make head or tail of »    To understand even minimally.

make headway »    To progress; to move forward.

make it »    To reach a place.

make off with »    To steal something and run.

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

make out like a bandit »    To profit greatly; to get an excessively good deal.

make over »    To transfer ownership, especially by means of a legal document.

make quick work of »    To accomplish a specified task easily and quickly.

make sense »    To be coherent or reasonable.

make short work of »    To make a task quicker or easier.

make tracks »    To leave in a hurry.

make tracks »    To leave or depart; to go away.

make up one's mind »    To decide; to reach a conclusion.

man of few words »    A man who doesn't speak much, or speaks only for a short period of time.

man of parts »    A man that is talented in multiple areas of life. This includes but is not limited to the area of seduction. He puts very little emphasis on memorized scripts or "peacocking" and instead relies on individualized ways to charm a woman.

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.

many happy returns »    A greeting, usually for birthdays, in reference to the passing year; Happy birthday!.

march to the beat of a different drum »    To do things in one's own way regardless of societal norms and expectations.

mark up »    To increase the price of something between its wholesale and retail phase.

marry in haste, repent at leisure »    Getting married too soon will lead to a bad marriage.

marry in haste, repent at leisure »    Two things together too soon will lead to problems.

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 heaven »    A very successful combination of two people or things.

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.

may the Force be with you »    Used to wish someone luck with a difficult endeavor.

me three »    Used to express agreement, after someone has already said "me too".

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

meal ticket »    Someone or something that provides income or livelihood, especially as an exploited source.

meals on wheels »    Food delivered to the homes of those unable to cook for themselves.

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

measure twice, cut once »    Alternative form of measure twice and cut once.

measure up »    To meet expectations; to be as good as.

meat market »    A market where meat is sold.

meat market »    Or night club.

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

meat rack »    A rack used for storing meat.

meatball surgery »    A nickname for surgery that is meant to be performed rapidly to stabilize the patient as quickly as possible.

meaty »    Of a person or a body part, large and solid.

meaty »    Of, relating to, or containing meat.

meaty »    Resembling meat in flavour, etc.

meaty »    Substantial.

melon head »    A dimwit, a fool.

melon head »    A melon-headed whale.

melt into »    To disappear into.

mess up »    To manhandle; beat up; rough up.

middle of the road »    Of a type of melodic popular music that has wide appeal.

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!

mill around »    To move or circulate in a confused or disorderly manner within a limited area.

mine arse on a bandbox »    An answer to the offer of any thing inadequate to the purpose for which it is proffered, like offering a bandbox for a seat.

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

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

misery loves company »    Misery is easier to bear when one is not the only one miserable.1995, Chris Abbott,

miss the mark »    To fail to reach the result that was intended.

miss the point »    To fail to grasp the meaning of an utterance.

mixed blessing »    Something that has both good and bad features.

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

mock up »    To create a model or demonstration; to create a preliminary version or sample.

money talks »    It is easier to accomplish goals using money instead of just talk.

mop the floor with somebody »    To trounce or defeat thoroughly or in a humiliating manner.

mop up »    To clean with a mop; especially to clean up a spill or mess.

more cry than wool »    Asserted but not grounded in reality.

more equal »    Ostensibly equal, but in reality more privileged.

morning person »    A person whose who wakes up without difficulty early each morning and who is alert and active during the first part of the day.

morning, noon and night »    Constantly; ceaselessly; without stopping.

mother hen »    A female chicken who bears eggs or chicks.

mother hen »    An outspoken and overprotective woman dealing with others' affairs.

mouth breather »    A person who is boorish, stupid, or otherwise unattractive.

mouth breather »    A person who routinely inhales and exhales through the mouth, instead of through the nose.

mouthful of marbles »    An indistinct, muffled or garbled manner of speaking.

move heaven and earth »    To do whatever is necessary, including extreme or unusual actions; to go to extremes.

move on »    To leave somewhere for another place.

move on »    To start dealing with something else.

muck around »    Means the same as muck about.

muck out »    To clean the excrement and other rubbish from the area where an animal is kept, such as a horse stable or a dog kennel.

music to one's ear »    Some unexpected good news; a favorable outcome after some initial confusion or delay.

mutton dressed as lamb »    A mature woman dressed in a style more suited to a young woman, especially if a deliberate attempt to appear young.

my lips are sealed »    See keep one's lips sealed.

near miss »    narrowly avoided accident

near the knuckle »    Risqué, sexual, suggestive of impropriety..

nearly never bulled a cow »    (Irish) Near enough is not good enough.

necessity is the mother of invention »    A person who is in great need of something will find a way to get it.

necker's knob »    A knob attached to the steering wheel of an automobile, especially before the widespread availability of power steering, helping the driver steer with one arm and leaving the other arm free to provide romantic attention to a companion.

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

never in a million years »    Absolutely not.

never in a month of Sundays »    Never in a month of Sundays would I have imagined that you'd be this tall in real life!.

next to »    Almost; nearly.

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

night person »    A person whose preference or custom is to remain awake and active during the night and the early morning hours, and who usually sleeps during part of the daytime.

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.

nighthawk »    A person whose preference or custom is to remain awake and active during the night and the early morning hours.

nine lives »    Durability; near immunity to damage.

nip in the bud »    To stop something at an early stage.

no biggie »    Not a big deal, not something to worry about.

no fear »    certainly not

no good deed ever goes unpunished »    Used to express the idea that beneficial actions often go unappreciated or are met with outright hostility.

no good deed goes unpunished »    Used to express the idea that beneficial actions often go unappreciated or are met with outright hostility.

no great shakes »    Unexceptional; not special or noteworthy; not very effective.

no screaming hell »    Something that is not particularly effective or impressive; something that is below expectations.

no slave to fashion »    A person whose style of clothing and appearance are unconventional, informal, or slovenly; a person who takes little interest in how he or she is dressed.

no sweat »    See: no problem.

nobody's perfect »    Used when someone's mistakes or flaws are acknowledged, to remind that everyone else makes mistakes and has flaws1995, New York Magazine Vol. 28, No. 5, 30 January 1995, The de-moralization of society (Book Review)Hypocrisy, particularly in sexual matters, is excused on the grounds that hey, nobody's perfect, and at least folks back then felt bad enough to lie.2000, Madonna, Nobody's PerfectI feel so sad. What I did wasn't right. I feel so bad and I must say to you: Sorry, but nobody's perfect. Nobody's perfect. What did you expect? I'm doing my best

nod off »    To fall asleep, especially while in a seated position or in inappropriate circumstances.

nod's as good as a wink to a blind bat »    The idea/proposed action is inconsequential to the current situation.

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

nose test »    An inspection of the nasal passages or a trial of their function, as for breathing difficulties.

nosebleed seat »    A seat high in the back of bleachers, stands, or the balcony at a theater.

not a pretty sight »    Something visually unappealing, ranging from mildly unattractive to utterly disgusting in appearance.

not bad »    Reasonably good.

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

not have the faintest »    To not know; to have no idea.

not leave one's thoughts »    Said when one keeps thinking about something.

not quite »    Almost, very nearly.

not the end of the world »    It's of minor importance, at least not as important as it first seemed.

not touch something with a ten foot pole »    Ambrose Bierce , The Fiend's Delight In conclusion, his respect for letter-writing ladies is so great that he would not touch one of them with a ten-foot pole.

not win for losing »    To repeatedly fail in one's gambles or efforts.

nothing to it »    Easy; simple or straightforward.

now you're cooking »    A phrase, often given in response, meaning that the subject has switched to a more suitable or more efficient approach.

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

number one with a bullet »    Superlative; impossible to beat.

nut-cutting time »    Time to exert maximum effort, for example, due to an approaching deadline or a looming competitive situation.

off board »    Not on or in a means of transportation.

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

off the beaten track »    In a place or places not commonly visited.

off the chain »    Crazy and exciting; delirious and wild. By analogy to a frenetic dog when unleashed.

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

off the top of one's head »    Without great thought or investigation; extemporaneous; natural; offhand.

off-the-wall »    Greatly inappropriate.

oh dark hundred »    Some unspecified hour in the early morning.

oh dark thirty »    Some unspecified hour in the early morning.

oil burner »    A heating device which burns fuel oil; an oil furnace.

old masters »    great painters

old money »    Families that have been wealthy for generations or members of such families.

old money »    The imperial system of measurement, as opposed to the metric system.

old time used to be »    Roberta, lyrics by Leadbelly.

on a full stomach »    Directly after eating, after a meal.

on a roll »    Having a streak of good luck or good progress or success.

on about »    Speaking about, talking of.

on board »    Is that new teammate properly on board yet?.

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 board »    On or in a means of transportation.

on hand »    Available; ready; in stock.

on hand »    close by; ready to help

on high »    In the sky or the heavens.

on one's deathbed »    Close to death.

on spec »    Short form of "on speculation": Creating a work with the hope of selling it, as opposed to creating a work "on commission" for hire.

on steroids »    To a greater degree, exaggerating the characteristics of the previously named object.

on the anvil »    Refers to anything in the making, being created, or in production, especially in the metalworking field.

on the brink »    Very nearly; imminent; close.

on the cheap »    Economically, especially if too economically.

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

on the make »    Actively seeking an opportunity for self-advancement; eager to ingratiate oneself to others in order to secure some advantage.

on the mend »    Healing or recovering, as from an injury or illness.

on the point »    Very nearly; imminent; close.

on the ropes »    Leaning against the ropes of the boxing ring, as when exhausted and nearing defeat or collapse.

on the sly »    Slyly, in an inconspicuous manner, so as not to be seen; secretly; stealthily.

on the verge »    Very near or close.

on the wane »    In a period of decrease or decline.

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

on top of the world »    Delighted; ecstatic; exceptionally pleased, happy, or satisfied.

one and all »    Each one.

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

one another »    each other

one in the eye for »    An event or achievement which is unpleasant for someone, especially for those who considered it impossible or unwelcome; an annoyance.

one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind »    A cliché used to exaggerate an accomplishment or milestone..

one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind »    Words spoken by Neil Armstrong when taking the first steps on the moon.

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

one thousand »    Used in a common chronometric counting scheme, in which each iteration is sequentially numbered and supposed to be approximately one second in length.

one's bark is worse than one's bite »    The individual acts threatening but is relatively harmless.

one-night stand »    A single sexual encounter between two individuals, where at least one of the parties has no immediate intention or expectation of establishing a longer-term sexual or romantic relationship. As the phrase implies, the relationship lasts for only one night.

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

only fools and horses work »    Philosophy of life that people who do not look for an easy way of earning a living are foolish.

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 one's big mouth »    To speak about things, when it would be better to stay silent.

opposites attract »    people who are completely different make ideal partners.

or else »    Clean up your room, or else!.

out of bounds »    Beyond the bounds of civility or morality; extremely unreasonable.

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 »    Global Checkup: How Healthy is Earth?, Science NOW.

out of it »    Disoriented; not thinking clearly.

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

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 proportion »    Not in a proper or pleasing relation to other things, especially in terms of size.

out of reach »    Inaccessible or unattainable.

out of reach »    The adult magazines were out of reach of toddlers.

out of sight, out of mind »    When something is not nearby, it is forgotten about.

out of the frying pan, into the fire »    From an already bad situation to a worse one.

out of the mouths of babes »    The greatest wisdom comes from children, who are not afraid or weary of the world and its pressures.

out of the woods »    Out of peril; likely to recover or prevail over trouble; finished with the worst or most threatening part of a problem or illness.

out of touch »    No longer conversant with facts; not aware or realistic.

out on one's ear »    Fired, dismissed or thrown out, especially for some wrongdoing or otherwise with disgrace.

out to lunch »    Away eating lunch or for a midday break; especially, away from work or a job.

over and over »    Repeatedly; again and again; many times.

over my dead body »    Under no circumstances; absolutely not.

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

over one's head »    Performing at a level greatly superior to one's usual level of performance.

over the top »    Bold; beyond normal, expected, or reasonable limits; excessive; outrageous.

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

overleap »    To ignore.

overleap »    To leap over, to jump over, to cross by jumping.

overleap »    To omit.

ox is in the ditch »    This is a big problem; there is unavoidable or demanding work ahead.

pack away »    To eat a great deal.

pack up »    To clear away.

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

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.

painting rocks »    Pointless or futile work organised by the government, supposedly to increase employment but in fact merely disguising the unemployment level.

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 parade featuring a progression of people wearing comic and grotesque costumes.

pardon me »    Polite expression to get someone to repeat.

pardon my French »    Please excuse my swearing or bad language.

parking lot »    An open area, generally paved, where automobiles may be left when not in use.

parting shot »    An insult or barbed comment issued as the speaker departs or the conversation comes to an end.

pass muster »    To measure up to a particular standard.

patience of Job »    An great amount of patience.

patriotism is the last refuge of scoundrels »    The appeal to patriotism is often used to distract the public from real issues.

pave the way »    To make future development easier.

pay one's dues »    To acquire status or to earn the right to enjoy certain benefits, especially through lengthy experience, hardship, or service to an organization.

pay the freight »    To bear the cost.

payback's a bitch »    Usually a complete sentence: I will get revenge when you least expect it.

pea patch »    A baseball field.

pea patch »    A realm of endeavor.

pea patch »    A small farm.

pea patch »    A small piece of land planted with peas.

peace and quiet »    Tranquility; freedom from stress or interruptions.

peaches and cream »    A very enjoyable experience.

peaches-and-cream »    Of facial complexion, smooth, with attractive yellow-pink coloring.

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

peanut gallery »    Any source of heckling, unwelcome commentary or criticism, especially from a know-it-all or of an inexpert nature.

pearl of wisdom »    A succinct, insightful saying, piece of advice, or moral precept.

peashooter »    A toy gun, consisting of a tube through which peas or small objects are blown.

peashooter »    Any small or ineffective gun.

penalty box »    The penalty area.

pencil-neck »    An insubstantial person; a weakling.

pencil-necked »    Insubstantial; weak.

pencilneck »    An insubstantial person; a weakling.

penny for your thoughts »    Used to inquire into the thoughts and feelings of another, especially when the person appears pensive or conflicted.

people person »    Someone who is happier or more skilled at dealing with people rather than things or concepts.

people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones »    Do not criticize others if you have weaknesses yourself.

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

petits pois »    small peas

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

pick somebody's brain »    To seek information from someone knowledgeable; to ask questions of someone.

pick up »    To clean up; to return to an organized state.

pick up »    To improve, increase, or speed up.

pick up »    To learn, to grasp; to begin to understand.

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

pig in a poke »    Something whose true value is concealed or unknown, especially something offered for sale.

pig out »    To eat voraciously or ravenously; to gorge oneself.

pile up »    To form a pile, stack, or heap.

pipe dream »    A plan, desire, or idea that will not likely work; a near impossibility.

pipe dream »    fanciful hope

pipe up »    To speak up.

piss off »    To leave, to go away.

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

play it by ear »    To do something by guessing, intuition, or trial and error; to react to events as they occur.

play it by ear »    To play a song according to how it sounds, rather than from a written score.

play possum »    To dissemble or to feign ignorance; to disguise or conceal something in order to deceive.

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

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 the same tape »    To repeat exactly what one previously said or did.

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.

plead the fifth »    To invoke the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which protects witnesses from being forced to incriminate themselves.

plead the fifth »    To refuse to answer a question, or refuse to speak, especially when the response would reflect badly on the speaker.

pleased as Punch »    Pleased with one's actions or achievements.

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.

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

pony in the barn »    An exciting and real prospect, something to be legitimately excited about.

pop off »    To leave, and return in a short time.

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

pop out »    To leave a room or building with the expectation of returning soon.

pop the cherry »    To break the hymen; to lose one's virginity.

pop up »    To appear without warning.

pop up »    appear suddenly

potter »    God, the creator.

potter's clay »    A person or people created and shaped by God.

pour out »    To leave a place quickly, and in large numbers.

power behind the throne »    Someone who appears to be without special status, but who has great covert influence on a person in authority.

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

powers that be »    The holders of power or the authorities in a given situation, especially as seen as being faceless or unreasonably bureaucratic.

pre-war »    Describing the period before the outbreak of World War II in 1939.

preach to the choir »    Speaking as if to convince a person or group of something which that person or group already believes.

pretzel »    A toasted bread or cracker usually in the shape of a loose knot.

prevention is better than cure »    it is better to prevent the creation of a bad thing, than to destroy it.

price is right »    The cost of a thing is reasonable and of good value.

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

prick up one's ears »    To listen attentively.

prime of life »    The period of one's mature life when one is at a peak of health and performance.

prove out »    To demonstrate the feasibility of.

pulcher »    Beautiful, fair.

pulcher »    Beauty.

pull a »    He pulled an Elvis and got really fat.

pull away »    To move ahead.

pull one's head in »    To withdraw as a turtle might; to discontinue support of a particular argument.

pull out »    To withdraw; especially of military forces; to retreat.

pull somebody's leg »    To tease someone; to lead someone on; to goad someone into overreacting. It usually implies teasing or goading by jokingly lying.

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 plug »    To cease from production or publication.

pull the plug »    To cease life support.

pull the plug »    To cease to support; to halt.

pull up stumps »    To cease doing something, at least for the day.

pump up »    To inflate by means of a pump.

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

punch bowl waterfall »    A plunging waterfall descending from a narrow stream into a pool.

push one's luck »    To take an excessive risk or to attempt some task unlikely to succeed, especially after having already been unexpectedly lucky.

pushing up daisies »    Dead.

put across »    To explain or state something clearly and understandably.

put across »    To perform a theatrical production.

put away »    To store away, place out of the way, clean up, or organize.

put away »    To eat a great deal.

put away »    To take a large lead in a game.

put back »    To change the time in a time zone to an earlier time.

put down »    To insult, belittle, or demean.

put forth »    To give or supply; to make or create.

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

put on the dog »    To dress up; to put on airs; to make a show of wealth and/or importance; to be pretentious.

put one foot in front of the other »    To move forward, progress steadily.

put one past somebody »    To deceive, trick, or fool, especially by concealing something.

put one's foot in one's mouth »    To misspeak; to say something embarrassing or wrong.

put one's shoulder to the wheel »    To work or exert oneself heavily or with full effort.

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 something into perspective »    To compare with something similar to give a clearer, more accurate idea.

put the bee on »    To finish off, to beat.

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 clock back »    To change the time in a time zone to an earlier time.

put the feedbag on »    To dine; to eat.

put through the wringer »    To interrogate or scrutinize closely; to subject to some trial or ordeal.

quarter of »    "I need twenty minutes to get to the shop." "You'll be late. It's already a quarter of.".

queer one's pitch »    To make a task more difficult for the speaker.

quick on the uptake »    Able to readily understand things; intelligent.

quick-and-dirty »    Of or pertaining to the creation or repair of software or hardware in a manner which permits operation within a brief period of time, although with compromised functionality or reliability.

quicumque vult »    A forward girl, ready to oblige every man that shall ask her.

Rabbit »    Caught like a rabbit in the headlights.

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

rain cats and dogs »    To rain very heavily.

rain dogs and cats »    To rain very heavily.

rain or shine »    Regardless of what the circumstances are, and how the weather is.

rain pitchforks »    To rain heavily.

raise hell »    To cause a great disturbance.

raise the bar »    To raise standards or expectations, especially by creating something to a higher standard.

raise the stakes »    To increase in significance or risk.

rake »    The direction of slip during fault movement. The rake is measured within the fault plane.

ramp up »    To increase rapidly to a new value.

ramp up »    To be in the process of learning a new ability.

raring to go »    Extremely eager or anxious to begin.

rat run »    A small road that people venture down when they want to sneak off the motorway and take a short cut.

re run »    repeat

reach an early grave »    To be sentenced to death before the age of 18.

reach an early grave »    To die young. To die before the age of 80.

reach an early grave »    To resign near the start for good.

reach for the stars »    To have high hopes, to be ambitious.

read between the lines »    To infer a meaning that is not stated explicitly.

read lips »    To lipread.

read out »    To read something and say the words to inform other people.

read out »    To read some data and inform the person using the device.

read somebody the riot act »    To scold or berate somebody; to reprimand.

read somebody's lips »    To discern what somebody is saying by watching the shape of the mouth rather than by hearing the sounds of the words.

real deal »    A thing or person which is genuine, authentic, or worthy of serious regard.

real job »    A hobby that takes all of a person's free time.

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 Macoy »    The genuine thing, neither a substitute nor an imitation.

real McCoy »    The genuine thing, neither a substitute nor an imitation.

real McKoy »    The genuine thing, neither a substitute nor an imitation.

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 check or review to make sure something is consistent, reasonable, etc.

reality check »    A wake-up call, reminder.

reap what one sows »    To receive as a reward or harvest in the same measure as one's exertions, in a good or a bad sense. To receive justice.

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.

rebound relationship »    A relationship proceeding a longterm relationship, usually short in duration and used to help mend the "broken heart".

reckon with »    To deal with.

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

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 herring »    A clue that is misleading or that has been falsified, intended to divert attention.

red mist »    Anger sufficient to cloud judgement, to stop clear thinking.

red tape »    A derisive term for regulations or bureaucratic procedures that are considered excessive or excessively time- and effort-consuming.

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.

reinvent the wheel »    To redo work unnecessarily when it has already been done satisfactorily; to rethink an already working system, technique, etc. in a pointless attempt to improve it.

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

rest on one's laurels »    To rely on a past success instead of trying to improve oneself further.

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

revenge is a dish best served cold »    An expression that emotional detachment is ideal when taking revenge, as one is righting the wrongs that have been done to the doer.

rex-pat »    A repeat expatriate, one who becomes ex-patriated a second time.

rhyme or reason »    Logic. Common sense.

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

ride shotgun »    To ride in the front passenger seat of a vehicle, next to the driver.

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 as rain »    Very good; healthy.

ring a bell »    To seem at least vaguely familiar.

ringside seat »    A seat in the front row of a boxing or wrestling match.

ringside seat »    Any vantage point providing an excellent view.

rip off »    To steal, cheat or swindle.

rip up »    tear into pieces

rip up »    tear to pieces

rip up »    tear apart

rise up »    To rear.

rivet counter »    A person who has an obsession with the minutae of their particular interest. Anyone preoccupied with small distinguishing features between different items.

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.

robber baron »    Especially in the 19th-century and early 20th-century, a business tycoon who had great wealth and influence but whose methods were morally questionable.

roll in wealth »    To be very rich.

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.

ropable »    Alternative spelling of ropeable. Able to be roped.

rough and ready »    Crude or unpolished, but still fit for use; good enough.

rough up »    To manhandle or beat up.

round down »    To the greatest integer that is not greater than it, or to some other lower value, especially a whole number of hundreds, thousands, etc.

round up »    To the smallest integer that is not less than it, or to some other greater value, especially a whole number of hundreds, thousands, etc.

rub it in »    To add insult to injury; to emphasize one's strengths or another's weaknesses in a manner that degrades another.

ruffle some feathers »    To disturb; to arouse resentment, anger, or concern.

rugby league »    sport

rule of thumb »    A general guideline, rather than a strict rule; an approximate measure or means of reckoning based on experience or common knowledge.

rules are made to be broken »    it is acceptable to break rules.

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 along »    To leave.

run around after »    To spend a lot of time doing things for another person or group of people. Often used when that person could reasonably do the things for themselves.

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 away with »    To leave secretly with another person. Usually with the intention of getting married or of living together against the wishes of the family.

run by »    To inform someone briefly of the main points of an idea.

run by »    To repeat some information.

run down »    To find something or someone after searching for a long time.

run down »    To read quickly a list or other short text.

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

run into »    To blend into; to be followed by or adjacent to without there being a clear boundary.

run into »    To reach a large figure.

run into the ground »    To discuss ad nauseam.

run into the ground »    To wear out, especially through excessive use.

run off »    To leave someone without prior advice.

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 off with »    To steal or abscond.

run out of steam »    To run out of energy; to run out of motivation.

run out on »    To leave a partner suddenly and without prior warning.

run out the clock »    To preserve a lead in a game by retaining possession, to waste time.

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

run over »    to rehearse

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.

run something by »    To bring an idea or proposal to the attention of someone in order to obtain their opinion.

run something past »    To bring an idea or proposal to the attention of someone in order to obtain their opinion.

run something up the flagpole »    To float an idea that one suspects might be controversial.

run through »    To repeat something.

run to »    To reach a particular maximum amount, size, value, etc.

run to »    To reach the limit of one's abilities or tastes.

run up »    Of a bowler, to run, or walk up to the bowling crease in order to bowl a ball.

sabre-rattling »    A flamboyant display of military power as an implied threat that it might be used.

sabre-rattling »    Any threat, such as one company threatening another with a lawsuit.

sacked out »    Sound asleep, usually from a healthy exhaustion.

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

salad years »    The inexperienced, youthful prime of an individual, group, organization or entity.

say goodbye »    To wish someone farewell upon their leaving.

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

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.

scrape the bottom of the barrel »    To use the least desirable parts of something.

scratch one's head »    To puzzle, ponder, or wonder about something.

scream »    A form of singing associated with the metal and screamo styles of music. It is a loud, rough, distorted version of the voice; rather than the normal voice of the singer.

scream »    An entertaingly outrageous person.

scream »    Used as an intensifier.

scream bloody murder »    To protest loudly or angrily.

screen out »    To use a screen, grate, sieve or similar means to separate large from small objects or particles.

scrimp and save »    To scrimp greatly; to economize; to live very frugally, particularly when saving for something.

sea change »    A profound transformation.

sea dog »    old sailor

sea legs »    Ability to travel by ship without becoming seasick.

sea legs »    Alternative name of surimi.

sea legs »    The ability, when walking aboard ship, to anticipate the motion of the deck so as to walk steadily without losing balance.

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 comedian who plays a secondary or supporting role, especially as straight man and traditionally in vaudeville or burlesque theatre.

see a man »    A bland euphemism to conceal one's true purpose.

see a man »    To take one's leave for some urgent purpose, especially to go to the bathroom.

see a man about a horse »    A message signaling one needs to go missing for a short while, for any reason, without giving a real explanation.

see someone's point »    To comprehend the meaning that someone is trying to convey.

see through »    To be able to predict or read someone.

see you later »    A phrase used at parting, and not necessarily implying that the person being addressed will be seen later by the speaker.

sell »    To trick, or cheat someone.

sell a bargain »    A species of wit, much in vogue about the latter end of the reign of Queen Anne, and frequently alluded to by Dean Swift, who says the maids of honour often amused themselves with it. It consisted in the seller naming his or her hinder parts, in answer to the question, What? which the buyer was artfully led to ask. As a specimen, take the following instance: A lady would come into a room full of company, apparently frightened, crying out "It is white, and follows me!" As soon as someone responded "What?" she sold him the bargain, by saying "Mine arse".

sell someone a bill of goods »    To deceive or cheat someone.

sell wolf tickets »    To make empty threats or promises; to bluff.

seller's market »    An excess of demand over supply, leading to abnormally high prices; a market condition favoring the seller.

separate the wheat from the chaff »    To select only that which is of value.

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

set off »    To leave; to begin a journey or trip.

set the Thames on fire »    To achieve something amazing; to do something which brings great public acclaim.

sex machine »    Any machine that is used for sexual pleasure.

sex up »    To enhance in terms of fashionable appeal.

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.

shake on it »    To agree; to close a deal.

shake the pagoda tree »    To find a source of easy enrichment; to become absurdly rich in a short time.

shanks' nag »    Transportation by foot. To "take a shanks' nag" means using one's own legs to walk.

shape up or ship out »    To either improve one's behavior or else be required to leave; to either improve one's performance in an activity or else withdraw from that activity completely.

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 pay money; especially, to pay a great deal of money.

shift gears »    To change pace or mode of operation.

shift gears »    To change the gear by which motion is transmitted from a powered shaft to another shaft, especially in a motor vehicle.

shirtless »    Not wearing a shirt. Having a bare torso.

shit a brick »    To react strongly or excessively, especially in anger or fear.

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

Shittin in high cotton »    Living well, often above one's means

shoot one's bolt »    To use up one's resources, especially a singular one or one not readily restored.

shoot oneself in the foot »    To act against one's own interests, e.g., by saying what one is really thinking.

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

shoot the moon »    To hit the moon, with a rocket or by other means.

shoot the moon »    To take a risk which may result in great rewards; to succeed after taking such a risk.

shoot through like a Bondi tram »    To leave in haste.

shooting iron »    A firearm, especially a handgun.

short leash »    Forcing one to function within a strict set of rules, or under great scrutiny or oversight.

short of a length »    Of a ball that pitches short of a good length; a ball that bounces closer to the bowler than the area of the pitch regarded as the best for dismissing or restricting the scoring of the batsman.

shotgun »    A one-story dwelling with no hallways or corridors, with the rooms arranged in a straight line. Mostly heard in the southern United States.

shotgun »    A play formation in which the quarterback is a few feet behind the snapper when the ball is hiked, ideally allowing for an easier pass play.

shotgun »    The front passenger seat in a vehicle, next to the driver.

shotgun approach »    An approach in which the subject is indiscriminate and haphazard, using breadth, spread, or quantity in lieu of accuracy, planning, etc.

shotgun wedding »    A wedding in which the bride is already pregnant.

show one's true colors »    To reveal how one really is, as opposed to how one has been portrayed.

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 »    Especially, the dress for the dead; a winding sheet.

shroud »    That which clothes, covers, conceals, or protects; a garment.

shrouded »    Concealed or hidden from sight, as if by a shroud.

shrouded »    Wearing, or provided with a shroud.

sigh of relief »    A reassurance or support, something that reduces stress from an arduous activity.

sigh of relief »    A release of stress through breathing motions.

sight for sore eyes »    A pleasing sight, something that is beautiful to look at.

silence is golden »    Peace and quiet have immense value.Often the best choice is to say nothing.

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.

silver bullet »    Any straightforward solution perceived to have great effectiveness or bring miraculous results.

silver spoon »    Wealth passed down or inherited.

silver-tongue »    The trait of being clever at speaking, often in a deceitful way.

simmer down »    To decrease in intensity of anger, agitation, or excitement.

sink in »    Become clear in one's mind.

sirloin steak »    cut of beef

sit back »    To recline while still in a seated position, with one's back on the frame of the seat.

sit out »    To lean out to the windward side of a sailboat in order to counterbalance the effects of the wind on the sails.

sit through »    To unwillingly stay seated until the end of an event.

sitting duck »    An obvious or unconcealed target.

six feet under »    Buried six feet underground; not alive; dead.

skip out »    To shirk; to avoid attending or to leave early, especially without permission.

sleep with the fishes »    To be killed and have one's body disposed off in the sea or other body of water.

sleepy head »    A very tired person.

slip into something a little more comfortable »    To wear something suitable to be stripped off by a lover.

slop bowl »    One of the four components of the traditional tea set. Tea drinkers emptied their unwanted, cold tea into the slop bowl before refilling their cups with fresh, hot tea.

slow burn »    A gradually increasing feeling of anger or frustration.

smack of »    To seem like; to appear or give an impression or feeling of; to arouse suspicion of.

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

smallpox blanket »    An apparently benevolent offering whose real intent is to disrupt, destabilize or weaken.

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

smell like a rose »    To be regarded as appealing, virtuous, or respectable; to be untainted or unharmed.

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.

snake in the grass »    A treacherous person.

snake oil »    A fraudulent, ineffective potion or nostrum; panacea.

snake oil »    Snake oil is a traditional Chinese medicine used to treat joint pain.

snap someone's head off »    To suddenly and sharply rebuke or insult a person, especially in response to a harmless remark.

snazz up »    To improve appearance or appeal by increasing stylishness or functionality, or by adding other attractive features.

sneak off »    To leave a place, or a meeting, without being seen or heard.

sneak up »    To approach a person or animal without being seen or heard.

sneak up on »    To approach a person or animal without being seen or heard.

sniff test »    An informal reality check of an idea or proposal, using one's common sense or sense of propriety.

snipe hunt »    A prank in which a gullible victim is sent off on a fruitless search for a nonexistent item.

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 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.

social death »    The alienation of certain people from society to the point of being forgotten, excluded, or ignored in society.

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

soft hearted »    Be kind; Fall for someone

soft sawder »    "How the old boy swallowed my soft sawder and Brummagem notes!" —Tom Taylor, The Ticket-of-Leave Man.

soft touch »    A comfortable situation; an easy task or undemanding occupation, especially one which is comfortably remunerative.

soft touch »    A person or group which is sympathetic, accommodating, easily overcome, or easily persuaded, especially one which loans or readily gives money to another.

softroader »    . This involves increased ground clearance with tyre, wheel, and suspension tweaks, skid plates and refers to mini SUV or wagons.

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

sow one's wild oats »    To spread one's genes around by impregnating many females.

sow the wind, reap the whirlwind »    Every decision has consequences; a person's actions will come back to him.

spare the rod and spoil the child »    If one does not discipline a child, he or she will never learn obedience and good manners.

spare tire »    Excess weight or fat accumulated near the waist.

spark spread »    The difference between the cost of the fuel required to produce a unit of electricity, and the price of that same unit of electricity.

speak for »    To speak on somebody's behalf.

speak for »    To claim, reserve, or occupy.

speak for oneself »    Expressing disagreement with an opinion expressed by another.

speak for oneself »    To provide an opinion only on one's own behalf.

speak of the devil »    An expression sometimes used when a person mentioned in the current conversation happens to arrive on the scene.

speak of the devil and he appears »    Alternative form of speak of the devil.

speak one's mind »    To state one's thoughts or opinions honestly or frankly.

speak out »    To assert or promote one's opinion; to make one's thoughts known.

speak to »    To give evidence regarding something; to attest for.

speak to »    To address a particular topic.

speak to »    To resonate with, to strike a chord in.

speak up »    To talk more loudly or plainly.

speak up »    To make oneself or one's opinions known; to advocate or assert oneself.

speak with a forked tongue »    To speak deceptively; to be duplicitous or untruthful.

speed up »    To accelerate, to increase speed.

spic and span »    Perfectly clean.

spill one's guts »    To confess, or to divulge secrets, typically speaking freely and at length after a change of motive or an incentive.

spill the beans »    To reveal a secret; to disclose.

spin a yarn »    To tell or create a story, especially one which is lengthy or far-fetched.

spit it out »    To overcome reluctance to say something particular or to speak in general.

spit-and-polish »    Paying much attention to outward appearance.

split up »    Cease to be together, break apart from the group.

spread out »    Become further apart.

spread out »    To place items further apart.

spring fever »    A feeling of invigoration and restlessness associated with the arrival of the warm weather and renewal of nature in the spring season.

spring fever »    A feeling of laziness or listlessness associated with the arrival of the warm, comfortable weather of the spring season.

spring to mind »    To appear suddenly in one's thoughts, often as an example of something.

spruce up »    To dress or arrange smartly, elegantly, and neatly.

spruce up »    To refresh, revamp; to freshen or improve something, especially its appearance.

square meal »    A satisfying meal, especially suitable for one performing physical labor.

square off »    To get ready for a fight.

square up »    To get ready for a fight.

squaring the circle »    The historical problem of how to construct, using compass and ruler, a square having the same area as a given circle.

squeaky wheel gets the grease »    The person who complains or speaks up most loudly receives the redress or attention which he or she seeks.

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.

stab in the back »    An act of betrayal or treachery.

staircase wit »    Thinking of an idea or course of action too late to use it effectively, or the tendency to do so.

stand by »    To wait in expectation of some event; to make ready.

stand for »    To mean; to symbolize; to represent.

stand on end »    To stand erect, bristle, especially from fear.

stand to reason »    To make sense; to seem logical, reasonable, or rational.

standard fare »    The usual price for travel by air, rail, or another means of transport.

stat whore »    Through unscrupulous or tacky means.

steal a march »    To start early.

steal a march on »    To get ahead of someone or something by starting earlier.

steal away »    To leave secretively.

steal somebody's thunder »    To detract from somebody's accomplishments or glory; to undermine.

steer clear »    To avoid; to dodge; to sidestep.

stem the tide »    To slow or stop the increase.

step up »    To increase speed or rate.

stew in one's juices »    To be alone and self-absorbed in an uncomfortable state of mind, especially while experiencing the unpleasant effects of one's own actions.

stick out »    To be prominent, noticeable, or obtrusive.

sticker shock »    Disgust, shock, or fright upon learning the price of an item offered for sale.

stickhandle »    To deal capably and swiftly with a situation, especially in a manner which deflects potential problems.

sticking point »    The point at which a process or thing, especially a state of mind or emotion, reaches its greatest strength and remains steadfast; sticking-place.

sticking-place »    The point at which a process or thing, especially a state of mind or emotion, reaches its greatest strength and remains steadfast; sticking point.

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

sticky fingers »    An inclination to steal.

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.

stone dead »    Utterly dead.

stone deaf »    Utterly deaf.

stop dead »    To stop suddenly.

stop on a dime »    To stop dead; stop suddenly.

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.

storm in a tea-kettle »    A big fuss made in a small context.

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.

streak of good luck »    A series of lucky events.

string up »    To suspend by means of rope, cord or similar material.

strip away »    To ignore a factor which obscures the reality.

stuffed like a turkey »    Engorged from overeating.

suck it up »    To put up with something; to deal with something, such as pain or misfortune, without complaining.

sugarcoated »    Made superficially more attractive. This often implies the reality has faults that are being hidden.

swear by »    To wholeheartedly trust.

swear off »    To quit or cease completely, or to promise to quit, as of a bad habit.

swear on a stack of Bibles »    To make a promise or give one's assurance with great conviction.

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.

sweat bullets »    To sweat profusely; especially, to be very nervous or anxious.

sweet dreams »    Phrase said to someone before they fall asleep, wishing them a good sleep.

sweet hereafter »    Heaven; paradise as enjoyed in the afterlife.

sweet tooth »    A liking for foods that are sweet; a weakness for sweets.

sweeten the pot »    To increase a wager.

sweetheart deal »    A transaction, contract, or other agreement in which one party provides particularly favorable terms to the other, especially in suspicious circumstances.

swing for the fences »    To swing at the ball as hard as possible, with the aim of getting a home run, increasing the chance of missing the ball.

swing the lead »    To pretend to be unwell so that you do not have to work.

switch on »    To change one's expression or appearance as if by turning a switch.

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..

swot up on »    To study particularly hard to learn a subject quickly.

tag team »    Two or more people or groups acting alternately to accomplish some task.

tail between one's legs »    A reaction to a confrontation, specifically one with excessive shame and hurt pride.

take a back seat »    To be second to someone or something; to be less important or have a lower priority.

take a bead on »    To aim a gun at something.

take a bite »    To eat a quick, light snack.

take a bow »    To accept applause at the end of a performance in a theatre. Often this includes actually bowing to the audience.

take a breather »    To take a break; to pause or relax briefly.

take a hike »    To go away; to leave or depart.

take a leaf out of someone's book »    To adopt an idea or practice of another person.

take a leak »    To urinate.

take a licking »    To suffer a defeat or a beating.

take a powder »    To leave in a hurry; run away; scram; depart without taking leave or notifying anyone, often with a connotation of avoiding something unpleasant or shirking responsibility.

take a seat »    To sit down; to become seated.

take after »    In appearance or habit.

take apart »    To soundly defeat someone, or a team.

take away »    To leave a memory or impression in one's mind that you think about later.

take away »    To make someone leave a place and go somewhere else. Usually not with the person's consent.

take back »    To retract an earlier statement.

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 five »    To break something up.

take five »    To take a five-minute break from some activity, take a short break from some activity.

take heart »    Be courageous; regain one's courage.

take it easy »    An informal greeting for parting or closing.

take it easy »    Immediately calm yourself down; your state of panic does not help.

take it easy »    To relax or rest.

take it or leave it »    It is said when a situation has to be accepted without change.

take it out on »    To unleash one's anger on [a person or thing other than the one that caused it].

take leave of one's senses »    To go crazy; to stop behaving rationally.

take off »    To leave the ground and begin flight; to ascend into the air.

take one's leave »    Say goodbye.

take someone's point »    To grasp the essential meaning of what a person is saying.

take something in one's stride »    Not to allow oneself to be set back, daunted, upset or embarrassed by unpleasant or undesirable circumstances.

take the biscuit »    To be of no further use; to be near death.

take the heat »    To take the blame; to be the focus of anger or scrutiny; to take the consequences.

take the lead »    To assume leadership over a group.

take the lead »    To become the leader, to advance into first place.

take the offensive »    To attack instead of defending; to be bold and proactive.

take the piss »    Are you takin' the piss? You'll get yer 'ead bashed in.

take the red pill »    To understand the world in its previously unknown reality.

take the shadow for the substance »    To be easily deceived, credulous, superficial.

take the wind out of someone's sails »    To discourage someone greatly; to cause someone to lose hope or the will to continue.

take things as they come »    To accept and deal with events as they occur, with a composed state of mind.

take to »    To adapt to; to learn, grasp or master.

take to one's heels »    To leave; especially, to flee or run away.

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 a blue streak »    To talk for a long time, at great length, or to the point of tedium.

talk a mile a minute »    To speak quickly or excessively.

talk down »    To speak condescendingly or as though the listener is inferior.

talk is cheap »    It is easy to make boastful or unrealistic statements which are not supported by actions or evidence.

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 of the devil »    Alternative form of speak of the devil.

talk out one's ass »    To speak authoritatively on a subject which one actually knows little about; to exaggerate.

talk someone's ear off »    To talk excessively or far more than is wanted or appreciated.

talk the talk »    Speak like an expert, claim to be knowledgeable about something.

talk through one's hat »    To speak lacking expertise, authority, or knowledge; to invent or fabricate facts.

talking head »    A pundit who discusses issues of the day, especially one on TV.

tall tale »    A greatly exaggerated, fantastic story.

tan someone's hide »    To beat or spank someone.

tart up »    To modify or repackage a product, service, or idea to make it more attractive or easier to sell.

tea service »    crockery set

teacher's pet »    A student who is perceived to be favored by the teacher.

teacher's pet »    favourite pupil

team up »    To join into a team, or into teams.

team up with »    To associate with another in a joint enterprise.

tear a strip off somebody »    To scold vigorously.

tear away »    To remove oneself reluctantly; often expressed in the negative.

tear one's hair out »    To react with extreme agitation.

tear up »    Or against.

tear up »    To damage.

tear up »    To shed tears.

tear up »    To tear into pieces.

tear up the pea patch »    To put on a notable performance, especially in sports; to go on a rampage.

tell all »    To reveal everything, particularly information that is normally withheld.

tell off »    To speak to someone rudely, disrespectfully or angrily; to berate; to unleash one's fury verbally towards someone.

tell the truth »    To speak frankly.

tempest in a teapot »    A major fuss over a trivial matter.

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.

than a bygod »    Used with a comparative to express extreme heat or cold.

thanks for nothing »    Expression of displeasure towards a person who has not provided what was wanted.

that does it »    Expression of annoyance or frustration; indicates that one has reached the limit of one's patience or temper.

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 beast with two backs »    Two people engaged in sexual intercourse.

the calm before the storm »    A period of peace before a disturbance or crisis; an unnatural or false calm before a storm.

the early bird catches the worm »    the early bird gets the worm

the early bird gets the worm »    Whoever arrives first has the best chance of success; some opportunities are only available to the first competitors.

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 ends justify the means »    Alternative form of the end justifies the means.

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 grass is always greener on the other side »    Other circumstances seem more desirable than one's own but in reality are often not

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 long and short of it »    The gist; the essence or substance; the most important or salient features; said of a summary or digest.

the more things change, the more they stay the same »    A proverb making the observation that turbulent changes do not affect reality on a deeper level other than to cement the status quo.

the nose knows »    Despite the addressee's belief that the speaker was unaware of something, the speaker, in fact, was already aware.

the pits »    Something miserable or unpleasant.

the plot thickens »    Used, often ironically, to describe an increasingly complex or mysterious situation.

the proof is in the pudding »    Alternative form of the proof of the pudding is in the eating.

the proof of the pudding is in the eating »    The only real test of something is as what it is intended to be used for.

the road to hell is paved with good intentions »    well-intended acts can lead to disaster

the salt of the earth »    wonderful

the show »    The major leagues.

the sky is the limit »    Nothing is impossible or out of reach

the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak »    (proverbs) For much as one wishes to achieve something, the frailties of the human body often make it impossible.

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 upper hand »    An advantage or lead.

the way to a man's heart is through his stomach »    Cooking for a man is a good way to win his affections.

the whole shooting match »    Everything; the entire collection, endeavor, or activity.

them's the breaks »    (idiomatic) That is the way things happen; that's life.

there are plenty more fish in the sea »    There are many more potential opportunities available.

there are plenty of fish in the sea »    There are many more potential opportunities available.

there are two sides to every question »    One should not make a judgement until one hears the other side.

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.

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 you have it »    Used to introduce a speaker's interpretation of what has just transpired or been described.

there's a sucker born every minute »    There are a great number of fools in the world, and there always be.

there's no I in team »    A team game is focused on the team, not on the individual.

thief in the night »    Something stealthy or that occurs without warning.

thieve out »    To walk out of a place stealthily.

thin end of the wedge »    Something that if allowed or accepted to a small degree would lead to systematic encroachment.

think tank »    A group of which performs research and develops reports and recommendations on topics relating to strategic planning or public policy, and which is usually funded by corporations, interest groups, or government.

think up »    To create in one’s mind; to invent..

third string »    A unit of players that plays behind the first and second strings; a junior varsity team.

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-martini lunch »    A leisurely, expensive, midday meal associated with drinking, which is tax-deductible because business is discussed.

three-on-the-tree »    On an automobile, describing the gearshift lever of a steering column-mounted three-speed manual transmission.

through the roof »    Rapidly increasing.

throw a fit »    To become angry, enraged, or upset; to act or react with an outburst, as by shouting, swearing, etc.

throw a sickie »    To take a day off from work, supposedly because of ill health. The illness could be either real or feigned.

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 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 shapes »    To act tough or put up a front. For example, to threaten a person by making "karate chops" at them, without actually doing harm or knowing karate.

throw somebody a curve »    To surprise; to introduce something unexpected or requiring a quick reaction or correction.

tickle someone's fancy »    To amuse, entertain, or appeal to someone; to stimulate someone's imagination in a favorable manner.

tie up loose ends »    To deal with the minor consequences of a previous action; to tidy up, finish, or complete.

tiger team »    A specialized group tasked with testing the effectiveness of an organization's ability to protect assets by attempting to circumvent, defeat or otherwise thwart that organization's internal and external security.

tiger team »    An engineering or other group assembled to tackle especially difficult or critical problems, often outside the normal chain of command.

time after time »    Again and again; repeatedly; every time; always.

time heals all wounds »    Negative feelings eventually erode away

time out of mind »    A lengthy duration of time, longer than is readily remembered.

timeserver »    A person who conforms to current opinions, especially for reasons of personal advantage; an opportunist.

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.

tin ear »    Insensitivity to and inability to appreciate the elements of performed music or the rhythm, elegance, or nuances of language.

tip one's hand »    In card playing, to accidentally reveal one's cards or hand.

tip one's hand »    To inadvertently reveal any secret, particularly a secret that puts one at an advantage or disadvantage.

tipping it down »    Raining heavily.

to a fare-thee-well »    To the greatest extent or to completion; to a state of refinement or perfection.

to a T »    Precisely; exactly; perfectly; with great attention to detail.

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

to beat the band »    Very vigorously; at a frantic pace; to a high degree; in large quantities.

to death »    To a great degree.

to each his own »    Every person is entitled to his or her personal preferences and tastes.

to go »    Served in a package or takeout container so as to be taken away from a restaurant rather than eaten on the premises.

to one's heart's content »    Until satisfied; as much as is wished.

to say the least »    Used to suggest that what was previously stated was an understatement.

to that end »    For that reason, with that goal, intending to produce that result.

to the gills »    Entirely or extremely; to the greatest degree possible.

to the max »    To a great degree or extent; very.

to the moon »    To a very distant or unreachable place.

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 »    September 12, 2001: Jean-Marie Colombani, "Today, We Are All Americans", Le Monde.

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

tongue-tied »    Unable to speak; at a loss for words.

top banana »    The boss, the leader.

top heavy »    unbalanced

toss-up »    A decision in which neither choice is clearly favorable or unfavorable, or for which the outcome does not matter.

touch of the tar brush »    Of South Asian or Afro-Caribbean in their background and/or in their appearance.

touch up »    To touch or to grope someone in flirtatious or sleazy way.

touched in the head »    Demented, slightly mentally deficient.

tough love »    The compassionate use of stringent disciplinary measures, to attempt to improve someone's behavior.

tourner autour du pot »    To beat around the bush.

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.

treat them mean, keep them keen »    A woman will be more interested in a man if he is not kind to her.

trick of the trade »    A shortcut or other quick, or very effective way of doing things, that professional workers learn from experience.

trigger-happy »    Having a tendency or desire to shoot a firearm irresponsibly before adequately identifying the target.

trigger-happy »    Inclined to react excessively or violently at the slightest provocation.

trump up »    Heavily publicise, promote or market a product.

truth be told »    Used when admitting something one might otherwise lie about, e.g. to keep up appearances or be polite.

try on »    By wearing it.

try out »    To undergo a test before being selected for a team etc.

tube steak »    A frankfurter.

tuck in »    To start to eat.

tuck into »    To eat, especially with gusto.

turn a blind eye »    To ignore or deliberately overlook, especially with respect to something unpleasant or improper.

turn a phrase »    To create a particular linguistic expression which is strikingly clear, appropriate, and memorable.

turn away »    To rotate the body or head so as not to face someone or something.

turn back »    No turn a dial anticlockwise or adjust a clock or other meter to an earlier time or reading.

turn down »    To reduce the amount of something by means of a control, such as the volume, heat, or light.

turn heads »    To garner a considerable amount of attention.

turn in one's grave »    To be appalled, offended or disgusted by something, despite being deceased.

turn off »    To leave a road; exit.

turn on »    To attract, give pleasure, or encourage.

turn on its head »    To completely change.

turn one on »    To increase interest.

turn out »    To leave a road.

turn over a new leaf »    To engage in self-improvement; to begin a good habit or shed a bad habit.

turn tail »    To flee; to run away; to leave.

turn the air blue »    To speak a stream of bad language; to curse and swear.

turn up »    To show up; to appear suddenly or unexpectedly.

turn up »    To increase the amount of something by means of a control, such as the volume, heat, or light.

turn up »    To belay or make fast a line on a cleat or pin.

turn up for the book »    A very unexpected, usually pleasant, surprise.

turn-on »    Something that attracts, gives pleasure, or encourages, especially sexually.

two a penny »    Very common; cheap.

two cents »    A nearly worthless amount, alluding to placing a copper penny on each of the eyelids of a pauper's or slave's body before burial.

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 heads are better than one »    Some problems may be solved more easily by two (or more) people working together than by one working alone.

two-fisted drinker »    Either someone who can handle their liquor well, or an alcoholic clutching a drink in each hand.

under one's belt »    Already done; within one's experience; practiced.

under one's breath »    Softly, so as not to be heard.

under one's hat »    Concealed; confidential; secret.

under one's nose »    Directly in front of one; clearly visible.

under the gun »    Under great pressure to perform.

under the weather »    Experiencing adversity.

under the weather »    Somewhat ill or gloomy.

under the weather »    Somewhat intoxicated or suffering from a hangover.

under the wire »    At the last minute; before the deadline; barely on time; nearly late.

under way »    A vessel is said to be underway when she is not anchored, moored, aground, or beached[1]. Compare with make way.

underwater basket weaving »    "Sure, somewhere out there, college slackers were taking broom ball and underwater basket weaving." — The Columbus Dispatch, September 15, 2005.

underwater basket weaving »    An easy and useless college or high school class.

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 the creek without a paddle »    In a difficult situation with no means of rectifying it.

up to »    Against; next to; near; towards.

up with the larks »    To wake up early, to be an early bird.

upper crust »    The topmost layer of a bread, pastry dish, or other item with a hardened coating.

valley of death »    Death; or a place or period where death is impending.

valley of death »    Lord Alfred Tennyson, The Charge of the Light Brigade.

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.

valley of the shadow of death »    Valleys on earth one must walk through, that is, part of the human experience.

variable tandem repeat locus »    Any DNA sequence that exists in multiple copies strung together in various tandem lengths.

venus flytrap »    insect-eating plant

victory at sea »    Ocean conditions very windblown and messy, possibly to the point of being inimical to surfing and other water sports.

virgin territory »    By extension, ideas or concepts or activities that have not yet been tried, explored or developed.

wade through »    To do a boring, repetitive research task.

wail on »    To strike an opponent heavily and repeatedly in a fight.

wail on »    To beat heavily on anything.

wake up and smell the coffee »    To face reality and stop deluding oneself.

wake up on the wrong side of bed »    To feel grumpy, irritable; to be easily annoyed.

walk and chew gum at the same time »    To do something very easy.

walk around »    To walk with no real planned destination, but to just walk, to meander "around".

walk away from »    To abandon or leave; to shun.

walk in the park »    A recreational walk in a park.

walk in the park »    Something easy or pleasant, especially by comparison to something.

walk it off »    To deal with an negative emotional event without complaint; to take it like a man.

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.

walk out »    To leave suddenly, especially as a form of protest.

wall up »    To seal with a wall.

walls have ears »    There is a risk of being heard, so pay attention to what you say.

war bride »    A company or individual whose business is increased by warfare.

warm the cockles of someone's heart »    To provide happiness, to bring a deeply-felt contentment.

warm up »    To reheat food.

warm up »    To prepare for executing an already-learned activity by a limited amount of additional practice.

warts and all »    Of or pertaining to a description or other depiction which reveals the full range of characteristics of a person or thing, including the shortcomings and imperfections.

wash away »    To eliminate, or destroy by fast moving water, such as in a flood, or a high sea.

wash down »    To help to swallow by drinking a liquid, after eating something, or taking a pill.

wash out »    To wear away by the flow of water; to erode.

wash out »    To cancel due to bad weather.

wash up »    To clean the utensils, dishes etc. used in preparing and eating a meal.

wash up »    To wash one's hands and/or face, often around mealtimes.

waste away »    To lose energy and become weak and feeble.

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.

watch one's head »    To look out for things one's head might bump into.

water down »    To make weaker.

water down »    To simplify or oversimplify; to make easier; to make less difficult.

water over the dam »    An event or set of events which has already happened and cannot be changed.

watered-down »    Weakened or simplified.

weak sister »    A person or thing which is the least robust or least dependable member of a group.

weak sister »    A person who is cowardly or indecisive.

weaker vessel »    A woman; women collectively.

wear down »    To cause physical or mental fatigue.

wear down »    To have one's long hair styled in a free, low-hanging, unencumbered style; i.e., not in an up-do or ponytail.

wear off »    To diminish in effect.

wear off »    To disappear because of being abraded, over-polished, or abused.

wear one's heart on one's sleeve »    To be extremely transparent, open, or forthright about one's emotions.

wear out »    To cause to become damaged, useless, or ineffective through continued use, especially hard, heavy, or careless use.

wear out »    To deteriorate or become unusable or ineffective due to continued use, exposure, or strain.

wear out »    To exhaust; to cause or contribute to another's exhaustion, fatigue, or weariness, as by continued strain or exertion.

wear out »    To become exhausted, tired, fatigued, or weary, as by continued strain or exertion.

wear out »    Of apparel, displayed in public.

wear out »    Of a shirt, not tucked into the pants; worn in a casual manner.

wear out »    To punish by spanking.

wear rose-colored glasses »    To see the positive in things while being oblivious to the negative.

weather the storm »    To reach the end of a very difficult situation without too much harm or damage.

wee small hours »    The very early morning, just after midnight, when most people are asleep.

weigh in »    To bring in one's weight, metaphorically speaking, to bear on an issue.

well begun is half done »    Much depends on the beginning of an endeavor.

well to do »    quite wealthy

well, I never »    An exclamation of great surprise.

wet behind the ears »    Inexperienced; not seasoned; new; just beginning.

whale on »    To strike an opponent heavily and repeatedly in a fight.

whale on »    To beat heavily on anything.

what for »    For what reason; why.

what on Earth »    Used to add emphasis to "what" when beginning question.

what you see is what you get »    The image corresponds to the reality.

what's eating somebody »    ? Inquired of somebody who is upset, worried, angry, etc.

what's eating you »    What is annoying or bothering you?.

whatever creams your twinkie »    Do what you will, whatever makes you happy.

when he's at home »    In reality; in fact; when it comes down to it.

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.

where there's muck there's brass »    (UK, Irish) There is money to be made in unpleasant dirty jobs.

whip up »    To produce something quickly, especially of a meal.

whipped cream »    dessert topping

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 in the dark »    To speak of something despite having little knowledge of it.

whistle walk »    The path slaves took to deliver food from the kitchen building of a plantation to the main dining room. Slaves were expected to whistle during this walk in order to assure their masters that they were not eating the food.

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-knuckle »    Causing fear, excitement, apprehension, suspense, or nervousness.

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.

whomp on »    To assail with overwhelming force; to defeat decisively.

whomp up »    To produce quickly, particularly a meal.

whoop it up »    To have a great time; to party or revel excessively or noisily.

why on Earth »    Used to add emphasis to "why" when beginning a question.

wild-goose chase »    A futile search, a fruitless errand; a useless and often lengthy pursuit.

willful ignorance »    A bad faith decision to avoid becoming informed about something so as to avoid having to make undesirable decisions that such information might prompt. It may also be shown as for a person to have no clue in a decision but still goes ahead in their decision.

wind back the clock »    Figuratively to return in time to an earlier period of history.

window dressing »    A means of creating a deceptively favourable impression of something or someone; something for appearance only.

wine tosser »    A person who talks a great deal about wine but actually knows very little.

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 somebody's eye »    To defeat; to humiliate.

wipe the slate clean »    To forget about previous differences and disagreements, and make a fresh start.

with a vengeance »    Intensely motivated; resolute; forceful.

with bated breath »    "holding one's breath".

with bated breath »    Eagerly; with great anticipation.

within an ace of »    Very near; on the point of.

without fail »    Certainly; by all means; as a matter of importance.

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.

wolf in sheep's clothing »    Something harmful or problematic disguised as something peaceful or pleasant.

word of mouth »    Verbal means of passing of information.

work around the clock »    To work all day and all night without a break, because it is imperative to finish something.

work like a charm »    works great - exactly as expected

work out »    To habitually exercise rigorously, especially by lifting weights, in order to increase strength or muscle mass or maintain fitness.

work the room »    To interact with one's audience, taking queues from its reactions and adapting one's performance or words to elicit the audience's attention and enthusiasm.

world »    A great amount.

world »    The earth.

world-beater »    Someone or something superior to all others of its sort.

worse for wear »    Drunk.

worse for wear »    In poor physical condition due to long or heavy use.

wrap in the flag »    To claim one's cause deserves support for patriotic reasons or that one's own motives are patriotic.

wrap it before you tap it »    wear a condom before sexual intercourse.

wrap up »    To wear more clothes as protection from the weather; to bundle up.

wreak havoc »    To cause damage, disruption, or destruction.

wrestling with a pig »    To engage in a pointless task that leaves one worse off for having made an honest attempt.

wrong side of the tracks »    . May refer to area where the working class, poor or extremely poor live.

yank off »    To remove something, like a piece of cloth or bread, by tearing it with one quick strong pull.

year dot »    A very long time ago, from the beginning or as far back as one can remember.

year in, year out »    During every year; always.

yellow press »    Newspapers which publish sensationalist articles rather than well researched and sober journalism.

yes to death »    To agree with someone, often sarcastically.

you are what you eat »    If you eat well, you will be well; but if you eat badly you will feel bad

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 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'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 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 don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows »    You don't need an expert to tell you what you already know.

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 knows it »    You're right; I wholeheartedly agree with your statement.

you made your bed, now sleep in it »    A moralizing rejection said to someone looking for an easy out, especially of a situation they put themselves into.

you pays your money and you takes your choice »    Each person should make their own decisions.

you're never too old to learn »    It is possible to learn new things, at any age; (implying) follow your desires and dreams

your mileage may vary »    It may work differently in your situation, or be different in your experience.

your mileage may vary »    To express a possible difference in taste, "this is just my opinion, your opinion may be different".

zero in on »    To successfully narrow down a search.

Like Phrases.net?  Why won't you tell a friend about us?