a drop in the bucket »
An effort or action having very little overall influence, especially as compared to a huge problem.
|
actions speak louder than words »
It is more effective to act directly than to speak of action.
|
add up to »
To have a particular effect.
|
apply oneself »
To put forth a concerted effort; to try; to focus.
|
as well »
To the same effect.
|
balancing act »
An effort to manage many conflicting or competing items or interests.
|
bang for the buck »
Efficiency; cost-effectiveness; value.
|
basket case »
One made powerless or ineffective, as by nerves, panic or stress.
|
bear down »
To intensify one's efforts.
|
bear on »
To influence, have an effect on.
|
beat one's head against a stone wall »
To waste effort on a futile project.
|
been to the rodeo »
N.d., Alan Neff, Precious Tribes, Vicious Lies, page 72.
|
bend over backwards »
To make a great effort; to take extraordinary care; to go to great lengths.
|
birds of the feather flock together »
People who are alike physically tend to congregate and socialize together, despite government efforts at forced integration.
|
break a sweat »
To put effort into something.
|
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".
|
buckle down »
To put forth the needed effort; to focus; become serious; apply oneself.
|
bust chops »
To nag; to berate or hound in an effort to elicit action.
|
cancel out »
To neutralize the effect of something.
|
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.
|
cheaper by the dozen »
Things are handled more efficiently as a group, rather than individually.
|
cold turkey »
The physiological effects of such a withdrawal.
|
come up »
To begin to feel the effects of a recreational drug.
|
cooking with gas »
Now doing something in an effective way.
|
cut it »
To suffice; to be effective or successful.
|
cut the mustard »
To suffice; to be good or effective enough.
|
do a number on »
To damage; to treat harshly; to produce ill effects.
|
do one's damnedest »
To do one's utmost; to make every effort or to try every possible approach or way.
|
do one's darnedest »
To do one's utmost; to make every effort or to try every possible approach or way.
|
do-or-die »
Requiring a determined or desperate effort to avoid the consequences of failure.
|
dog it »
To underperform; to lag behind; to fail to exert effort.
|
don't be penny wise and pound foolish »
Don't be careful when it comes to spending small amounts of money, but careless when spending much larger amounts.Don't focus on minutiae and lose sight of the big picture; don't obsess over tiny inconsequential efficiencies while glaring inefficiencies are going on elsewhere.
|
double talk »
Speaking in a mixture of real English and English-sounding gibberish, for humorous effect.
|
eff off »
A censored form of the phrase f** off.
|
elbow grease »
Effort or hard work, especially physical work involving repeated motion of the forearm, such as scrubbing.
|
fend off »
Away; to turn away; to defend against; to repel with force or effort.
|
fire on all cylinders »
To operate as effectively as possible.
|
flap one's gums »
To speak idly; to talk without effect.
|
flash in the pan »
A transient occurrence with no long-term effect.
|
for all one is worth »
Intensely, vigorously, with as much effort as one can supply.
|
free lunch »
Something obtained without any payment, obligation or effort.
|
full blast »
Maximum capacity or effort.
|
full marks »
To exclaim complete satisfaction with someone's efforts.
|
full speed ahead »
Maximum effort without reservations or delay.
|
get stuck in »
To dedicate a large amount of effort towards.
|
give 110%25 »
Make the maximum possible effort.
|
give it one's best shot »
To make one's best effort or attempt; to try as hard as possible.
|
glutton for punishment »
One persistent in an effort in spite of harmful or unpleasant results.
|
go all out »
To reserve nothing; to put forth all possible effort or resources.
|
go out of one's way »
To make an extra effort.
|
go the extra mile »
To make an extra effort; to do a particularly good job.
|
go to the wall »
To make an all-out effort.
|
God helps those who help themselves »
Fortune comes to those who make a genuine effort to accomplish things.
|
grace period »
A length of time during which rules or penalties do not take effect or are withheld.
|
gravy train »
An occupation or any lucrative endeavor that generates considerable income whilst requiring little effort and carrying little risk.
|
hands down »
Without much effort; easily.
|
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.
|
hat in hand »
With humility; in an apologetic or self-effacing fashion.
|
have one's ducks in a row »
To be organized; to have one's affairs in order; specifically, to have a multi-person effort coordinated towards the exact same goal.
|
hit one's stride »
To reach a full level of efficiency, competence, comfort, etc.; to get going.
|
home stretch »
The final part of a distance or the final effort needed to finish.
|
in a canter »
Without much effort; easily.
|
in effigy »
Symbolizing, usually as an effigy.
|
jump through hoops »
To put forth effort for the sake of appearance or demonstration.
|
knock-on effect »
A secondary, often unintended effect.
|
knock-on effect »
The continued running of an engine after the ignition has been turned off; dieseling.
|
last burst of fire »
A final effort or warning.
|
last burst of fire »
A state of exertion where one gives one's all; expending all of one's remaining energy in a final effort to achieve one's goal.
|
lean and mean »
Efficient because of having nothing in excess of what is needed, and single-minded in one's objective.
|
legwork »
Work, especially research or preparation, that involves significant walking, travel, or similar effort.
|
less is more »
That which is less complicated is often better understood and more appreciated than what is more complicated; simplicity is preferable to complexity; brevity in communication is more effective than verbosity.1855, Robert Browning, "Men and Women":Well, less is more, Lucrezia: I am judged.1954, "'Less Is More'," Time, 14 Jun.:The essence of Mies's architectural philosophy is in his famous and sometimes derided phrase, "Less is more." This means, he says, having "the greatest effect with the least means."2007, Gia Kourlas, "Dance Review: An Ordered World Defined With Soothing Spareness," New York Times, 3 Mar. (retrieved 22 Oct. 2008):The program, which features two premieres
|
licence to print money »
A means of generating a large income with little effort.
|
lift a finger »
To make minimal effort; to help as little as possible.
|
like water off a duck's back »
Without immediate or lasting effects.
|
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.
|
lost cause »
A cause, attempt, or effort that is hopeless or futile.
|
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.
|
monkey business »
Wasting time, or effort, on some foolish project.
|
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.
|
not win for losing »
To repeatedly fail in one's gambles or efforts.
|
now you're cooking »
A phrase, often given in response, meaning that the subject has switched to a more suitable or more efficient approach.
|
nut-cutting time »
Time to exert maximum effort, for example, due to an approaching deadline or a looming competitive situation.
|
old college try »
A vigorous, committed attempt or effort.
|
on all fours »
Similar in nature or effect to something else; consistent.
|
one up »
To outdo, to do something slightly better than a competitor's prior effort.
|
one-man band »
An organisation or business that is effectively run by only one person.
|
one-up »
To outdo, to do something slightly better than a competitor's prior effort.
|
peashooter »
Any small or ineffective gun.
|
perp walk »
The intentional public display before news cameras of someone in police custody, especially someone famous or notorious, for the purpose of satisfying public interest, demonstrating the authorities' effectiveness, or shaming the person.
|
plug away »
To persist or continue, as with an effort.
|
point blank »
The distance between a gun and a target such that it requires minimal effort in aiming it. In particular no allowance needs to be made for the effects of gravity, target movement or wind in aiming the projectile.
|
pull one's socks up »
To start making an effort; to renew or redouble one's efforts.
|
pull oneself up by one's bootstraps »
To begin an enterprise or recover from a setback without any outside help; to succeed only on one's own effort or abilities.
|
pull teeth »
To do something that is especially difficult or effortful.
|
put one's back into »
To make a strenuous effort to do something.
|
put one's mind to it »
To apply oneself; to exert a directed effort.
|
put one's shoulder to the wheel »
To work or exert oneself heavily or with full effort.
|
put the pedal to the metal »
To exert maximum effort.
|
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.
|
red tape »
A derisive term for regulations or bureaucratic procedures that are considered excessive or excessively time- and effort-consuming.
|
rock the boat »
To disturb the status quo or go against rules or conventions, as in an effort to get attention.
|
root cause »
An initiating cause of a chain of events which leads to an outcome or effect of interest.
|
run after »
To make a determined effort to win someone's affections.
|
run somebody ragged »
To exhaust; to demand excessive effort or work from somebody.
|
silver bullet »
Any straightforward solution perceived to have great effectiveness or bring miraculous results.
|
sit out »
To lean out to the windward side of a sailboat in order to counterbalance the effects of the wind on the sails.
|
slippery slope »
A logical argument that follows a chain of events or causes and effects to some conclusion.
|
smear campaign »
An effort to damage or call into question someone's reputation, by propounding negative propaganda.
|
smooth operator »
A person who accomplishes tasks with efficiency and grace, especially one with verbal skills who is persuasive in interpersonal relationships, negotiation, etc.
|
snake oil »
A fraudulent, ineffective potion or nostrum; panacea.
|
spin one's wheels »
To make no progress despite making an effort; to get nowhere.
|
spoil the ship for a hap'orth of tar »
To have something important fail for want of a small amount of money or effort.
|
staircase wit »
Thinking of an idea or course of action too late to use it effectively, or the tendency to do so.
|
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.
|
stuffed shirt »
One who is overly official or officious; somebody in charge but not necessarily in power or effective.
|
take effect »
To become active; to become effective.
|
take something in stride »
To cope with something without much effort; to accept or manage something well.
|
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.
|
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.
|
trick of the trade »
A shortcut or other quick, or very effective way of doing things, that professional workers learn from experience.
|
two for two »
Successful at both of two efforts.
|
way out of a paper bag »
A minimal level of competence or effectiveness, as used in phrases where one is unable to perform such.
|
wear off »
To diminish in effect.
|
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.
|
work at »
To make a physical or mental effort to progress some specified task.
|
worth one's while »
Good and important enough for one to spend time, effort, or money on.
|
you only get what you give »
There is a positive correlation between the effort one puts in and the benefits one receives.
|
| BTW, Why won't you become an editor? |
[