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.
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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.
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a pull of the hair for being unfair »
The general response to "A kick and a flick for being so quick", which is in turn a response in itself to "A pinch and a punch for the first day of the month".
|
a rising tide lifts all boats »
Benefits provided to a few may lead to conditions that are beneficial to all.
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accident of birth »
Reference to the fact that various benefits or detriments to the life of a person arise from the circumstances into which that person was born, these being entirely beyond his control.
|
act out »
To go through the process of a scene from a play, a charade or a pointless exercise.
|
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.
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all fired up »
Excited or energized; highly enthusiastic.
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all fur coat and no knickers »
Of superficial appearance and with no real substance beneath.
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all hell broke loose »
A great disaster happened or chaos ensued.
|
all in all »
Generally; for the most part; mostly.
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along the lines »
In a general direction or manner.
|
any press is good press »
Being mentioned in the media is beneficial to the subject because it gets publicity.
|
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
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as a rule »
In general; most often.
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as luck would have it »
As it happened; how it turned out; by good fortune; fortunately or luckily.
|
assault and battery »
. This legal distinction exists only in jurisdictions that distinguish assault as threatened violence rather than actual violence.
|
at large »
In general; as a whole.
|
baby blues »
Period and feeling of depressiveness after giving birth; a less severe form of postnatal depression.
|
bang for the buck »
Efficiency; cost-effectiveness; value.
|
bawdy basket »
The twenty-third rank of canters, who carry pins, tape, ballads, and obscene books to sell, but live mostly by stealing.
|
be in for »
To be able to expect or anticipate; to be about to suffer, generally said of something unpleasant.
|
behind its time »
Showing characteristics of the past; present in one's work after later advances in the field; coming later than could be generally accepted.
|
behind the scenes »
In secret; out of public view.
|
below the belt »
Unfair; dirty; not according to the generally accepted rules.
|
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.
|
best of both worlds »
A combination of two seemingly contradictory benefits.
|
bird in the hand »
Shortened form of "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush".
|
bite the hand that feeds you »
To cause harm to a benefactor.
|
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.
|
blessing in disguise »
A misfortune that has an unexpected benefit.
|
blue state »
A state of the United States voting Democratic in a given election, or tending to vote Democratic in general.
|
boot camp »
A short, intensive, quasi-military program generally aimed at young offenders as an alternative to a jail term.
|
box-office bomb »
A motion picture that generates relatively low revenue at the box office, especially that which is less than the budget for the motion picture.
|
break wind »
To flatulate; fart; to expel gases generated during digestion through the anus.
|
bring forth »
To create, generate, bring into existence.
|
brown thumb »
Lack of skill at growing plants; something possessed by a poor gardener.
|
bundle of energy »
One who is especially lively, continually active, or industrious.
|
bundle of energy »
The energy associated with being lively, continually active, or industrious.
|
bustle with »
To teem with; abound with; to exhibit an energetic and active abundance of a thing; to be full of a certain activity or active beings.
|
busy work »
Work or activity performed with the intention or result of occupying time, and not necessarily to accomplish something productive; routine work of low priority undertaken for the sake of avoiding idleness.
|
by and large »
Mostly, generally; with few exceptions.
|
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.
|
Cannon fodder »
Military personnel who are regarded as expendable when attacking the enemy.
|
carry a torch for »
[2] To harbor feelings of love despite not being in a relationship; generally unrequited or after a relationship has ended, and sometimes implying secret feelings. There is the implication of keeping hope alive.
|
cash cow »
A product, service, or enterprise that generates ongoing, high net free cash flows.
|
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.
|
chew the fat »
To chat idly or generally waste time talking.
|
chew the scenery »
To display excessive emotion or to act in an exaggerated manner while performing; to be melodramatic; to be flamboyant.
|
clogs to clogs in three generations »
(UK) Wealth earned in one generation seldom lasts through the third (grandchild
|
close the stable door after the horse has bolted »
To attempt to prevent a problem only to find it has already happened.
|
clout list »
A usually secret list containing the names of people who are to be given special access, benefits, or influence in a political or social situation, especially as a result of having personal, professional, or financial relationships with those in authority.
|
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.
|
crank up »
To increase, as the volume, power or energy of something.
|
cut of one's jib »
Someone’s general appearance or the implications thereof, especially in relation to making an impression or one’s style..
|
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.
|
devil is in the details »
The specific provisions of, or particular steps for implementing, a general plan, policy, or contract may be complicated, controversial, or unworkable.
|
die »
Followed by from. General use, though somewhat more common in medical or scientific contexts.
|
die »
Followed by of. General use.
|
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 »
To emulate the behavior/behaviour that is generally attributed to the individual named.
|
don't cry over spilt milk »
It is no use worrying about unfortunate events which have already happened and which cannot be changed.
|
double-edged sword »
A benefit that is also a liability, or that carries some significant but non-obvious cost or risk.
|
drum up »
To generate or encourage; to campaign for.
|
dusty miller »
A formulaic phrase for a miller, related to the dust generated in the milling process.
|
dusty miller »
One of several species of plants with leaves of a dusty appearance: Centaurea cineraria, Senecio cineraria, and Lychnis coronaria.
|
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.
|
eat someone out of house and home »
C. 1598, William Shakespeare, Henry IV, Part 2, Act II Scene I.
|
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,
|
factotum »
A general servant.
|
fade out »
A type of transition used in movies usually at the end of a scene, in which the transition fades to black from the cut.
|
fall in with »
To accept a set of generally agreed rules, or a suggestion.
|
fear »
Extreme veneration or awe, as toward a supreme being or deity.
|
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.
|
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.
|
feel one's oats »
To feel energetic or frisky; to behave in a vigorous or bold manner.
|
fire away »
To begin shooting at an enemy.
|
fire up »
To excite; to infuse with energy.
|
fish or cut bait »
To choose between taking action now, or forgoing the opportunity and putting that energy into another endeavor; to decide.
|
for the most part »
Mostly; in general; usually.
|
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."
|
forked tongue »
The characteristic of deceptiveness; duplicity; untruthfulness.
|
four score and seven years ago »
As an opener, a sometimes sarcastic indicator to indicate a past event being mentioned is particularly important.
|
free ride »
An opportunity or benefit which has no cost, especially one enjoyed or undertaken at the expense of others.
|
fresh legs »
Somebody who has yet to play in a match, and therefore has plenty of energy.
|
friend with benefits »
A friend with whom one has such a relationship.
|
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 »
Hoarseness or the need to cough.
|
fudge the issue »
Adopt a solution to a specific problem which does not address the larger, more general problem of which the specific problem is an instance.
|
full of beans »
Energetic and enthusiastic.
|
get away with »
To do something which is prohibited, forbidden or generally not allowed, and not be punished for the action.
|
get busy »
Start working, usually in opposition to idleness.
|
get the drift »
To understand, at least at some basic or general level.
|
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 of oneself »
To devote oneself unselfishly to a task, especially to give time and energy.
|
go back on »
To fail to keep; to renege on; as, to go back on one's promises.
|
go down the pan »
To fail or degenerate rapidly.
|
go down the tubes »
To fail or degenerate rapidly.
|
go downhill »
To worsen or degenerate.
|
God works in mysterious ways »
Expressing confidence that a conundrum has a solution despite it not being apparent.Expressing that a seemingly unfortunate or unfavourable situation or change may be beneficial later or in the long run.Person A: It seems that I'm about to be fired from my job.Person B: Well, God works in mysterious ways - maybe it'll be the kick you need to apply to university...
|
golden 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.
|
good to go »
Ready for use or ready for normal operation, especially after repair or renewal.
|
grain of salt »
A bit of common sense and skepticism. Generally used in some form of to take with a grain of salt.
|
gravy train »
An occupation or any lucrative endeavor that generates considerable income whilst requiring little effort and carrying little risk.
|
greener pastures »
Any place or condition that is more favorable or beneficial.
|
hand waving »
Discussion or argumentation involving approximation, vagueness, educated guessing, or the attempt to explain or excuse vagaries.
|
hardwired »
In humans and animals, genetically determined, instinctive behavior, as opposed to learned behavior.
|
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.
|
have the wind up »
To be frightened or disturbed.
|
heebie-jeebies »
A general feeling of anxiety, fear, uneasiness, or nausea.
|
history repeats itself »
Things that have happened in the past will happen again.
|
hot lunch »
A sexual act in which a pouch of clingfilm or similar material filled with faeces is placed in one of the participants' mouth and subsequently penetrated by the second participant.
|
household name »
A genericized trademark or anepronym.
|
idiot mittens »
Mittens connected by yarn or string running through one sleeve, along the back and out the other sleeve of a coat, to prevent the mittens becoming lost. Generally worn by small children.
|
if pigs had wings »
Shortened form of if pigs had wings they would fly.
|
in bed with »
Engaging in a close mutually beneficial relationship, especially secretly and illicitly.
|
in the long run »
After a very long time; eventually; over a long period of time; more generally.
|
it's an ill wind that blows nobody any good »
There is usually something of benefit to someone, no matter how bad the situation.
|
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.
|
ivory tower »
A sheltered, overly-academic existence or perspective, implying a disconnection or lack of awareness of reality or practical considerations.
|
keep a weather eye open »
To maintain a background awareness of something; to remain alert to changes without it occupying your full attention.
|
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.
|
kind »
Affectionate, showing benevolence.
|
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.
|
l'esprit de l'escalier »
The experience of thinking of a devastating rejoinder only after leaving the scene of the debate.
|
laced-up »
Fastened with a lace.
|
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.
|
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.
|
lion's share »
The majority; a large or generous portion.
|
live wire »
An especially energetic, alert, or vivacious person.
|
long shot »
A master shot, the primary wide shot of a scene into which the closeups will be edited later.
|
loose end »
The end of a rope that has not been fastened.
|
made in the shade »
In a condition characterized by comfort, success, easy living, or general well-being.
|
make a meal of »
To spend more time and energy on some task than it warrants; to make something overly complicated.
|
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.
|
nervous hit »
A production which receives generally favorably notice, but is not assured of success.
|
nine day wonder »
Something that generates interest for a limited time and is then abandoned.
|
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 news is good news »
A lack of information about a situation suggests that nothing bad has happened.
|
no time like the present »
A shortened form of there's no time like the present
|
not be able to get a word in edgeways »
To be unable to say a single word because of someone else's talkativeness.
|
nothing ventured, nothing gained »
If one takes no risks, one will not gain any benefits.
|
nugget of truth »
A small amount of truth in a generally untrue statement.
|
odd and curious »
On the Isle of Man, the common or general man.
|
off the chain »
Crazy and exciting; delirious and wild. By analogy to a frenetic dog when unleashed.
|
off-color »
Considered dirty, vulgar or obscene.
|
old money »
Families that have been wealthy for generations or members of such families.
|
on the right track »
Using the correct general approach to a particular task or problem; pursuing something in a promising way.
|
out of gas »
Tired; lacking energy or motivation.
|
overkill »
A destructive capacity that exceeds that needed to destroy an enemy; especially with nuclear weapons.
|
paint with a broad brush »
To describe a class of objects or a kind of phenomenon in general terms, without specific details and without attention to individual variations.
|
paper »
A written document, generally shorter than a book , in particular one written for the Government.
|
parking lot »
An open area, generally paved, where automobiles may be left when not in use.
|
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.
|
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.
|
piss and vinegar »
Exuberance or enthusiasm, especially to an excessive degree; bravado; youthful energy.
|
play one against another »
To manipulate two persons into competing against one another in a way that benefits the person carrying out the manipulation.
|
press stud »
snap fastener
|
pull a »
To emulate a behaviour generally attributed to the individual named.
|
pull one's socks up »
To start making an effort; to renew or redouble one's efforts.
|
put one's money where one's mouth is »
More generally, to take an obvious stake in the truth of a claim that one is making.
|
put someone in mind of »
To remind someone of; to inspire a mental image or awareness of; to cause thoughts concerning.
|
quake in one's boots »
To be frightened, scared, or nervous.
|
quantum mechanics »
The branch of physics which studies matter and energy at the level of atoms and other elementary particles, and substitutes probabilistic mechanisms for classical Newtonian ones.
|
rag-chewing »
A phrase used by morse code operators for a longer than usual conversation, generally a conversation extending about 30 minutes.
|
raise the flag and see who salutes »
It generates, usually as a preliminary step.
|
red state »
A state of the United States voting Republican in a given election, or tending to vote Republican in general.
|
ring out »
To make a phone call from an internal phone system to a general telephone network number.
|
roses are red »
The start of a generic poem about love.
|
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 OK »
To be popularly accepted, or supported by the general majority of people.
|
run afoul of »
To contravene.
|
run off »
To operate by a particular energy source.
|
run on »
To operate with a particular energy source.
|
run out of steam »
To run out of energy; to run out of motivation.
|
running on empty »
Losing enthusiasm or willingness, lacking energy.
|
safety pin »
fastener
|
scared to death »
Extremely frightened.
|
see the forest for the trees »
To discern an overall pattern from a mass of detail; to see the bigger picture, or the broader, more general situation. Generally used in the negative.
|
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".
|
set one's cap at »
. Or, more generally, to choose something as a goal.
|
sex up »
To make more palatable or acceptable to the general public; to improve the image or perception.
|
shit one's pants »
To be extremely frightened.
|
shit-eating grin »
A broad smile indicating self-awareness that may suggest self-satisfaction, smugness, discomfort, or embarrassment.
|
shoo-in »
A candidate or contestant generally agreed upon as the presumptive winner; somebody who is well-liked or widely agreed upon.
|
shoot first and ask questions later »
To take action with serious consequences without delay, preserving the benefit of surprise by not providing indication of one's intent.
|
shoot the breeze »
To chat idly or generally waste time talking.
|
sick joke »
A joke which is in poor taste, especially one which depicts as amusing a situation which the listener considers to be tragic or disgusting.
|
silver bullet »
Any straightforward solution perceived to have great effectiveness or bring miraculous results.
|
smallpox blanket »
An apparently benevolent offering whose real intent is to disrupt, destabilize or weaken.
|
smell the barn »
To experience heightened anticipation or to act with renewed speed or energy as one approaches a destination, goal, or other desired outcome, like a livestock animal at day's end returning to its barn.
|
sneck posset »
A fastened latch.
|
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.
|
so-and-so »
A placeholder name, used when a name is not known; a generic name.
|
so-and-so »
Anything generic.
|
sow one's wild oats »
To spread one's genes around by impregnating many females.
|
speak of the devil »
An expression sometimes used when a person mentioned in the current conversation happens to arrive on the scene.
|
spit it out »
To overcome reluctance to say something particular or to speak in general.
|
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 in one's step »
Enthusiasm, energy or a positive outlook or cheerful attitude.
|
stick in the mud »
More generally, one who is slow, old-fashioned, or unprogressive; an old fogey.
|
such-and-such »
A placeholder or generic thing.
|
suck up »
To adulate or flatter somebody excessively, generally to obtain some personal benefit or favour.
|
surprise surprise »
An indication that the unsurprising happened, especially contrary to someone's hopes or assertions.
|
swing for the fences »
To act in a way that might generate a very good result, but which also has a large chance of failing.
|
swing state »
A state which may vote Democratic or Republican, in a given election or generally; a purple state.
|
talk down »
To speak condescendingly or as though the listener is inferior.
|
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.
|
tell it to Sweeney »
I do not believe what you said.
|
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 finger »
An obscene gesture, typically consisting of extending the middle finger at somebody.
|
the grass is always greener on the other side »
Other circumstances seem more desirable than one's own but in reality are often not
|
there but for the grace of God go I »
A recognition that others' misfortune could be one's own, if it weren't for the blessing/kindness/luck bestowed by fate or the Divine.Man's fate is in God's hands.More generally, our fate is not entirely in our own hands.
|
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's more than one way to skin a cat »
A problem generally has more than one solution.
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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.
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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
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thus and so »
A generic thing; a placeholder name.
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thus and such »
A placeholder or generic name for something.
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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.
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tilt at windmills »
To attack imaginary enemies.
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time and tide »
Shortened form of time and tide wait for no man
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to be the cat's whiskers »
To perform better than was generally supposed possible.
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to the victor go the spoils »
The winner of a conflict wins additional benefits, beyond just the subject of the conflict.
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top of the morning »
A generic greeting said to someone in the morning.
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touch%C3%A9 »
An acknowledgement of the success, appropriateness or superiority of an argument, sometimes used sarcastically to mock one's opponent's absurd logic.
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tough cookie »
A person who can endure physical or mental hardship; a hardened, strong-willed person.
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turnabout is fair play »
It is allowable to retaliate against an enemy's dirty tricks by using the same ones against him.
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twenty-twenty hindsight »
Perfect understanding of events only after they have happened.
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two can play that game »
The tactics and/or strategies of an enemy can be used against him.
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under fire »
Subjected to enemy attack.
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upper crust »
The topmost layer of a bread, pastry dish, or other item with a hardened coating.
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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.
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washed out »
To be very tired and lacking energy.
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waste away »
To lose energy and become weak and feeble.
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water over the dam »
An event or set of events which has already happened and cannot be changed.
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water to my mill »
What energizes you; what stimulates you.
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watered-down »
Weakened or simplified.
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way out of a paper bag »
A minimal level of competence or effectiveness, as used in phrases where one is unable to perform such.
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white hole »
A theoretically possible but physically highly unlikely singularity which would emit matter and energy; the antithesis of a black hole.
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white on rice »
A descriptive analogy of closeness. See like white on rice.
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whomp up »
To incite or generate.
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world »
Human collective existence; existence in general.
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worth the risk »
The benefit of the success is more valuable than the problems caused by the potential loss.
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you only get what you give »
There is a positive correlation between the effort one puts in and the benefits one receives.
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you shouldn't have »
Used to express gratitude at unnecessary generosity, especially when receiving a gift.
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zip up »
To close with a zip fastener.
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zip up »
To close as if with a zip fastener.
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