a house is not a home »
A home is not merely a building but requires inhabitants and a friendly atmosphere.
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above and beyond »
More than is expected or required.
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all the time »
Very often; frequently.
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all things being equal »
Without considering or being affected by external factors.
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answer back »
To issue echo characters, protocol responses, reflexive connection requests, etc.
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arm to the teeth »
To equip thoroughly with weapons.
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as long as »
Depending upon some condition or requirement; provided that; if, assuming; so long as.
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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.
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ask for »
request
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ask for »
make a request
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at all »
Indicating degree, quantity or frequency greater than zero; to the slightest degree, in any way, somewhat, rather.
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back-to-back »
Identical or similar and sequential.
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baggage »
Luggage; traveling equipment.
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bar fly »
A person who frequents bars or lounges to get drunk.
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bar star »
A female who frequents bars or lounges, usually late at night.
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be of two minds »
To be undecided or unsure; to equivocate; to have multiple opinions.
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because you touch yourself at night »
Used to humourously deflect a request for a reason.
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behind the bit »
An equestrian term, meaning that the horse is evading the bit.
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bite the bullet »
To endure a punishment or consequence with dignity or stoicism.
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blow chunks »
To be very bad, inadequate, unpleasant, or miserable; to thoroughly suck.
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boil down to »
to be equivalent to; to reduce to.
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bowl a googly »
Something unexpected, underhand or requiring a quick reaction or correction.
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break a sweat »
January 2008, The Age - Walkovers blaze a trail for women's equal-pay theory.
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burn one's fingers »
To harm oneself; to suffer consequences of one's actions.
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by the book »
In a manner which adheres strictly to rules, legal requirements, or official procedures.
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by-the-book »
Adhering strictly to rules, legal requirements, or official procedures.
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call it even »
To declare debts resolved or favors or other exchange equitable.
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call on »
To request or ask of somebody; to select for a task.
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calls for »
Requires; needs to
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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.
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can of worms »
A complex, troublesome situation arising when a decision or action produces considerable subsequent problems.
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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.
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carry the message to Garcia »
To perform a requisite task despite obstacles.
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carry the message to Garcia »
To perform a requisite task without having been informed specifically by what method to do so.
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center field »
A central role in some activity that requires speed.
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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.
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chickens coming home to roost »
Consequences visited upon someone who originally had appeared to escape them.
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chip in »
To put into the pot the amount of chips or money required to continue.
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class clown »
A student who frequently makes jokes or pokes fun; a wiseacre.
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come out of the woodwork »
To appear or emerge as though out of nowhere, frequently in large numbers or quantity.
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company »
A unit of firefighters and their equipment.
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cop-out »
Avoidance or inadequate performance of a task or duty; the action of copping out.
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cross the line »
To cross the equator, as a vessel at sea.
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cross the Rubicon »
To make an irreversible decision or to take an action with consequences.
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damn with faint praise »
To provide praise that is so minimal or inconsequential as to actually amount to criticism.
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dead »
No longer used or required.
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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.
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deep end »
A situation where expertise or experience is required.
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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.
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desperate times require desperate measures »
Alternative form of desperate times call for desperate measures.
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do-or-die »
Requiring a determined or desperate effort to avoid the consequences of failure.
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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.
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double Dutch »
A game of jump rope with two ropes and frequently two jumpers.
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draw a blank »
To be unable to produce a required piece of information.
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err on the side of caution »
To act in the least risky manner in a situation where one is uncertain about the consequences.
|
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.
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face the music »
To accept or confront the unpleasant consequences of one's actions.
|
factor space »
A space obtained from another by identification of points that are equivalent to one another in some equivalence relation.
|
fall on deaf ears »
Of a request, complaint, etc, to be ignored.
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fall short »
To be less satisfactory than expected; to be inadequate or insufficient.
|
fill in »
To complete a form or questionnaire with requested information.
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fill the bill »
To satisfy a need; to serve a purpose; to fulfill specified requirements.
|
first among equals »
A person or position that if formally equivalent to others in a group, but is superior in some attribute.
|
first among equals »
In the British and other parliamentary systems, a term used to describe the relationship of the prime minister to the other members of the cabinet.
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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
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flipside »
A necessary consequence or corollary of something; especially one seen as opposite, or as pro versus con.
|
flunk out »
Often requiring a retaking of the course or academic year.
|
forbidden fruit is the sweetest »
Forbidden things have more worthwhile short-term consequences.
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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."
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get off »
Consequences.
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get off »
To stop using a piece of equipment.
|
gimme a five »
A request to receive a high five.
|
go by the board »
To be superseded, rejected, or obliterated; to pass by with little consequence; to amount to nothing.
|
go dutch »
share expenses equally
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go for »
To be equally valid or appropriate.
|
go jump in the lake »
Used to tell a person that to go away, or that their request will not be met.
|
gravy train »
An occupation or any lucrative endeavor that generates considerable income whilst requiring little effort and carrying little risk.
|
gunshy »
Fearing the consequences of repeating an act, especially after being reprimanded.
|
halfway decent »
No more than adequate.
|
have it coming »
To deserve or merit, as the consequences of one's actions.
|
have it your way »
Do something the way you want to, but be prepared for the consequences.
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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.
|
head-on »
Direct, abrupt, blunt or unequivocal; not prevaricating.
|
here you are »
Said when you hand something over to someone or do a favour to them, usually to draw the recipient's attention to the exchange; Equivalent to “thank you” when receiving something..
|
hit up »
To request or demand.
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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.
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horse around »
To play or fiddle; to clown; to do nothing of importance or consequence.
|
horse opera »
An equestrian show, as in a circus.
|
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.
|
how are you »
An informal greeting, not requiring a literal response. Typical responses include.
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how's tricks »
Informal greeting roughly equivalent to How are you?.
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in order »
In a sequence.
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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.
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it's one's funeral »
One's decisions or actions will bring undesirable consequences only on oneself.
|
jump off »
To participate in the final round of an equestrian showjumping event.
|
know the score »
Be aware of a situation, especially of the consequences of misconduct.
|
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.
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left and right »
All over the place; indiscriminately; frequently or excessively.
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left, right and center »
All over the place; indiscriminately; frequently or excessively.
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loaded for bear »
Thoroughly equipped, as for a demanding task or confrontation.
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man up »
To "be a man about it"; to do the things a good man is traditionally expected to do, such as: taking responsibility for the consequences of one's actions; displaying bravery or toughness in the face of adversity; providing for one's family, etc.
|
man up »
To staff adequately; to staff up; to successfully fill all needed labor positions.
|
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.
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more equal »
Ostensibly equal, but in reality more privileged.
|
muck about »
To do somethings with a piece of equipment when you do not understand how it works.
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nod's as good as a wink to a blind bat »
The idea/proposed action is inconsequential to the current situation.
|
off balance »
Not physical balanced; not having physical equilibrium.
|
off the beaten path »
In a secluded location; in a place which is not frequently visited or not widely known.
|
on a whim »
Done without thinking seriously about the consequences.
|
on demand »
When needed or required.
|
once in a blue moon »
Very rarely; very infrequently.
|
one and the same »
The same person or thing. Used to emphasize the identity or equivalence of two things.
|
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.
|
out of order »
Out of normal sequence.
|
party animal »
A person known for frequent, enthusiastic attendance at parties, especially one whose partying behavior is exuberant or excessive.
|
pass muster »
To adequately pass a formal or informal inspection.
|
pay for it »
To suffer the consequences of one's actions.
|
pay the fiddler »
To face the consequences of one’s actions..
|
pay the piper »
To pay a monetary debt or experience unfavorable consequences, especially when the payment or consequences are inevitable in spite of attempts to avoid them.
|
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.
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point of no return »
The point in any journey, process, or sequence of events when it is no longer possible to reverse course or stop the process.
|
poison tree bears poison fruit »
Unethical actions in the service of good intentions will have immoral or unethical consequences.
|
problem child »
Someone or something persistently difficult or vexing; a frequent source of trouble or annoyance.
|
put in »
To apply, request, or submit.
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put on »
To don clothing or equipment.
|
quick-and-dirty »
Done or constructed in a hasty, approximate, temporarily adequate manner, but not exact, fully formed, or reliable for a long period of time.
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rain cheque »
Any postponement, especially of an offer.
|
rain cheque »
Any voucher or note issued by a store to allow a customer to get a special or sale price later if an item is out of stock.
|
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.
|
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".
|
send away for »
To write to a business or other organisation, requesting a thing.
|
set the stage »
To prepare; to establish the basis or required conditions.
|
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.
|
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.
|
short of »
Insufficiently equipped with.
|
six of one, half a dozen of the other »
The two alternatives are equivalent or indifferent; it doesn't matter which one we choose.
|
skeleton crew »
The minimum number of personnel needed to operate and maintain an item at its most simple operating requirements, such as a ship or business, during an emergency or shut down, and at the same time, to keep vital functions operating.
|
small fry »
One or more persons or things of relatively little consequence, importance, or value.
|
small potatoes »
One or more persons or things of relatively little consequence, importance, or value.
|
smoke like a chimney »
To smoke tobacco frequently.
|
so long as »
Depending upon some condition or requirement; provided that; if, assuming; as long as.
|
sow the wind, reap the whirlwind »
Every decision has consequences; a person's actions will come back to him.
|
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.
|
stock phrase »
A phrase frequently or habitually used by a person or group, and thus associated with them.
|
stone's throw »
A short distance, roughly equivalent to how far a person can throw a stone.
|
stop press »
The event or news article important enough to delay or interrupt the print, or require a reprint, of a publication, particularly of a newspaper edition.
|
supposed to »
Required.
|
tack up »
To prepare a horse for riding by equipping it with tack.
|
take the heat »
To take the blame; to be the focus of anger or scrutiny; to take the consequences.
|
tell you the truth »
Used to positively assert the frank honesty of an associated statement of set of statements; equivalent to "to you tell the truth".
|
them's the facts »
That's the truth, that's how it is; frequently used in reference to an unfortunate truth.
|
think through »
To fully consider an action, and understand all its consequences.
|
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 in at the deep end »
To introduce a person to a new situation without adequately preparing him or her.
|
throw money away »
To spend money foolishly or indiscriminately; to waste money without regard of the consequences.
|
throw somebody a curve »
To surprise; to introduce something unexpected or requiring a quick reaction or correction.
|
throwing money away »
The act of spending money foolishly; wasting money without regard of the consequences.
|
tie up loose ends »
To deal with the minor consequences of a previous action; to tidy up, finish, or complete.
|
time off »
A period of time where one is not required to work.
|
tin god »
An individual that abuses or exceeds his authority over others, frequently in petty ways; for example a low-level manager in situational comedies and other entertainment.
|
tit for tat »
Equivalent retribution, an eye for an eye, returning exactly what you get.
|
toss-up »
Either of two outcomes that are equally likely.
|
trigger-happy »
Having a tendency or desire to shoot a firearm irresponsibly before adequately identifying the target.
|
tune out »
To change the channel or frequency away from.
|
up to »
Considering all members of an equivalence class the same.
|
up to scratch »
Sufficient; adequate; of acceptable or satisfactory quality.
|
up to snuff »
Adequate; of acceptable or quality; satisfying an appropriate standard.
|
variable tandem repeat locus »
Any DNA sequence that exists in multiple copies strung together in various tandem lengths.
|
wade in »
To interrupt someone, or a situation, by doing or saying something abruptly, or forcefully, and usually without thinking about the consequences.
|
weekend warrior »
A person who indulges in a sport or pastime on an infrequent basis, usually on weekends when work commitments are not present.
|
what goes around comes around »
The status eventually returns to its original value after completing some sort of cycle.A person's actions, whether good or bad, will often have consequences for that person.
|
whatever it takes »
Anything that may be required to achieve an objective.
|
when the shit hits the fan »
A reference to the messy consequences of a secret or private situation becoming public.
|
whistle past the graveyard »
To enter a situation with little or no understanding of the possible consequences.
|
willy nilly »
Without regard for consequences or the will of those affected.
|
you bet »
Certainly; you're welcome; a reply to thank you or to a request.
|
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.
|
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