We've found 5645 phrases for f (0.131 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 camel is a horse designed by a committee »    An expression critical of committees

a cat can look at a king »    Alternative form of a cat may look at a king.1982, A J Ayer,

a cat may look at a king »    Even a purported inferior has certain abilities, even in the presence of a purported superior

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 cut above »    Superior to; of a higher quality than.

a cut below »    Inferior to; of a lower quality than.

a day late and a dollar short »    Action that was taken too late and too feeble to be of any use.

a different ballpark »    Something totally unrelated or of a vastly different scale or scope.

a dime's worth »    An insignificant amount.

a drop in the bucket »    An effort or action having very little overall influence, especially as compared to a huge problem.

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

a few sandwiches short of a picnic »    Exhibiting disquiet or unsoundness of mind; not sane; mad.

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

a friend in need is a friend indeed »    A true friend is one who helps you when you are in need.

a golden key can open any door »    Sufficient money can accomplish anything.

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 good man is hard to find »    Men who make good husbands or workers are rare.

a good voice to beg bacon »    Said in ridicule of a bad voice.

a house is not a home »    A home is not merely a building but requires inhabitants and a friendly atmosphere.

a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step »    even the longest and most difficult ventures have a starting point

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 life of its own »    An independent existence with some characteristics of life.

a little bird told me »    Of information which was gathered from a source not to be overtly exposed.

a man is known by the company he keeps »    People are similar in character to their friends.

a man's home is his castle »    (US) a proverbial expression of personal privacy and security

a million times »    by a factor of a million

a miss is as good as a mile »    A failure remains a failure, regardless of how close to success one has actually come.

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

a nod is as good as a wink »    The hint, suggestion etc can be understood without further explaining.

a notch above »    Superior to; of a higher quality than.

a number of »    Several of.

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 is worth a thousand words »    Alternative form of a picture paints a thousand words.

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 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 question of »    The important question is; the necessary question is.

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

a rolling stone gathers no moss »    A person who never settles in one place will never be successful.A person who does not keep active will grow mouldy.

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 stopped clock is right twice a day »    A normally unreliable person or instrument can occasionally provide correct information, even if only by accident.

a watched kettle never boils »    Alternative form of a watched pot never boils.

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

abide by »    To accept a decision or law and act in accordance with it; to conform to; to acquiesce; as, to abide by an award.

abide by »    To remain faithful to something or someone; to stand to; to adhere.

about time »    Far past the desired time.

about turn »    A complete change of opinion, direction, etc.

about turn »    An about face; a military command to a formation of soldiers to reverse the direction in which they are facing.

above one's bend »    Out of one's control or power.

above the law »    Exempt from the laws that apply to everyone else.

above the salt »    Of high standing or honor.

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

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.

according to »    In a manner conforming or corresponding to; in proportion.

according to Hoyle »    In strict accordance with the rules, especially of card games; in the proper or expected manner.

account for »    To explain by relating circumstances; to show that some one, thing or members of a group are present or have been processed.

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

ace up one's sleeve »    A surprise advantage of which others are not aware.

ache for »    To desire, or want something, or someone, very much.

acid test »    A rigorous test or appraisal of the quality or worth of something.

acid test »    To test for the truth.

across the board »    A racing bet where one bets that the same competitor will place in first, second and third.

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

act on »    To act decisively on the basis of information received or deduced.

act out »    To go through the process of a scene from a play, a charade or a pointless exercise.

act out »    To express one's feelings through disruptive actions.

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 fire »    To inflame a situation, to make a situation worse.

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

add insult to injury »    To further a loss with mockery or indignity.

add up to »    To have a particular effect.

Adds up »    To enhance. " f="http://powerlawofattraction.com">Law of attraction adds up to the success in life."

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

after all »    In the end; anyway; referring to something that was believed to be the case, but has now been shown not to be.

after all »    in spite of everything

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

after the fact »    Too late; after something is finished or final.

against the grain »    Contrary to what is expected; especially, of behavior different from what society expects.

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.

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.

aim at »    To design for a particular audience.

air bed »    inflatable mattress

air rage »    Disruptive behaviour on an aircraft.

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 at once »    Unexpectedly; without warning; all of a sudden.

all bark and no bite »    Full of big talk but lacking action, power, or substance; pretentious.

all cats are gray at night »    Variant of all cats are grey in the dark.

all cats are gray in the dark »    Variant of all cats are grey in the dark.

all cats are grey at night »    Variant of all cats are grey in the dark.

all ears »    Listening intently; fully focused.

all fired up »    Excited or energized; highly enthusiastic.

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

all good things come to an end »    Nothing lasts forever.

all hat and no cattle »    Full of big talk but lacking action, power, or substance; pretentious.

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

all holiday »    A saying signifying that it is all over with the business or person spoken of or alluded to/.

all hollow »    As a foregone conclusion.

all hollow »    Common misspelling of all hallow.

all in a day's work »    A nonchalant dismissal of a significant accomplishment.

all in all »    Generally; for the most part; mostly.

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 nations »    A composition of all the different spirits sold in a dram-shop, collected in a vessel into which the drainings of the bottles and quartern pots are emptied.

all of a sudden »    Adv suddenly, quickly.

all of the sudden »    Suddenly, rapidly.

all one's eggs in one basket »    Devoting all of one’s resources to one thing.

all out »    The state of a side having no more men to bat, thus ending its innings.

all over »    Done; finished; complete.

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

all over grumble »    Inferior.

all over grumble »    Unsatisfactory.

all over hell's half acre »    All over the place; everywhere.

all over the board »    Showing a wide range of values with no particular pattern.

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

all over with »    Completely finished; over.

all right, my lover »    An informal affectionate greeting.

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

all the rage »    Very fashionable and popular, like a craze.

all the time »    Always; constantly; for the complete duration.

all the time »    Very often; frequently.

all things being equal »    Without considering or being affected by external factors.

all things come to those who wait »    (dated) A patient seeker will be satisfied in due time; patience is a virtue.

all very well »    True, as far as it goes.

all walks of life »    All professions, lifestyles or social classes.

all wet »    Utterly incorrect; erroneous; uninformed.

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's well that ends well »    Problems do not matter if things turn out well in the end.

all-over oneself »    Feeling self-satisfied.

allow for »    To take into account when making plans.

am I right or am I right »    Rhetorical question from somebody who has stated what they consider to be an unassailable truth.

amateur hour »    A situation or activity in which the participants show a lack of skill, sound judgment, or professionalism.

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.

an axe to grind »    A grievance, with implications of confrontation.

an Englishman's home is his castle »    (UK) a proverbial expression of personal privacy and security

an offer one can't refuse »    An offer from one side in any transaction with terms so attractive that the other side is almost guaranteed to accept.

an offer one can't refuse »    An offer from one side in any transaction with the results of failing to accept so unattractive that the other side is almost guaranteed to accept.

and how »    Used to strongly confirm preceding utterance.

and shit »    Used after a noun or list of nouns in place of "etc".

and so forth »    Indicates that a list continues in a similar manner.

and then some »    Used to confirm preceding utterance, while implying that what was said or asked is an understatement.

angle for »    To try to obtain something by subtle indirect means. Political manoeuvres, suggestion, etc.

angle for farthings »    To beg out of a prison window with a cap, or box, let down at the end of a long string.

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

answer back »    To issue echo characters, protocol responses, reflexive connection requests, etc.

answer for »    To be held responsible for.

answer for »    To guarantee.

answer on a postcard »    To give a brief answer or opinion.

any press is good press »    Being mentioned in the media is beneficial to the subject because it gets publicity.

any way one slices it »    From any perspective; in every case.

Apa Sâmbetei »    "for nothing", "to no result", or that what you have done was destroyed or is rendered useless after you finish it.

apple does not fall far from the stem »    Alternative form of apple does not fall far from the tree.

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

apple does not fall far from the trunk »    Alternative form of apple does not fall far from the tree.

apple never falls far from the tree »    Alternative form of apple does not fall far from the tree.

apple of somebody's eye »    A favourite, a particular preference, or a loved one; the object of somebody's affections.

apples and oranges »    Said of a comparison of items that are not comparable.

apply oneself »    To put forth a concerted effort; to try; to focus.

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.

April showers bring May flowers »    April, traditionally a rainy period, gives way to May, when flowers will bloom because of the water provided to them by the April rains.By extension, that a period of discomfort can provide the basis for a period of happiness.

apron string hold »    An estate held by a man during his wife's life.

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

ark ruffian »    Rogues who, in conjunction with watermen, robbed, and sometimes murdered, on the water, by picking a quarrel with the passengers in a boat, boarding it, plundering, stripping, and throwing them overboard, etc. A species of badger.

arm and a leg »    A relatively high price for an item or service; an exorbitant price.

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.

armed forces »    The Services

arse about face »    Something that is placed or arranged the opposite way to the way it should be.

arse end of nowhere »    A very remote place.

arse over tit »    Tumbling; falling; upside-down; unstable or unbalanced.

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

as a rule »    In general; most often.

as far as »    In the scope of.

as far as »    With respect to; as relates to.

as far as one knows »    To the best of one's knowledge.

as for »    with reference to

as good as one's word »    Faithful to a promise one has made.

as if »    As though; in a manner suggesting.

as if »    In mimicry of.

as is »    In its present state or condition, especially as a contractual condition of sale.

as long as »    Depending upon some condition or requirement; provided that; if, assuming; so long as.

as long as »    While; for some period of time.

as luck would have it »    As it happened; how it turned out; by good fortune; fortunately or luckily.

as of »    From, on or at a specified time.

as the crow flies »    In a straight line distance between two locations, as opposed to the road distance or over land distance.

as well »    To the same effect.

as yet »    Up to the present; thus far.

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.

ash wednesday »    first day of lent

ask around »    To enquire about something to different people.

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

ask for »    request

ask for »    make a request

ask for it »    To provoke an unwanted action.

ask for the moon »    To claim or desire something that one cannot have.

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

ask round »    To enquire about something to different people.

asleep at the switch »    Neglectful of an important task, responsibility, or opportunity.

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

ass over teakettle »    Frantically.

assume the mantle »    To take on a specific role or position, along with any associated responsibilites.

at a loss »    Below the cost or price of purchase.

at a loss for words »    Having nothing to say; stunned to the point of speechlessness.

at a moment's notice »    Immediately; instantaneously; without need of warning.

at a pinch »    By the skin of one’s teeth; only just; Deo volente; perhaps; if you’re lucky..

at a stand »    In a state of confusion or uncertainty; undecided what to do next.

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

at arm's length »    At a distance, away from one's body.

at bay »    Cornered; unable to flee.

at best »    In the most favorable of conditions; at the most.

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 first »    Initially; at the start.

at full tilt »    At full speed; very quickly.

at hand »    Being at the moment the center of attention or the cause of trouble.

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

at home »    At ease, comfortable.

at home »    In one's place of residence.

at home »    In the home of one's parents.

at large »    In full, fully.

at large »    On the loose; roaming freely; not confined.

at last »    After a long time; eventually.

at last »    In the end; finally; ultimately.

at odds »    In disagreement; conflicting.

at one's fingertips »    Readily available.

at peace »    Free of worries; peaceful.

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

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

at sixes and sevens »    In a state of confusion.

at sixes and sevens »    In a state of dispute or disagreement.

at that »    In addition to what has been said; furthermore; moreover.

at the best of times »    At most.

at the drop of a hat »    Without any hesitation; instantly.

at the end of one's tether »    At the limit of one’s patience; frustrated or annoyed..

at the end of the day »    In summary; ultimately.

at the end of the road »    No longer in the competition. Voted off. Eliminated.

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

at the mercy of »    In the power of; defenceless/defenseless against.

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

at the top of one's lungs »    Possible.

at the wheel »    Driving; in control of a vehicle.

at the wheel »    In control of the situation; in charge.

at will »    At one's preference; as one sees fit.

at work »    Working, in the process of doing work.

au fait »    fully informed;

auction off »    To sell something at an auction.

autem cackler »    Dissenters of every denomination.

autem diver »    Pickpockets who practice in churches; also churchwardens and overseers of the poor.

autem gogler »    Pretended French prophet.

autem mort »    A married woman; also a female beggar with several children hired or borrowed to excite charity.

avant la lettre »    An example of a term before the term was coined. Describing a term used anachronistically.

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

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

babe in arms »    An infant.

baby blues »    Period and feeling of depressiveness after giving birth; a less severe form of postnatal depression.

back away »    Of your attention on the thing in front being avoided.

back burner »    A section of a stove used to keep some pots warm while one focuses on others.

back burner »    A state of low urgency; a state of low current importance.

back down »    To take a less aggressive position in a conflict than one previously has or has planned to.

back in the day »    In the past; at one time, especially a time which is fondly remembered.

back of beyond »    A very remote place.

back off »    To move backwards away from something.

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

back off »    To lower the setting of.

back office »    The IT and infrastructure support services for a company, separate from the public face of the business.

back onto »    To overlook something from the rear.

back out »    To withdraw from something one has promised to do.

back out »    To reverse a vehicle from a confined space.

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

back to the drawing board »    Back to the beginning following an unsuccessful attempt.

back up »    To move backwards, especially for a vehicle to do so.

back up »    To provide support or the promise of support.

back up »    For the non-striker to take a few steps down the pitch, in preparation to taking a run, just as the bowler bowls the ball.

back-assward »    Alternative form of bass-ackwards.

back-asswards »    Alternative form of bass-ackwards.

back-cloth star »    An actor who stands upstage, forcing the other actors to face him and turn their backs to the audience, in order to gain more attention to himself.

back-of-the-envelope »    Approximate, rough, simplified.

back-to-back »    With one's back facing somebody else's back.

backassward »    Alternative form of bass-ackwards.

backasswards »    Alternative form of bass-ackwards.

backfoot »    To put on the defensive; to put off balance.

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

bacon fed »    Fat, greasy.

bacon-faced »    Having a fat, sleek face.

bad apple »    A person who is not wholesome, honest, or trustworthy, especially one who has an adverse influence on others.

bad blood »    A serious feud or grudge.

bad blood »    Feelings of hostility or ill will.

bad for you »    Unhealthy.

bad luck »    ill-fortune

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 »    An irritating, troublesome, or harmful person, situation, or thing.

bad news »    News of unpleasant, unfortunate or sad events.

bad penny »    A counterfeit or damaged penny.

bad taste in one's mouth »    A feeling of disappointment and frustration.

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.

badge bunny »    A woman who is romantically attracted to police officers and who seeks out their companionship.

bag of bones »    A skinny, malnourished person.

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

bag of wind »    A windbag.

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

baggage »    In a metaphorical sense, factors that restrict a person's freedom, often in an intellectual or psychological way: emotional baggage.

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

bail out »    To remove water from a boat by scooping it out.

bail out »    To exit an aircraft while in flight.

bail out »    To rescue, especially financially.

baker's dozen »    Thirteen, a group of thirteen.

balancing act »    A performance that involves balancing things precariously and suspensefully.

balancing act »    An effort to manage many conflicting or competing items or interests.

bale out »    Alternative spelling of bail out.

ballpark estimate »    A ballpark figure, a very rough approximation.

ballpark figure »    An educated guess or estimation within acceptable bounds.

balls up »    Third-person singular simple present indicative form of ball up.

bang about »    To make a lot of percussive noise while doing an activity.

bang around »    To make a lot of percussive noise while doing an activity.

bang for the buck »    Efficiency; cost-effectiveness; value.

bang out »    To do something quickly, in a slipshod, or unprofessional manner.

bang straw »    A nick name for a thresher, but applied to all the servants of a farmer.

bang up cove »    A dashing fellow who spends his money freely.

bang up job »    Something done very well; something performed above average or better than expected.

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.

bank on »    To be sure of something. To depend on it.

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

banyan day »    In modern usage it refers to a picnic or cookout for the ship's crew.

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

baptism by fire »    A rite of passage through the survival or success of a crisis.

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

bar fly »    A person who frequents bars or lounges to get drunk.

bar none »    Without exception; excluding nothing else of the same kind.

bar star »    A female who frequents bars or lounges, usually late at night.

bare one's teeth »    Of an animal, to show one's teeth as a sign of aggression.

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

barking dogs never bite »    Alternative form of barking dogs seldom bite.

barn burner »    Any successful or impressive event.

barnburner »    Liberal faction of the New York state United States Democratic Party in the mid 19th century.

barrel »    A metallic tube, as of a gun, from which a projectile is discharged.

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 »    The hollow basal part of a feather.

barrel »    The quantity which constitutes a full barrel. This varies for different articles and also in different places for the same article, being regulated by custom or by law. A barrel of wine is 31 1/2 gallons; a barrel of flour is 196 pounds; of beer 31 gallons; of ale 32 gallons; of crude oil 42 gallons.

barrel »    The ribs and belly of a horse or pony.

barrel of laughs »    A toy in the shape of a barrel that emits sounds of laughter.

barrel of laughs »    That which is enjoyable or entertaining.

barrel of laughs »    That which is immature, embarrassing, or disgraceful.

barrel of monkeys »    Something very funny or amusing.

barrow man »    A man under sentence of transportation; alluding to the convicts at Woolwich, who are principally employed in wheeling barrows full of brick or dirt.

base over apex »    Falling over in a jumbled heap.

bash up »    To assault someone with the intention of causing physical injury.

basket case »    One made powerless or ineffective, as by nerves, panic or stress.

bass-ackward »    Alternative form of bass-ackwards.

bass-ackwards »    Alternative form of ass-backwards.

bassackward »    Alternative form of bass-ackwards.

bassackwards »    Alternative form of bass-ackwards.

bat a thousand »    To achieve perfection.

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

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

bat away »    To avoid by diverting the focus of a discussion.

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

bat for the other team »    To be homosexual.

batten down »    To close or make watertight, referring to hatches and cargo.

batten down the hatches »    Prepare for trouble.

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

be after »    To try to obtain.

be after »    To try to capture.

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

be at one's beck and call »    To be in the position of serving someone in any way they desire, usually unwillingly.

be glad to see the back of »    To be glad to get rid of someone; to be glad someone has left.

be had up »    To be accused of, or arrested for a criminal act.

be in a spot of bother »    To have a slight problem, to be in a predicament.

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

be in on »    To be a party to a secret shared by a small group of people.

be left holding the baby »    To be left with the responsibility of resolving a problem.

be mother »    To pour out tea for others.

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

be of two minds »    To be undecided or unsure; to equivocate; to have multiple opinions.

be off »    To leave.

be off »    To be working against a present or former addiction to.

be off »    To be away from.

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 that as it may »    Even if that is the case; whether that is true or not; nevertheless.

be the way to go »    Represent the best of all possible options or courses of action; pre-eminate over all other choices or alternatives.

be there for »    To be available to provide comfort and support for someone, especially in a period of difficulty.

be up against »    To be challenged by someone or something stronger than oneself.

be-all and end-all »    Something considered to be of the utmost importance; something essential or ultimate.

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.

bear down »    To approach another vessel from windward.

bear down »    To intensify one's efforts.

bear on »    To influence, have an effect on.

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

bear up »    To endure hardship cheerfully.

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 feet »    To flee.

beat feet »    To run.

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

beat the crap out of »    To beat really badly.

beat the shit out of »    To beat really badly.

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

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

beauty mark »    Or artificially using cosmetics.

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

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

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

bed down »    To lie down to sleep for the night, usually of livestock or machinery.

bed down »    To put an animal to rest for the night.

bed of roses »    A comfortable or luxurious position.

bed of roses »    A pleasant or easy situation.

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

beddy-bye »    Bedtime for a toddler, going to sleep, going to bed.

bee in one's bonnet »    Something of particular interest or concern; an obsession.

beef to the hoof »    Fat, chubby, particularly with fat legs.

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

beefed out »    Muscular, often in an exaggerated way.

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.

been to the rodeo »    N.d., Alan Neff, Precious Tribes, Vicious Lies, page 72.

beer and skittles »    Fun times.

before you can say Jack Robinson »    Very quickly. Quicker than you expect.

beg off »    To avoid, or cancel some event that one has previously arranged with someone.

beg to differ »    To differ strongly in opinion or interpretation.

beggars can't be choosers »    (proverb) When resources are limited, one must accept even substandard gifts.

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 counter »    Of drugs, dispensed by a pharmacist without needing a doctor's prescription or other form of compliance.

behind the scenes »    In secret; out of public view.

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.

below par »    Having a price below its face value.

below par »    Less than par for the hole or course.

below the belt »    Of a punch, landing illegally, below the opponent's waist.

below the belt »    Unfair; dirty; not according to the generally accepted rules.

belt and suspenders »    Redundant systems, affording mutual backup in the event of one failing.

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 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.

beside oneself »    Overcome; consumed by an emotion.

best laid plans »    A proverbial expression used to signify the futility of making detailed plans when the outcome is uncertain.

best of both worlds »    A combination of two seemingly contradictory benefits.

best of the bunch »    The best or most preferred person or item within a group.

best regards »    Used as a polite closing of a letter.

bet the farm »    To be absolutely certain, to have no doubts.

better an egg today than a hen tomorrow »    It is better to have a sure thing now than a possibility of more later.

better safe than sorry »    It is preferable to be cautious in one's choices and actions than to suffer afterwards.

better than sex »    Superlative; wonderful.

better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all »    Having experience of love, even if it ended, is better than having no experience of love.Love is worthwhile despite the pain involved in separation.

better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness »    In the face of bad times or hopelessness, it is more worthwhile to do some good, however small, in response than to complain about the situation.

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

between the jigs and the reels »    Eventually, despite all the confusion.

beyond one's pay grade »    Beyond one's level of authority.

beyond the pale »    Describing behaviour that is considered to be outside the bounds of morality, good behaviour or judgement in civilised company.

bid fair »    seem probable

bid fair »    seems probable

big boys »    Plural form of big boy.

big boys »    The people or bodies with the most influence and/or power.

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

big bucks »    Lots of money.

big cheese »    A very important figure, especially a high-ranking person in an organization.

big daddy »    Something or someone of importance.

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

big enchilada »    Some item of high value, especially a top prize or reward.

big fat »    Complete, utter, total.

big fish in a small pond »    One who has achieved a high rank or is highly esteemed, but only in a small, relatively unimportant, or little known location or organization.

big gun »    Someone who is powerful or influential most often in plural form.

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 picture »    The totality of a situation.

big shot »    A person with a reputation of importance or power.

big up »    To proclaim or exaggerate the importance of.

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

big wheel »    Ferris wheel.

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

bigger fish to fry »    A much more pressing issue to attend to.

bigwig »    A person of importance to a group or organization.

bill of goods »    A collection of items purchased or offered for sale.

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

bird in the bosom »    A secret pledge that one makes for another.

bird in the hand »    Shortened form of "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush".

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

bird's-eye view »    The view from directly or high above.

birds and bees »    Informal sex education, especially describing the sexual activity of animals rather than that of people.

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.

birthday suit »    Nakedness; a lack of clothing.

bite me »    An expression of discontent or aggravation to another party.

bite of the reality sandwich »    A wake-up call, a reality check.

bite off more than one can chew »    To try to do too much; to take on or attempt more than one is capable of doing.

bite one's tongue »    An admonishment to someone who has said something unfeeling or harsh.

bite one's tongue »    To forcibly prevent oneself from uttering a word.

bite someone's head off »    To severely berate someone.

bite the bullet »    To accept a negative aspect of a situation in order to continue moving forward.

bite the dust »    To quit, or fail.

bite the hand that feeds you »    To cause harm to a benefactor.

bits and bobs »    A random assortment of things; small remaining pieces and things.

bitter end »    That part of an anchor cable which is abaft the bitts and thus remains onboard when a ship is riding at anchor.

bitter end »    The end of a long and difficult process.

black »    Absorbing all light and reflecting none; dark and colourless.

black magic »    Magic derived from evil forces, as distinct from good or benign forces; or magic performed with the intention of doing harm.

black sheep »    A disliked person; one who is disfavored.

black sheep »    A nonconformist; an unusual or unconventional person.

black-on-black »    A description of the colors of an automobile .

black-on-black »    A reference to interactions between black people .

black-on-black »    Something that is invisible or intentionally obfuscated, such as warnings or fine print.

blame Canada »    A catch phrase for shifting attention away from a serious social issue by laying responsibility with Canada.

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.

bleeding edge »    Something very current, or modern where there may actually be a hazard or risk in using it, such as with potentially unstable software. The term relates to a sword.

bleep out »    To censor inappropriate spoken words by obscuring them with the sound of a bleep.

blessed event »    The birth of a baby.

blessing in disguise »    A misfortune that has an unexpected benefit.

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

blind »    A covering for a window to keep out light. The covering may be made of cloth or of narrow slats that can block light or allow it to pass.

blind »    A forced bet.

blind »    A player who is or was forced to make a bet.

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

blind date »    A romantic meeting between two people who have never met before.

blink of an eye »    A very short period of time; quickly.

blood is thicker than water »    Family relations and loyalties are stronger than relationships with people who are not family members.1866, Anthony Trollope, The Belton Estate, ch. 30,Blood is thicker than water, is it not? If cousins are not friends, who can be?circa 1915, Lucy Fitch Perkins, The Scotch Twins, ch. 5,The old clans are scattered now, but blood is thicker than water still, and you're welcome to the fireside of your kinsman!

blow a fuse »    To lose one's temper; to become enraged.

blow away »    Flabbergast; scintillate; impress greatly.

blow away »    To be dispersed as a result of being blown.

blow chunks »    To suffer from explosive diarrhea.

blow chunks »    To vomit chunks of undigested food.

blow hot and cold »    To behave inconsistently; to vacillate or to waver, as between extremes of opinion or emotion.

blow it »    To fail at something; to mess up; to make a mistake.

blow off »    To pass gas; to break wind.

blow off »    To vent, usually, to reduce pressure in a container.

blow off »    To shoot something with a gun, causing it to come disconnected.

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

blow one's chances »    To forfeit opportunities to achieve some goal.

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 someone's mind »    To astonish someone, to flabbergast someone.

blow the whistle »    To disclose information to the public or to appropriate authorities concerning the illegal or socially harmful actions of a person or group, especially a corporation or government agency.

blow the whistle »    To make a piercing sound which signals a referee's action or the end of a game.

blow this pop stand »    To exit or remove oneself from a less than exciting location or environment.

blow up »    To inflate or fill with air.

blow up »    To fail disastrously.

blow up in one's face »    To fail disastrously.

blue moon »    The third full moon in a quarter that contains four rather than the usual three full moons.

blue note »    Notes added to the major scale for expressive quality in jazz and blues music, particularly the flatted third, fifth and seventh.

blue state »    A state of the United States voting Democratic in a given election, or tending to vote Democratic in general.

blue-eyed boy »    Someone's favourite, especially a young one.

bluewash »    To tout a business or organization's commitment to social responsibility, and to use this perception for public relations and economic gain; to present a humanitarian front in this manner.

bo jook »    Bluffing.

board up »    To block doors or windows with boards, either to prevent access or as protection from storms, etc.

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

bogged down »    Stuck, as if in a bog.

bogged down »    Stuck; mired, as in detail, difficulty; delayed or made slower.

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 dry »    Completely dry; without any trace of moisture.

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

bone up »    To study or cram, especially in order to refresh one's knowledge of a topic.

booby prize »    A prize or status, often unwelcome, awarded as a joke or disincentive to the loser of a contest or for poor performance.

boot camp »    A short, intensive, quasi-military program generally aimed at young offenders as an alternative to a jail term.

boot camp »    Any short, intensive course of training.

boot camp »    Indoctrination, physical fitness training and basic instruction in service-related subjects for recruits in the Navy and Marine Corps.

borganism »    An organization of autonomous organisms that exhibit collectivism: individual "units" that have merged to yield a unified construct. Such an amalgam may possess a collective consciousness, arguably an emergent phenomenon of social networking.

borganism »    Some forms of government.

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

born in a barn »    Lacking a sense of etiquette; ill-mannered.

born in a barn »    Of humble birth, especially when referring to Jesus Christ.

born on the Fourth of July »    Demonstratively patriotic.

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

borne out »    Past participle of bear out.

bottle out »    To fail to perform a promised or planned action due to lack of courage.

bottom line »    The final balance; the amount of money or profit left after everything has been tallied.

bottom line »    The summary or result; the most important information; the upshot; the net-net.

bottom of the line »    The worst, the most lackluster, or lowest quality currently on the market, especially among selections in a product line.

bottom of the ninth »    By extension, any last chance or final opportunity.

bottom of the ninth »    In baseball, the second part of the ninth and final inning. The end of the game.

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.

bounce back »    To recover from a negative without seemingly any damage.

bouncing off the walls »    Moving hyperactively.

bowl of cherries »    An enjoyable experience.

bowl over »    To overwhelm with astonishment or wonder; to flabbergast.

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

box the compass »    To know, and be able to recite the 32 points and quarter points of the magnetic compass from North, both clockwise and anticlockwise.

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.

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.

brace of shakes »    A very short time.

brace of shakes »    The time taken for a sail to shake or shiver twice as a ship comes into the wind.

bragging rights »    The prerogative to praise oneself for an accomplishment or for possession of a superior characteristic.

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

brain fart »    Something ill-considered and said or done impulsively.

brain surgery »    Something that is overly complex, detailed or confusing.

brain surgery »    Surgery on any part of the nervous system, especially the brain; neurosurgery.

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

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

branch out »    To expand in the manner of branches.

branch out »    To attempt something new or different, but related.

brass farthing »    Something worthless or of small value.

brass monkey »    A cocktail of vodka, rum and orange juice, sometimes with the addition of galliano.

brass monkey »    A kind of inexpensive liqueur.

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

brass ring »    Figuratively, a prize or goal. Often used with respect to employment goals e.g. promotion, better job, etc.

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

break a sweat »    To put effort into something.

break down »    To fail.

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

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 into »    To enter illegally or by force.

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

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 separate from a bundle.

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

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

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 »    For example, it's quite common for magazines to have a section called Bouquets and Brickbats for compliments and criticisms.

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

bridge »    A particular form of one hand placed on the table to support the cue when making a shot in cue sports.

bridge »    A song contained within another song, often demarcated by meter, key, or melody.

bridge »    A statement, such as an offer, that signals a possibility of accord.

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

bridge »    An edge which, if removed, changes a connected graph to one that is not connected.

bridge »    An elevated platform above the upper deck of a mechanically propelled ship from which it is navigated and from which all activities on deck can be seen and controlled by the captain, etc; smaller ships have a wheelhouse, and sailing ships were controlled from a quarterdeck.

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

bridge »    Cue for extended or tedious shots. Also called a spider.

bridge »    The piece, on string instruments, that supports the strings from the sounding board.

bridge »    The upper bony ridge of the human nose.

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 clearly defined rule or standard, comprised of objective factors, which leaves little or no room for varying interpretation.

brighten up »    To make cheerful.

brim over »    To overflow over the brim.

bring back »    To fetch something.

bring back »    To cause someone to remember something from the past.

bring down »    To make a legitimate rulership lose their position of power.

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

bring down »    To make someone feel bad emotionally.

bring forth »    To produce, bear as fruit.

bring forth »    To give birth.

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

bring forth »    To display, produce, bring out for display.

bring forward »    To call up for consideration.

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 introduce a new rule, law, or system of organisation.

bring in »    To introduce a person or group of people to an organisation.

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

bring in »    To return a verdict in a court of law.

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".

bring off »    To succeed in doing something considered to be very difficult.

bring out »    To make a shy person more confident.

bring owls to Athens »    Forgive me, then, for bringing owls to Athens as a thanks-offering. — Goethe, in a letter to Wilhelm von Humboldt.

bring owls to Athens »    Perhaps we have not been sufficiently aware that talking about access and its implications in Scandinavia is like bringing owls to Athens. — Herbert Burkert.

bring owls to Athens »    To undertake a pointless venture, one that is redundant, unnecessary, superfluous, or highly uneconomical.

bring to heel »    To be forced to obey.

bring to heel »    To force someone to obey.

bring up »    To bring from a lower position to a higher position.

bring up »    To turn on power or start, as of a machine.

bring upon »    To cause to befall.

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 vessel »    A person who is destroyed or forgotten, or who feels flawed or broken.

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

bros before hoes »    (US, informal) A man should prioritize his male friends over his girlfriend or wife.

bros before hos »    Alternative spelling of bros before hoes.

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.

brown thumb »    Lack of skill at growing plants; something possessed by a poor gardener.

browned off »    Annoyed, upset, angry, bored, fed up, disgusted.

brush off »    An abrupt rebuff or dismissal.

buck off »    To cause to fall off.

bucket of bolts »    A piece of machinery that is not worth more than its scrap value, often of old cars.

buckle down »    To put forth the needed effort; to focus; become serious; apply oneself.

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

buff the muffin »    To masturbate.

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

bugger off »    Go away.

bugger off »    An expression of disagreement or disbelief.

built like a brick shithouse »    Of a person, with an exceptionally well-developed chest.

built like a tank »    Broad shouldered and of solid, muscular build.

bull session »    An informal meeting among men.

bulletproof »    Capable of withstanding a direct shot by a bullet fired from a gun.

bulletproof »    Reliable, infallible, sturdy or error-tolerant.

bulletproof »    Unbreakable, very tough.

bum around »    To wander around idly to no purpose; to loaf or loiter.

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

bum rap »    An undeservedly unfavorable portrayal or reputation.

bum steer »    Bad advice, regardless of intention.

bump and grind »    A combination of movements resembling such a dance, as in road racing, whitewater kayaking, or exercising; any activity involving prolonged jarring or shaking.

bump off »    To kill, especially to murder.

bumper crop »    A large yield; an excess of something.

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.

bundle of joy »    A newborn baby.

bundle of joy »    A pet.

bundle of nerves »    A lively, continually active person.

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

bunk off »    To play truant.

bunk off »    We all bunked off school yesterday to watch the football.

bunny hop »    A dance from the big band era, a variation of the conga.

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

bunny hug »    A style of dance.

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.

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 one's fingers »    To harm oneself; to suffer consequences of one's actions.

burn out »    To extinguish due to lack of fuel.

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

burn up »    To catch fire and burn until destroyed.

burst someone's bubble »    To disillusion; to disabuse someone of a false notion or rationalization that has grown comfortable.

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.

bush telegraph »    A system used by undeveloped societies in remote regions for communication over long distances, such as drum sounds, word-of-mouth relay, or smoke signals.

business as usual »    The normal course of an activity, particularly in circumstances that are out of the ordinary.

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.

business end »    The part of a tool or other similar item, that is physically used for its operation, rather than the part which is held.

business girl »    A young woman employed in business or office work.

busman's holiday »    A holiday or vacation during which you do the same thing that you do for your usual work.

bust a cap in someone's ass »    Alternative form of pop a cap in someone's ass.

bust chops »    To nag; to berate or hound in an effort to elicit action.

bust one's chops »    To exert oneself.

busted flush »    A potential flush which ultimately was not filled.

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

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.

but seriously folks »    Directs attention to immediately preceding failed attempt at humor.

but who's counting »    Used as a retort or comeback, often to deprecate oneself or another for excessive concern or attention to.

butter fingers »    A clumsy person who always drops things, a klutz.

butter up »    To flatter, especially with the intent of personal gain.

butterfly upon a wheel »    An innocent person crushed by life's adversities.

button up »    To fasten with a button or buttons.

button up »    To fasten all the buttons on a coat, or similar item of clothing, to keep warm.

button-down »    Of a collar, able to be buttoned down to the shirt, as over a necktie.

buttoned-down »    Alternative form of button-down.

buy out »    To purchase the entire stock or extent of something.

buy out »    To purchase the ownership of a company.

buy straw hats in winter »    Of stocks, to buy when both demand and price is low, sell when demand and price is high.

buy the farm »    To die; often, to die in battle.

buy time »    Purposefully cause a delay to something, in order to achieve something else.

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

buzz off »    Used to tell someone to go away.

buzz up »    To allow entrance into a building from a higher floor by triggering an electronic lock.

by a long shot »    By a wide margin; indicates a very big difference or disparity.

by all means »    Yes certainly; definitely.

by and large »    Mostly, generally; with few exceptions.

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

by far »    To a considerably large extent, easily.

by hand »    Manually; without the use of automation or machines.

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 oneself »    Alone; without assistance, accompaniment, or help from others.

by the book »    In a manner which adheres strictly to rules, legal requirements, or official procedures.

by the Grace of God »    By divine right.

by the Grace of God »    Used as part of the titles of royalty.

by the numbers »    To do something exactly, precisely, or in a formulaic way.

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

by the skin of one's teeth »    Barely; closely; by a narrow margin; with nothing to spare.

by the way »    His mother will be coming for dinner tomorrow, and, by the way, she volunteered to bring dessert.

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 trade »    As a profession; professionally.

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

by-the-book »    Adhering strictly to rules, legal requirements, or official procedures.

by-the-numbers »    Done in a predictable manner; formulaic.

cake crumbs »    Crumbs from a cake.

call forth »    To induce, inspire.

call in »    To summon someone, especially for help or advice.

call in »    To withdraw something from sale or circulation.

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 it even »    To declare debts resolved or favors or other exchange equitable.

call off »    To recall; to cancel or call a halt to.

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.

call on »    To request or ask of somebody; to select for a task.

call out »    To specify, especially in detail.

call out »    To arrange for a professional to call at your home for some purpose.

call someone's bluff »    To take action on the basis that another person is bluffing.

call up »    An order to report for military service.

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.

calling card »    An attribute, object, or behavior which is distinctly characteristic of someone or something.

calling card »    Excrement, especially of a domestic animal.

calls for »    Requires; needs to

camel through the eye of a needle »    Hyperbole to illustrate that something is almost impossible to do or to happen.

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 of worms »    A complex, troublesome situation arising when a decision or action produces considerable subsequent problems.

can of worms »    A troublesome situation; an issue whose resolution is difficult or contentious, but not necessarily complex.

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

cancel out »    To neutralize the effect of something.

Cannon fodder »    Military personnel who are regarded as expendable when attacking the enemy.

cap it all off »    To finish or complete something.

cap it all off »    To surpass or outdo something.

cap off »    To finish.

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.

carpe diem »    seize the day, make the most of today, enjoy the present

carpe diem cras »    seize the day tomorrow, make the most of tomorrow

carrot and stick »    Simultaneous rewards for good behavior and punishments for bad behavior.

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.

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

carry off »    Knowledge, confidence, or familiarity.

carry off »    To transport away.

carry on »    To continue or proceed as before.

carry one's own weight »    A variant of carry one's weight.

carry one's weight »    To contribute or produce one's fair share, as of work, money, etc.

carry out »    To fulfill.

carry the message to Garcia »    To perform a requisite task despite obstacles.

carry the message to Garcia »    To perform a requisite task without having been informed specifically by what method to do so.

carry water for »    To perform menial tasks for; to serve; to assist.

cash cow »    A product, service, or enterprise that generates ongoing, high net free cash flows.

cash cow »    Someone or something which is a dependable source of appreciable amounts of money; a moneymaker.

cash in »    To profit from; to use an opportunity to maximum advantage, especially financially.

cast aspersions »    To make damaging or spiteful remarks.

cast off »    To discard or reject something.

cast off »    To let go a cable or rope securing a vessel to a buoy, wharf etc so that she may proceed.

cast off »    To finish the last row of knitted stitches and remove them securely from the needle.

cast on »    To start the first row of knitting by putting stitches on a needle.

cast one's vote »    To vote for something.

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

cast the first stone »    To act self-righteously in accusing another person, believing that one is blameless.

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 dog life »    Unhappy married life.

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 sack »    Something to be suspicious of.

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 meow »    A highly sought-after and fancy example of something.

cat's meow »    A self-satisfied person.

cat's pyjamas »    A highly sought-after and fancy example of something, usually referring to inanimate objects.

catbird seat »    Expression used to describe an enviable position, often one of great advantage.

catch a cold »    To become infected with cold.

catch big air »    Superlative of catch air; make a big jump high off the ground.

catch fire »    Become engulfed with flames.

catch flies »    An ostensible product of awkwardly having one's mouth open wide.

catch out »    To discover or expose as fake or insincere.

catch out »    To put a batsman out by catching the batted ball before it touches the ground.

catch up »    To compensate for or make up a deficiency.

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.

catch-as-catch-can »    Intermittent; only when possible or when the opportunity presents itself.

catmeat »    Catfood consisting of meat.

catmeat »    Meat from a cat.

cattle call »    An audition which is open to the public and thus draws a large number of applicants, many of whom are inexperienced.

caucus race »    A political competition; the game of campaigning and one-upmanship to get votes and be elected.

caught in the act »    To be found doing something that you weren't supposed to be doing, while you're doing it.

caught with one's hand in the cookie jar »    Observed or apprehended while committing a theft, especially while embezzling money.

caught with one's pants down »    Caught off guard, unprepared, or in an embarrassing situation.

cave in »    The act of something collapsing or caving in.

cave in »    The act of relenting.

cease fire »    truce

center field »    A central role in some activity that requires speed.

center field »    The defensive position in the outfield in the middle, typically played by a player that can run fast.

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.

ceterum censeo »    A formulaic expression used to end a speech by reinforcing one, often unrelated, major view.

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.

chalk up to »    To attribute or account for something.

chalkface »    A cliff or quarry exposing chalk, e.g. the White Cliffs of Dover.

chalkface »    A musical concept or genre in which music is completely improvised and never played twice. Most often mixing elements of hip-hop, metal, punk and avant-garde jazz.

champ at the bit »    To show impatience or frustration when delayed.

chance'd be a fine thing »    Given to indicate that an aforementioned thing would be desirable but unlikely. Comparable to if I should be so lucky.

change hands »    To become the property of someone else; to be bought or sold.

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 of life »    Menopause.

change one's mind »    To convince someone to make a decision differing from what a previous one.

change one's mind »    To decide differently than one had decided before.

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

charity mugger »    A person employed by a charity, or by an intermediary fundraising agency employed by the charity, who stands in the street and invites passersby to set up standing orders or direct debits to make regular donations to the charity.

chase after »    To chase someone.

chase after »    To pursue someone with romantic intentions; to woo.

chase down »    To investigate the cause of something.

chat up »    In a friendly, open, or casual manner, sometimes also in a charming or affected manner, usually to curry favor, and sometimes flirtatiously with the intention of establishing a romantic or sexual encounter or relationship with that person.

che sara sara »    Used to express a personal philosophy of fatalism1892 March 17, Cigarette,

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 is in the mail »    A common excuse used by debtors to put off creditors.

check out »    To pay the bill, and record one's departure, as from a hotel.

check out »    To have one's purchases recorded and bagged at a supermarket, and pay for it.

check out »    To withdraw an item, as from a library, and have the withdrawal recorded.

check out »    To obtain computer source code from a repository.

cheek by jowl »    In close proximity; crammed uncomfortably close together.

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.

cheese it »    A minced oath used as a warning to stop, hide, or flee.

cheese off »    To annoy.

cheesed off »    Annoyed, upset, angry.

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.

cherry pick »    To select only the best from a range of options.

cherry picking »    Selecting only the best from a group or other range of choices.

cherry-pick »    To pick out the best, or most desirable items from a list or group, especially to obtain some advantage or to present something in the best possible light.

chew the cud »    To meditate or ponder before answering; to be deep in thought; to ruminate.

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.

chicken feed »    A very small or insignificant quantity, especially of money.

chicken feed »    Food given to poultry.

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

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

chinese gooseberry »    kiwi fruit

chip in »    To interrupt a discussion for the purpose of making a comment.

chip in »    To make a contribution; help in a small way; especially, to pay for a part of something.

chip in »    To put into the pot the amount of chips or money required to continue.

chip off the old block »    Someone who takes after their parent.

chip on one's shoulder »    A form of challenge in the same spirit as a medieval knight throwing down his gauntlet.

chip on one's shoulder »    A habitually combative attitude, usually because of a harboured grievance, sense of inferiority, or having something to prove.

chip on one's shoulder »    A tendency to take offence quickly.

chomp at the bit »    To show impatience or frustration when delayed.

chopped liver »    A Jewish food made by frying liver and onions in schmaltz.

chopped liver »    A person or object which is not worthy of being noticed; someone or something insignificant.

chrome horn »    The front bumper of a car when used to bump another vehicle, usually to inform the driver of the other vehicle, that the first car would like to pass.

chuck out »    To discard, to dispose of.

chump change »    A sum of money considered to be insignificant.

chump change »    An amount of remuneration, reward, or other monetary recompense considered to be insultingly small.

chump-change »    Of or pertaining to something of little monetary value.

circle the wagons »    To prepare to defend against an attack.

circles around »    Far faster or better than.

circular firing squad »    A political party or other group experiencing considerable disarray because the members are engaging in internal disputes and mutual recrimination.

cite chapter and verse »    To provide specific references from an authoritative book, as the Bible or a book of statutes or rules, to support a statement.

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

city slicker »    One accustomed to a city or urban lifestyle or unsuited to life in the country.

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

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

clay »    A mineral substance made up of small crystals of silica and alumina, that is ductile when moist; the material of pre-fired ceramics.

clay »    A tennis court surface.

clay »    The material of the human body.

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

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 the walls »    To behave in a distressed or frantic manner; to feel very agitated.

climbing the walls »    Present participle of climb the walls.

clock up »    To accumulate a large amount of time.

close enough for government work »    It is not worth investing additional time on perfecting this thing.

close fisted »    stingy

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

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

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

close to home »    Affecting people close to, or within, ones family circle.

close up »    To shut a building or a business for a period of time.

cloud nine »    A state of happiness, elation or bliss; often used in the phrase on cloud nine.

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.

clue in »    To inform, instruct, or tell.

clue stick »    A metaphorical stick used to beat information or understanding into a slow learner.

clutter up »    To fill with rubbish.

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.

cock of the walk »    A proud or conceited person.

cock of the walk »    W:The Pogues - w:The Irish Rover.

cock up »    Unintentionally; to screw up, mess up or f** up.

cock-and-bull story »    A far-fetched and fanciful story or tale of highly dubious validity.

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

cold shoulder »    A deliberate act of disrespect; a slight or snub.

cold snap »    A period of exceptionally cold weather.

cold turkey »    The physiological effects of such a withdrawal.

cold turkey »    The sudden and complete withdrawal of a dependent substance, especially of a drug.

collect dust »    To remain untouched and unused for a long period of time.

collect one's thoughts »    To become mentally composed, especially after being distressed, surprised, or disoriented; to become calm or organized in one's emotional state or thinking, as in preparation for a conversation, speech, decision, etc.

colt over the fence »    An illegitimate child.

combine harvester »    farm vehicle

come a cropper »    To fall headlong from a horse.

come a cropper »    To suffer some misfortune; to fail.

come about »    To tack; to change tack; to maneuver the bow of a sailing vessel across the wind so that the wind changes from one side of the vessel to the other; to position a boat with respect to the wind after tacking.

come across »    To find, usually by accident.

come around »    To change one's mind, especially to begin to agree or appreciate what one was reluctant to accept at first.

come clean »    To confess; admit.

come down »    To recover from drug-induced euphoria.

come down to us »    To survive to the present day; to be extant in some form.

come down with »    To contract or get; to show symptoms of a minor illness.

come full circle »    To complete a cycle of transition, returning to the point of origin.

come full circle »    To make a complete change or reform.

come hell or high water »    Regardless of the hardships.

come in »    Of a broadcast, such as radio or television, to have a strong enough signal to be able to be received well.

come in handy »    To be useful or helpful, especially at some time in the future.

come of age »    To mature, or become fully developed.

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

come off »    To become detached.

come on »    A statement or sometimes action reflecting sexual or relational interest.

come on »    An expression of encouragement.

come on »    An expression of disbelief.

come out »    To make a formal debut in society.

come out »    To walk onto the field at the beginning of an innings.

come out »    To come out of the closet.

come out in the wash »    Of problems or difficulties, to work out, resolve, or become understood eventually and naturally.

come out of one's shell »    To become a naturist. To convert to naturism.

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

come out of the closet »    To tell others about homosexuality, bisexuality or any minority or disapproved-of belief, preference, etc., where previously this had been kept secret.

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

come short »    Fail to meet (expectations or standards)

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

come to »    To recover consciousness after fainting etc.

come to »    To befall; to affect; to happen to; to come upon.

come to »    To regard or specify, as narrowing a field of choices by category.

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 grief »    To have a disastrous outcome.

come to grips »    To confront or deal with directly.

come to terms »    To accept or resign oneself to something emotionally painful.

come to think of it »    By the way; now that I think about it; indicates something brought to mind.

come unhinged »    To become angered or crazy; to lose control of one's senses or sanity.

come unstuck »    To get into trouble, to have an accident or mishap, to go off the rails.

come up »    To appear before a judge or court.

come up »    To emerge or become known, especially unexpectedly; to come to attention, present itself.

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

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

come what may »    In spite of anything that might happen; whatever may occur.

comfort girl »    A sex slave; prostitute.

comfort woman »    A woman forced, or supposedly recruited, into brothels by the Japanese occupation forces during World War II.

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

company »    A group of individuals with a common purpose, as in a company of actors.

company »    A military unit, typically consisting of two or three platoons.

company »    A unit of firefighters and their equipment.

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

company »    In legal context, an entity that manufactures or sells products , or provides services as a commercial venture. A corporation.

company »    It took six companies to put out the fire.

company »    Nickname for an intelligence service.

company »    The entire crew of a ship.

comply with »    To abide by a set of rules.

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.

conk out »    To fall fast asleep; to sleep soundly.

conk out »    To stop functioning.

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

consume mass quantities »    To use large amounts of any resource.

controlled substance »    Except for very limited professional testing purposes.

cook the books »    To manipulate accounting information, esp. illegally, by a corporation.

cook up »    To manufacture; to falsify; to devise an elaborate lie.

cookie-cutter »    A solution to a problem that can be applied in many situations without modification.

cookie-cutter »    Of or pertaining to cookie cutters.

cookie-cutter »    Of or pertaining to identical looking things.

cooking with gas »    Now doing something in an effective way.

coop up »    To confine in a restricted place or situation.

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

cop out »    To avoid or shirk, either by failing to perform, or by performing in a grossly insufficient, negligent, or superficial manner.

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

cop-out »    Avoidance or inadequate performance of a task or duty; the action of copping out.

copious free time »    A hypothetical time set aside for performing time-consuming tasks, however insinuating that the speaker really has no free time.

copper-bottomed »    Having lower parts made of or covered by copper.

copy typist »    office worker

cordon off »    To protect from intrusion by enclosing in a rope barrier.

corner the market »    To monopolize a resource or commodity, as with the intent of driving up prices.

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 to »    To like; approve of, accept, or tolerate.

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 expel from the lungs, throat, etc. by coughing.

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

couldn't happen to a nicer »    Sarcastically asserts that those in question thoroughly deserve their fate.

count sheep »    To attempt to go to sleep by thinking of something boring, traditionally by counting imaginary sheep.

covenant of salt »    A long-lasting agreement.

cover one's ass »    To make preparations or take precautions to ensure that one is not blamed or punished for one's conduct.

cowgirl position »    A sex position in which the man lies on his back, and the woman sits on top of him facing him.

cozy up »    With "to", to ingratiate oneself .

crab mentality »    A way of thinking best described by the phrase "if I can't have it, neither can you." The metaphor refers to a pot of crabs in which one tries to escape over the side, but is relentlessly pulled down by the others in the pot.

crack down »    To enforce more stringently or more thoroughly.

crack down on »    To enforce laws or punish more vigilantly.

crack of dawn »    The first moment of daylight; sunrise.

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

cradle robber »    A person who marries or becomes romantically involved with someone who is much younger or who employs or otherwise engages a young person for a purpose inappropriate for his or her age.

cramp someone's style »    To restrict someone's free actions, or to give the impression of such.

crane fly »    daddy longlegs

crank out »    To produce in large volumes mechanically or as if by machine.

crank up »    To start something mechanical, an act that often used to involve cranking.

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

crash and burn »    To fail utterly.

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

crashpad »    Any place used for temporary lodging.

crashpad »    In the aviation industry, used for a place of temporary lodging for airline flight crews.

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.

crème de la crème »    Best of the best; something that's superlative. The very best.

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 off »    To strike out; to cross out; to draw a line through.

cross off »    To finish; to mark something as complete.

cross paths »    August 5 2004, SFGate.com.

cross paths »    To be, by chance, in the same physical place at the same time, as a result of two completely separate journeys.

cross someone's palm »    To give money to a person, especially as a bribe or as an inducement to perform a service.

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 aisle »    To vote, unite, or otherwise co-operate with members of another political party in order to achieve governmental or political action.

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 floor »    To vote against one's own political party in parliament.

cross the line »    To overstep a boundary, rule, or limit; to go too far or do something unacceptable.

crown jewels »    A part of a company sought by another in a hostile takeover.

crown jewels »    The jewelry that accompany the office of rulership in a monarchy. I.e., crown, scepter, signet ring, etc.

cruising for a bruising »    Following a course of action likely to result in injury or other trouble for oneself.

crunch numbers »    To figure; to do the math.

crush out »    To force out or separate by pressure.

cry all the way to the bank »    To be happy due to the receipt of money, although expressing sorrow about the cause of such receipt.

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 off »    To cancel something that one has previously arranged with someone.

cry one's eyes out »    To weep for an elongated time, or in an excessive manner.

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

cry out for »    To say that a situation needs a thing, or a solution urgently.

cry someone a river »    To try to obtain the sympathy of another person by complaining or sniveling.

cry someone a river »    To weep profusely or excessively in the presence of another person.

cry the blues »    To complain, especially in order to obtain sympathy for one's own purportedly sad situation.

cry the blues »    To sing in the style of blues music.

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.

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

cue up »    The act of taking aim on the cue ball with the cue in a game of snooker, or billiards, etc.

cup of joe »    A cup of coffee.

cup of tea »    A cup full of tea.

cup of tea »    Whatever suits or interests one.

curry favor »    To seek to gain favor by flattery or attention.

curveball »    A forespin pitch thrown by rotating the index and middle fingers down and resulting in motion down "curve".

curveball »    An unexpected turn of events initiated by an opponent or chance.

cut a rug »    To dance, especially in a vigorous manner and in one of the dance styles of the first half of the twentieth century.

cut a swath »    Variant form of cut a wide swath.

cut a wide swath »    To behave in an expansive, flagrantly showy, or pushy manner, especially in public venues; to exert sweeping influence.

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

cut down »    To reduce the amount of something.

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

cut it »    To suffice; to be effective or successful.

cut it close »    To judge or finish something close to its limit.

cut it fine »    To achieve something at the last possible moment, or with no margin for error.

cut it out »    To stop; refrain from; halt.

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 off »    To remove via cutting.

cut off »    To isolate or remove from contact.

cut off »    To end abruptly.

cut off »    To interrupt.

cut off one's nose to spite one's face »    To harm oneself as a result of attempting to harm an adversary.

cut out »    Well suited; appropriate; fit for a particular activity or purpose.

cut short »    Interrupt and curtail before the planned end time.

cut the cheese »    To flatulate.

cut the mustard »    To suffice; to be good or effective enough.

cut up »    To aggressively move in front of another vehicle.

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

cutting edge »    The sharp edge of the blade of a knife.

daily grind »    The difficult, routine, or monotonous tasks of daily work.

damn the torpedoes »    Used to dismiss the risks of a dangerous action.

damn with faint praise »    To provide praise that is so minimal or inconsequential as to actually amount to criticism.

damned if one does and damned if one doesn't »    A dilemma where either choice results in a negative outcome.

damp squib »    A firework that fails to go off, due to wetting.

damp squib »    Anything that doesn’t work properly, or fails to come up to expectations..

damson jam »    fruit preserve

dash off »    To leave a place quickly or briefly.

dash off »    To write quickly or informally.

date with destiny »    An inevitable future event or encounter, especially one which is likely to be momentous.

dawn of a new day »    A new beginning; a fresh start; an important, promising turning point.

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

day in, day out »    Every day; daily; constantly or continuously; especially, of something that has become routine or monotonous.

daylight robbery »    An exorbitant charge for a product or service.

days »    Life.

days »    Plural form of day.

dead »    Figuratively, not alive; lacking life.

dead »    Full and complete.

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

dead of night »    Middle of the night.

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.

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 »    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 end »    The part of a swimming pool with relatively deep water.

deep pockets »    An ample supply of money, especially money which one is willing to spend; the possessor of such money.

deep thinker »    A person whose thoughts are profound; an intellectual.

deep water »    A difficult or embarrassing situation.

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

deep-six »    To get rid of something unwanted.

deep-six »    To throw something overboard from a ship.

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 »    Alternative form of carry 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.

den of iniquity »    A place of immoral behavior, usually of a sexual type.

depend on »    To be dependent on something or someone for support or help.

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.

developments »    A group of building complexes or apartments. Often used for low income housing.

developments »    Plural form of development.

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.

devil's advocate »    A canon lawyer appointed by the Church to argue against the canonization of the proposed candidate.

devil's advocate »    One who debates from a view which they may not actually hold, usually to determine its validity, or simply for the sake of argument.

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 »    A insignificant sound or thing.

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 »    Followed by for. Often expressing wider contextual motivations, though sometimes indicating direct causes.

die »    Followed by from. General use, though somewhat more common in medical or scientific contexts.

die »    Followed by of. General use.

die »    Followed by with. Now rare as indicating direct cause.

different as chalk and cheese »    Two things which are superficially alike but very different in substance.

dig in »    To make a burst of hard work.

dig up dirt »    To examine in order to find negative information for public opinion, usually with the purpose of embarrassing or discrediting a person.

dimber damber upright man »    The chief of a gang of thieves or gypsies.

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 »    Unflattering facts or questionable activities that one wants to remain secret, but which some other may use to blackmail with.

dirty money »    Money that is illegally gained, illegally transferred or illegally utilized. Especially money gained through forgery, bribery, or thievery.

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

discretion is the better part of valour »    It is often wise to refrain from seemingly brave speech or action.1597

dish out »    On to a dish ready for eating.

dish up »    To serve cooked food.

dishpan hands »    Hands which are rough, reddish, and dry, as from irritation and chafing caused by immersion in hot water mixed with detergent.

dismal science »    Nickname for economics or for the field of political economy.

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 bunk »    To escape or flee under incriminating circumstances.

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 away with »    To destroy, eliminate, or make an end of.

do drugs »    To abuse an illegal drug or drugs, especially as a result of chemical addiction.

do for »    ruin

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

do one »    To depart from a place, often with a sense of urgency.

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 someone proud »    To cause someone to feel pride, admiration, or satisfaction.

do something with mirrors »    To insinuate one has performed a magic or optical trick with the use of hidden mirrors, insinuating trickery and sham.

do something with mirrors »    To jokingly pretend that one did something using magic mirrors, that one is a magician; a joking explanation of the fantastic or the unexplained.

Do the best and live the rest »    First do your work with your 100% dont think about the result

do the hard yards »    To perform a difficult task or tasks.

do the honors »    Perform a duty.

do the honours »    Perform a duty.

do the math »    You can do the calculation yourself, with the implication that you don't have to trust someone else's assertions.

do the trick »    To work; to be successful; to solve a problem.

do up »    To fasten a piece of clothing.

do what%3F »    An intensified version of what or huh.

do without »    To manage despite the lack of something.

do-or-die »    Requiring a determined or desperate effort to avoid the consequences of failure.

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

dog around »    To follow diligently.

dog it »    To underperform; to lag behind; to fail to exert effort.

dog my cats »    Used as a mild oath, or as an expression of astonishment.

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's life »    A miserable, unhappy existence.

dogs »    Feet.

dogs »    Plural form of dog.

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.

don't count your chickens before they're hatched »    You should not count on something before it happens.

don't cry over spilled milk »    Alternative spelling of don't cry over spilt milk.

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 dip your pen in company ink »    Alternative form of you don't dip your pen in company ink.

don't drive faster than your guardian angel can fly »    Driving (a vehicle) very fast is a dangerous act.

don't drop the soap »    (idiomatic) Used as a mockery to someone who is about to be or should be confined in prison.

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

don't look a gift horse in the mouth »    Do not unappreciatively question a gift or handout too closely.

don't look at me »    A response indicating that one is not willing or able to perform a task.

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.

done a bunk »    Simple past tense and past participle of do a bunk.

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

doorprikken »    To expose as false.

doss down »    To sleep on someone's sofa or floor because there is no bed spare.

dot the i's and cross the t's »    To take care of every detail, even minor ones; To be meticulous or thorough.

double booked »    Of a single resource, reserved for two different users at the same time.

double Dutch »    A date where both man and woman pay for their portion of the bill.

double Dutch »    A game of jump rope with two ropes and frequently two jumpers.

double entendre »    Plural form of double entendre.

double talk »    Lying, especially in a formal political statement.

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

double up »    To double the quantity, amount or duration of something.

double up »    After a fly ball has been caught.

double-edged sword »    A benefit that is also a liability, or that carries some significant but non-obvious cost or risk.

double-tongued »    Saying one thing to one person and something different to another; double talking; deceitful in speech.

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 on one's luck »    Unlucky or undergoing a period of bad luck, especially with respect to financial matters.

down the road, not across the street »    Along the radial artery rather than across the wrist from side to side.

down the tubes »    Into a state of collapse or failure.

down to a fine art »    Having or showing exceptional proficiency.

down to the short strokes »    In the final steps or decisive phase of an undertaking, especially one which has been lengthy or laborious.

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

doze off »    To fall asleep unintentionally.

drag »    To move a mouse cursor while holding down a button on the mouse, often to move something on the screen.

drag »    To pull along a surface or through a medium, sometimes with difficulty.

drag one's feet »    To procrastinate, put off; to dawdle, avoid, or make progress slowly and reluctantly.

drag out »    To haul or bring out forcefully or as though with force.

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.

draw a bath »    To fill a bathtub with water in preparation for taking a bath.

draw a blank »    To be unable to produce a required piece of information.

draw back »    To retreat from a position.

draw back »    To withdraw from an undertaking.

draw on »    To sketch or mark with pencil, crayon, etc., on a given surface.

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

draw on »    To advance, continue; to move or pass slowly or continuously, as under a pulling force.

draw out »    To make something last for more time than is necessary; prolong; extend.

draw out »    To physically extract, as blood from a vein.

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.

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.

dress up »    To decorate; to prettify.

dress up »    To present in a favorable light.

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

dribs and drabs »    A series of negligible amounts.

drift off »    To fall asleep in a gradual manner.

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.

drink from a firehose »    To take a small amount from an enormous, hard-to-manage quantity.

drink off »    To drink the entirety of in a short period; originally and especially, in a single gulp.

drink up »    Finish one's drink.

drip »    To fall one drop at a time.

drip »    To have a superabundance of valuable things. Usually followed by "with".

drip »    To put a small amount of a liquid on something, drop by drop.

drive away »    To force someone or something to leave.

drive home »    With tangible or powerful demonstration.

drive off »    To force to leave or go away.

drive one up the wall »    To make a person very angry or bored; to infuriate.

drive out »    Out of somewhere.

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 announce surprising or alarming information suddenly and without warning.

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

drop back »    Of a quarterback or other player in the backfield, to take a number of steps back from the line of scrimmage immediately after the snap or hike of the ball, to avoid defenders.

drop in »    . Often hyphenated drop-in.

drop off »    To fall asleep.

drop off »    To deliver; to deposit or leave.

drop off »    To fall.

drop off »    To lessen or reduce.

Drop out of warp »    Dis-engage the cruise control on the car

drop the ball »    To fail in one's responsibilities or duties, or to make a mistake, especially at a critical point or when the result is very negative.

drop the gloves »    To fight.

drop the gloves »    To remove a prior impediment to action; to prepare for or engage in a dispute.

drop the writ »    To call a federal or provincial election.

drug of choice »    Substance that a suspect is addicted to.

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

drum up »    To generate or encourage; to campaign for.

druther »    Would rather; would prefer to.

druthers »    Wishes, preferences, or ways.

duck soup »    Easy, or a piece of cake.

due course »    A. 1399, Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales.

due course »    A. 1735, Jonathan Swift, Gulliver's Travels.

due to »    because of

duke it out »    To fight, especially with the fists.

duly noted »    In a due, fit, or becoming manner; as it ought to be; properly.

dummy out »    From a video game in the process of localizing that game from a foreign country.

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

dummy up »    To make a mock-up or prototype version of something, without some or all off its intended functionality.

dust off »    To remove dust from something.

dust off »    To use something after a long time without it.

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.

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

dyed in the wool »    Simple past tense and past participle of dye in the wool.

dyed-in-the-wool »    Dyed before being formed into cloth.

dyed-in-the-wool »    Firmly established in a person's beliefs or habits; deeply ingrained in the nature of a person or thing.

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.

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 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.

easy as falling off a log »    Very easy.

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

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.

economical with the truth »    Not telling the whole truth, especially in order to present a false image of a situation; untruthful; lying. Often used with sarcasm or satire.

edge out »    To win in a contest or a game by a narrow margin of victory.

eff off »    A censored form of the phrase f** off.

egg on »    To encourage or coax a person to do something, especially something foolhardy or reckless.

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

elbow room »    Freedom or leeway.

elephant in the room »    A problem or difficult issue that is very obvious, but is ignored for the convenience or comfort of those involved.

embarrassment of riches »    An abundance or overabundance of something; too much of a good thing.

empty vessels make the most sound »    noisy, opinionated people are often stupid.

end of »    A short form of end of story.

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 line »    The termination point of a railway or similar transportation system.

end of the world »    Any change that seems catastrophic or devastating.

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

end of the world »    End of humanity.

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.

enough is enough »    One should be satisfied, there should be no more

enough to make the angels weep »    Something so distressing that it causes one to lose hope and faith.

enquire after »    To ask about the health of someone.

err on the side of »    To behave in a manner which favours or which is biassed toward.

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

esprit de corps »    A shared spirit of comradeship, enthusiasm, and devotion to a cause among the members of a group, for example of a military unit.

esthetically challenged »    Of a person, ugly.

eureka moment »    The moment of a sudden unexpected discovery.

even Homer nods »    Not even the most vigilant and expert are immune from erring.

even Jove nods »    Alternative form of even Homer nods.

even keel »    A situation in which the boat is level and balanced for a smooth ride.

even keel »    A state of having one's emotions under control and balanced.

even keel »    Of a business or other activity which is under control and running smoothly.

even money »    A bet which offers odds of 1 to 1.

even money »    By extension, an event that is somewhat likely to happen, but far from inevitable.

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 dog has its day »    Everyone has a time of success and satisfaction.

every Jack has his Jill »    everybody will find someone to have a romantic relationship with at some point in their life

every king needs a queen »    Every man needs a woman to be with for the rest of his life.

every last »    Every; without exception; used for emphasis.

every little helps »    Even the smallest things are helpful when towards a goal.

every man has a price »    Everyone can be bribed or corrupted for a certain price.

every man Jack »    All the members of a group with no exceptions.

Every rose has it's thorns »    everything, even if it seems perfect, has faults

every rule has an exception »    Alternative form of there is an exception to every rule.

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 »    Used to express a strong preference for something.

every which way »    In all sorts of ways or manners.

every which where »    A more emphatic version of everywhere.

everybody and their brother »    A large number of people; most people.

everyone and their brother »    A large number of people; most people.

everything and the kitchen sink »    Alternative form of everything but the kitchen sink.

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 duplicate or counterpart of something or someone that acts in a contrary, nefarious, or insidious manner.

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

execution style »    Resembling an execution; with the victim aware, but unable to defend himself or resist.

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

expose oneself »    To appear nude in public.

eye candy »    A very attractive person or persons, or the salient visible physical attributes of same.

eye for an eye »    Compensation for injury caused by a person, in the form of inflicting of an identical injury on that person.

eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth »    Compensation for injury caused by a person, in the form of inflicting of an identical injury on that person.

eye of the beholder »    The evaluation depending on perception of person who sees and considers.

f** all »    Nothing at all or very little.

f** it »    An expression of frustration.

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

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

f** someone over »    To exploit somebody in a way which result in an advantage to oneself, at the cost of the other party gaining a considerable disadvantage.

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** with »    To mess with; to interact with in a careless or inappropriate way.

f**ing hell »    An exclamation of anger.

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 off »    Either an actual or a figurative face to face confrontation, especially a bitter one.

face that would stop a clock »    A shockingly attractive face.

face that would stop a clock »    A shockingly unattractive face.

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

face to face »    In person; directly; in the physical presence of somebody.

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.

face value »    The amount or value listed on a bill, note, stamp, etc.; the stated value or amount.

faceplant »    Death or defeat in popular multiplayer online games.

faceplant »    The act of landing face first, often associated with bailing during extreme sports.

factor space »    A space obtained from another by identification of points that are equivalent to one another in some equivalence relation.

factor space »    In a product space.

factotum »    A general servant.

factotum »    A person having many diverse activities or responsibilities.

factotum »    Jack of all trades.

facts on the ground »    A euphemism, similar to fait accompli, used as an oblique way of saying that discussions over the possession of a given piece of territory has been rendered moot by the presence of military forces.

facts on the ground »    Some aspects of the situation in a particular location.

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.

fade out »    decrease gradually

fail over »    To automatically switch processing from a failed component in a critical system to its live spare or backup component.

fair and square »    Totally fairly and undoubtedly.

fair and square »    Within the applicable rules.

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 game »    Actions permissible by the rules.

fair game »    An goal or object that may legitimately be sought.

fair off »    To clear.

fair sex »    Women collectively.

fair to middling »    Only tolerably good.

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 apart »    To be emotionally in crisis.

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

fall back »    To retreat.

fall behind »    To be progressively below average in performance.

fall between two stools »    To attempt two tasks and fail at both, when either one could have been accomplished singly.

fall by the wayside »    To fail to be completed, particularly for lack of interest; to be left out.

fall down »    To fall to the ground.

fall down »    To collapse.

fall for »    To be fooled; to walk into a trap or respond to a scam or trick.

fall for »    To fall in love with somebody.

fall for »    be deceived by

fall in »    To collapse inwards.

fall in »    Of a soldier, to get into position in a rank.

fall in line »    C. 2004, Career Soldiers, "Won't Waste My Life".

fall in line »    To submit to the rules of a higher authority; obey; conform.

fall in with »    To join a group of people.

fall in with »    To accept a set of generally agreed rules, or a suggestion.

fall into »    To go into something by falling.

fall into »    Without having planned it.

fall into »    To be classified as; to fall under.

fall off »    To become detached or to drop from.

fall off »    To diminish in size or value.

fall off »    A hip hop term; to completely lose the plot in terms of artistic direction.

fall off a truck »    Of an item of merchandise, to come into a person's possession without having been paid for; to be acquired illegally.

fall off the back of a lorry »    Of an item of merchandise, to come into a perons's possession without having been paid for; to have been acquired illegally.

fall off the turnip truck »    To be naive, uninformed, or unsophisticated, in the manner of a rustic person.

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 »    To experience; to suffer; to fall upon.

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

fall on one's face »    To fail, especially in a dramatic or particularly decisive manner.

fall on one's sword »    To commit suicide by allowing one’s body to drop onto the point of one’s sword..

fall on one's sword »    To resign from a job or other position of responsibility, especially when pressured to do so.

fall on one's sword »    To voluntarily take the blame for a situation.

fall out »    To come out of something by falling.

fall over »    To fall from an upright or standing position to a horizontal or prone position.

fall over »    Of an argument, to fail to be valid.

fall over »    Of a computer program, to crash.

fall short »    To be less satisfactory than expected; to be inadequate or insufficient.

fall through »    To be unsuccessful, abort, come to nothing/naught; to be cancelled; not to proceed.

fall through the cracks »    To be missed; to escape the necessary notice or attention.

fall together »    To contract.

fall upon »    To fall on; to experience; to suffer.

falling out »    A disagreement; a major difference of opinion.

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

false step »    A misstep; a stumble.

false step »    An erroneous action or decision.

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.

family jewels »    Testicles.

fancypants »    Alternative spelling of fancy pants. The condition of being overly showy; concerned more about one's reputation than anything else.

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.

far be it »    Pewtey in Marriage Guidance Counselor from And Now For Something Completely Different.

far cry »    Something very dissimilar or different.

far fetched »    improbable

far out »    New, radical and extreme.

fare thee well »    Goodbye, farewell.

farm out »    To subcontract some task to another; to outsource.

farmer's tan »    The tan line left by clothing, especially, by a short-sleeved shirt.

fashion plate »    A person who dresses in especially stylish fashions.

fashion plate »    A picture, usually an advertisement, showing the latest fashion in clothing.

fast asleep »    Sleeping, in a deep sleep.

fat chance »    Little or no likelihood of occurrence or success.

fat lip »    A swelling on the lip, especially one resulting from a punch or other blow.

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.

fed up »    Frustrated, annoyed, tired .

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.

feed into »    To be a tributary of another river or waterway.

feed out of »    To feed from.

feed the dragon »    To buy or sell products labeled as "Made in China.".

feed the dragon »    To the People's Republic of China.

feel around »    To grope.

feel for »    To express sympathy for, to sympathise with.

feel free »    Don't be ashamed, be my guest.

feel one's oats »    To feel energetic or frisky; to behave in a vigorous or bold manner.

feel one's oats »    To feel important; to be empowered.

feel up »    To grope someone in a sexual manner.

feel up to »    To be confident in being able to do something.

feel up to »    To have an inclination to do something.

feet of clay »    To say that someone, who appears strong or invincible, in fact has a hidden weak point which could cause their fall.

fence in »    To enclose with a fence.

fence in »    To restrict freedom.

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

fend and prove »    To engage in argument.

fend away »    To turn something away; to ward off.

fend off »    Away; to turn away; to defend against; to repel with force or effort.

few and far between »    Rare and scarce.

fiddle faddle »    nonsense

field day »    A day of class taken away from school for a field trip.

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 »    A parade day.

field day »    A school day for athletic events; a sports day.

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

fifteen minutes of fame »    A very short time in the spotlight or brief flurry with fame, after which the person or subject involved is quickly forgotten.

fifteen minutes of fame »    Alternate form of 15 minutes of fame.

fifth wheel »    A type of trailer hitch, which consists of a horseshoe-shaped plate on a multi-directional pivot, with a locking pin to couple with the kingpin of a truck trailer.

fifth wheel »    A very large trailer that is towed with a pickup truck.

fifth wheel »    A very large truck trailer; an 18-wheeler.

fifth wheel »    Anything superfluous or unnecessary.

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

fight a losing battle »    To try to do something so difficult that it will probably end in failure.

fight fire with fire »    To respond to an attack with a similar or identical method.

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 off »    To resist, particularly an infection or an emotion.

fight shy of »    To avoid something.

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

figure out »    To come to understand; to discover or find a solution; to deduce.

file away »    To store in a file.

fill in »    To fill; to replace material that is absent or has been removed.

fill in »    To inform somebody, especially to supply someone missing or missed information.

fill in »    To substitute for somebody or something.

fill in »    To complete a form or questionnaire with requested information.

fill somebody's shoes »    To do somebody's job; to perform or assume somebody's role.

fill the bill »    To satisfy a need; to serve a purpose; to fulfill specified requirements.

fill up »    To make full.

fill up »    To become full.

film critic »    movie reviewer

film out »    To transfer images or animation from videotape or digital files to a traditional celluloid film print.

filter down »    Of a liquid; to move slowly down to lower substrate levels.

filter down »    Of information, or resources; to move slowly down to lower levels of an organisation, or population.

final curtain »    The end to something which has longed for a long time.

final cut »    A group, after a selection process getting rid of other candidates.

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

find one's feet »    To grow in confidence in a new situation as one gains experience.

find out »    To discover, as by asking or exploring.

finders keepers »    The doctrine that whoever finds something is allowed to keep it

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

fine line »    A difference, albeit vague and difficult to discern.

fine print »    The details, restrictions, terms, or conditions, especially of a contract, often printed in very small type.

fine words butter no parsnips »    Talking about doing something does not get it done.

finish off »    To finish completely.

finish off »    To kill.

fire away »    To begin shooting at an enemy.

fire away »    To begin to talk or present information quickly.

fire drill »    An organised practice to prepare occupants of an office, school or other public building for evacuation in the event of a fire.

fire escape »    emergency exit

fire hose »    A hose used to deliver water in case of fire.

fire hose »    The human penis.

fire off »    To ask an unexpected question rapidly.

fire off »    To write a note or letter quickly.

fire on all cylinders »    To operate as effectively as possible.

fire up »    To ignite.

fire up »    To start.

fire up »    To excite; to infuse with energy.

fire-breathing »    Caustic, vitriolic or scathing.

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

firm up »    To make muscles more toned through physical exercise.

firm up »    To make tentative plans more definite.

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.

first class »    excellent

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

first loser »    Second place.

first loser »    The second place finisher in auto racing competition.

first of all »    Firstly; before anything else.

first port of call »    The first place to go to start a process.

first port of call »    The first port that a vessel calls in at after the start of a voyage.

first rate »    Superb, exceptional; of the best sort; very high quality.

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 for compliments »    To try to induce someone to make a compliment.

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

fish out »    To deplete the supply of fish in a given body of water.

fish to fry »    A matter to attend to.

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

fishtail »    The tail of a fish, or an object resembling this.

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

fit as a lop »    In good health, fitness.

fit into »    To be of the right size and shape to be placed in a location.

fit into »    To be of similar cultural or social status as the members of a group of people.

fit to be tied »    Very agitated or distressed; enraged.

fits and starts »    Activity which is intermittent, variable in intensity, and prolonged by interruptions.

five by five »    I hear you loud and clear

five will get you ten »    I strongly believe.

five-finger discount »    Theft or pilferage, typically of a small item; shoplifting.

fix someone's wagon »    To punish someone; to cause injury, distress, or inconvenience for someone.

fix up »    To repair or refurbish.

flag down »    Use a flag or some kind of signal to get the attention of someone.

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.

flash in the pan »    A transient occurrence with no long-term effect.

flat chat »    At maximum capability or speed.

flat chat »    Extremely busy.

flat out »    At top speed.

flat out »    Bluntly, no holds barred.

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.

flat-footed »    Having feet which are flat.

flat-footed »    Having the specific physical condition of flat feet.

flat-footed »    To firmly hold and maintain a decision; to stand one's ground.

flat-footed »    Unprepared to act.

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.

flip one's lid »    To be explosively angry.

flipside »    Later or tomorrow.

flipside »    A necessary consequence or corollary of something; especially one seen as opposite, or as pro versus con.

flipside »    The B-side of a phonograph record.

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 »    Typically including sepals, petals, stamens, and ovaries; often conspicuously colourful.

flower »    A plant that bears flowers.

flower »    An inflorescence that resembles a flower, but actually contains many small florets, such as a sunflower.

flower »    Of plants, a state of bearing blooms.

flower »    The best examples or representatives of a group.

flower »    The best state of things; the prime.

flower »    The vulva, especially the labia majora.

fluff up »    To make a gaffe or blunder.

fluff up »    To plump up.

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

flutter in the dovecote »    A disturbance, usually one caused within a prescribed group of people.

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 face of »    To act in a manner highly contrary to; to counteract or contradict.

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

fly off the handle »    To become very angry or enraged; to throw a fit or go crazy.

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

fly the coop »    To depart hastily or unannounced; to escape or flee.

fly the coop »    To escape from a pen or similar enclosure.

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.

fly-by-night »    One who departs or flees at night in order to avoid creditors, law enforcement etc. .

fly-by-night »    Traveling businessmen and tradesmen.

flying visit »    A very short visit.

fold one's tent »    To withdraw, especially in a discreet manner; to disengage; to quit.

fold up »    To go out of business.

fold up »    To make or become more compact by folding.

follow in someone's footsteps »    To follow the same path as someone.

follow suit »    To follow an example; to imitate.

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

follow through »    To finish; to complete, especially, of a commitment.

food chain »    A hierarchy.

food chain »    The feeding relationships between species in a biotic community.

fool's errand »    A foolish undertaking, especially one that is purposeless, fruitless, nonsensical, or certain to fail.

fool's errand »    Such an undertaking, assigned as a prank.

fool's paradise »    A state of happiness due to illusion or false hope.

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 intensive purposes »    For all highly demanding purposes.[1].

for all intensive purposes »    Misconstruction of “for all intents and purposes”.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10].

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

for all one is worth »    Intensely, vigorously, with as much effort as one can supply.

for all the world »    Entirely, to all appearances.

for crying out loud »    Expresses frustration, exasperation, or annoyance.

for f**'s sake »    An expression of anger or frustration.

for good »    Forever; permanently.

for good and all »    Permanently, forever.

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

for goodness' sake »    This interjection expresses frustration, exasperation, annoyance.

for goodness' sake »    This interjection expresses surprise or amazement.

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

for keeps »    Permanently.

for keeps »    To compete seriously, with a strong resolve to win or succeed, as in sports or business.

for keeps »    With an agreement or intention to retain what one gains or receives.

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 Pete's sake »    Expresses frustration, exasperation, annoyance.

for starters »    as a beginning

for that matter »    As far as that is concerned.

for the birds »    Worthless; pointless; not deserving serious consideration.

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 love of »    Used to form interjections expressing exasperation.

for the most part »    Mostly; in general; usually.

for the nonce »    For the time being, with the expectation that the situation may change.

for the record »    Already publicly known.

for the record »    For the purpose of being recorded.

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

for the time being »    Temporarily; until later.

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.

forbidden fruit »    The fruit forbidden to Adam.

forbidden fruit is the sweetest »    Forbidden things have more worthwhile short-term consequences.

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

force someone's hand »    Bring about a situation which necessitates an agent to act, often causing a plan to be executed prematurely.

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.

fork over »    Hundreds of spectators forked over the 70 bucks for tickets.

fork over »    I forked over half the allotment this morning.

fork over »    To turn over soil with a gardening fork.

forked tongue »    The characteristic of deceptiveness; duplicity; untruthfulness.

fortune favors the bold »    Luck is usually on the side of those who take chances and risks.

fortune favors the brave »    Alternative form of fortune favors the bold.

fortune favours the bold »    Alternative form of fortune favors the bold.

fortune favours the brave »    Alternative form of fortune favors the bold.

forty winks »    Sleep, extra sleep, or a nap.

foul up »    To botch; to make a mess of.

foul up »    To make a mistake, to go wrong.

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

four poster »    bed

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.

four-on-the-floor »    Relating to a vehicle with a four-speed manual transmission mounted beside the driver on the floor of the vehicle.

fourth estate »    Journalism or journalists considered as a group; the Press.

fourth estate »    Which governed legislation.

fourth wall »    The boundary between the fiction and the audience.

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.

fox in the henhouse »    A relationships wherein a predator is granted free reign within the prey's home confinement, often used in the political sense.

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.

free lunch »    Something obtained without any payment, obligation or effort.

free range »    not intensively farmed

free rein »    Loose rein, as of a horse.

free rein »    The absence of constraints; freedom to make decisions.

free ride »    An opportunity or benefit which has no cost, especially one enjoyed or undertaken at the expense of others.

free-for-all »    Chaos; a chaotic situation lacking rules or control.

french letter »    A condom.

fresh legs »    Somebody who has yet to play in a match, and therefore has plenty of energy.

fresh off the boat »    Newly arrived from a foreign place, especially as an immigrant who is still unfamiliar with the customs and language of his or her new environment.

fresh out of »    Of someone who has recently left one stage of life to begin another.

fresh start »    A new beginning, without prejudices.

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.

frig it »    An expression of frustration similar to, but not as coarse as f** it.

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

frog in one's throat »    Hoarseness or the need to cough.

from A to Z »    Covering a complete range; comprehensively.

from cover to cover »    All the way to the last page.

from here to Sunday »    Everywhere; all over the place.

from here to ya-ya »    A very long distance.

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

from pillar to post »    To another; hither and thither, to and fro.

from scratch »    From the beginning; starting with no advantage or prior preparation; starting from raw ingredients.

from soup to nuts »    From beginning to end; throughout.

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 the Department of the Bleeding Obvious »    So obvious it was unnecessary to say.

from the get-go »    From the very beginning; from the outset; immediately upon starting.

from the ground up »    From the beginning; starting with the basics, foundation, or fundamentals.

from the word go »    From the very beginning; from the outset; immediately upon starting.

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

from time to time »    Occasionally; sometimes; once in a while.

front and center »    A command to come to the center of attention of an assemblage, as of military personnel or students.

front runner »    The most likely winners in a contest, election, etc.

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

fruit of one's loins »    One's child, children, or descendents.

fruit of the poisonous tree »    And which is therefore excluded from being admitted as evidence in a trial.

fruit of the union »    A child, especially from a marriage or similar union.

fruit salad »    dessert dish

fry up »    Full English breakfast.

frying pan »    cooking utensil

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

full blast »    Maximum capacity or effort.

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

full marks »    To exclaim complete satisfaction with someone's efforts.

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 oneself »    Egotistical, believing oneself to be superior to others; preoccupied with one's own work, interests, point of view, etc.

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 tilt »    As quickly as possible; very rapidly.

full tilt boogie »    At the most extreme level.

full tilt boogie »    In an extremely focused manner.

full tilt boogie »    Intensely, fast paced.

full tilt boogie »    Out of control.

full to the gills »    Completely or overly full.

full whack »    The whole amount.

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

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

funny farm »    An insane asylum.

funny money »    A highly inflated currency.

funny money »    Bills of any foreign currency or of counterfeit origin.

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

funny money »    Play money.

funny stuff »    Irregular, often illegal, activities.

gagging for it »    Up for it, having a strong desire for sex.

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

game face »    The expression of one who is prepared for or is facing a lot of difficult and/or undesirable work, especially when it is imminent.

gandy dancer »    A railway laborer, especially a member of a crew which carries rails and affixes them to ties.

gapers' block »    A traffic jam resulting from motorists slowing to look at a motor vehicle collision or other roadside distraction.

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.

gentleman of the back door »    A sodomite.

get »    A difficult return or block of a shot.

get »    Offspring.

get a handle on »    To build or acquire a basic level of understanding or control.

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

get a kick out of »    To be delighted by; to be amused by.

get a leg up »    To get a boost or a lift.

get a load of »    To experience someone or something, especially by looking or listening.

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

get a room »    A jocular or sarcastic expression commanding a couple to stop displaying affection in public, and to rent a hotel or motel room to continue amorous activities in private.

get away with »    To do something which is prohibited, forbidden or generally not allowed, and not be punished for the action.

get bent out of shape »    To take offense; to become angry, agitated or upset.

get better »    To recover from an illness.

get by the balls »    To have complete control over someone, especially of a woman abusing a man's infatuation with her.

get carried away »    To become excessively involved, to take something too far.

get cold feet »    To become nervous or anxious and reconsider a decision about an upcoming event.

get fresh »    To flirt.

get high »    To intoxicate oneself with drugs or other substances.

get in »    To be elected to some office.

get in »    To get into or inside something, literally or figuratively.

get in someone's hair »    To hinder someone or interfere with their actions.

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

get into trouble »    To perform an action which is illegal, prohibited, forbidden or proscribed and to become subject to punishment for such action.

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 possess a preferred outlook on a given issue or issues.

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

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

get off »    Behaviour.

get off »    Consequences.

get off »    To become sexually aroused.

get off »    To complete a shift or a day's work.

get off »    To disembark from mass transportation, such as a bus or train.

get off »    To disembark.

get off »    To fall asleep.

get off »    To have sex.

get off »    To move from being on top of to not being on top of it.

get off »    To move to not being on top of it.

get off »    To stop touching or interfering with something or someone.

get off »    To stop using a piece of equipment.

get off lightly »    End up with a mild punishment.

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

get off the ground »    To succeed or begin to succeed.

get off with »    To befriend someone and snog them, especially in a public place.

get on somebody's case »    To lecture, berate, or complain to somebody, especially to find fault or criticize.

get one's back up »    To become angry, defensive, or irritable.

get one's claws into »    Have a controlling influence over.

get one's feet wet »    To begin gaining experience; To take a risk and try something new.

get one's finger out »    To free one's finger.

get one's finger out »    To proceed with the matter in hand.

get one's foot in the door »    To initiate contact or a relationship; to gain access, especially to an entry-level job.

get one's marching orders »    To be dismissed disgracefully.

get one's wires crossed »    To get confused or mixed up; to make a mistake.

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 out of here! »    An exclamation of disbelief.

get over »    To forget, and move on.

get over »    To recover from something.

get ready »    prepare oneself

get somebody's goat »    To annoy, infuriate, bother, or incense.

get someone's nose out of joint »    To become angry; to take offense or take exception.

get someone's nose out of joint »    To make someone angry.

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

get something straight »    To understand; to clarify.

get stuck in »    To dedicate a large amount of effort towards.

get taken in »    To be fooled; to fall for.

get taken in »    To be unofficially fostered.

get the axe »    To be fired, axed, terminated.

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

get the boot »    To be dismissed from employment.

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

get the chop »    To be dismissed from employment.

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.

get the sack »    To be fired

ghost train »    fairground attraction

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

gild the lily »    To embellish or improve something unnecessarily; to add superfluous attributes to something.

gimme a five »    A request to receive a high five.

ginger beer »    soft drink

gird up one's loins »    To prepare oneself for something demanding.

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

give 110%25 »    Make the maximum possible effort.

give a f** »    To care.

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 a shit »    To care, often used in the negative.

give a sneck posset »    To fasten the door latch.

give and take »    A process of compromise or accommodation.

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 produce new life into the world; to have a baby. Transitive when used with to.

give face »    To honor; to pay respect.

give head »    To perform oral sex on another person.

give him enough rope and he'll hang himself »    If one gives someone enough freedom of action, they may destroy themselves by foolish actions.

give hostage to fortune »    He was very cautious with his words and gave no hostages to fortune.

give hostage to fortune »    To take an action or make a statement that is risky because it could cause you trouble later.

give in »    To collapse or fall.

give it one's best shot »    To make one's best effort or attempt; to try as hard as possible.

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

give of oneself »    To devote oneself unselfishly to a task, especially to give time and energy.

give over »    To devote oneself to a particular activity.

give over »    Usually as an imperative. To tell someone to stop molesting, fooling around, or saying silly things. Or sometimes to stop saying flattering things.

give some skin »    To greet or congratulate someone by slapping his or her palm; see slap me five.

give somebody a piece of one's mind »    To express one's opinion strongly; to voice one's disagreement or dissatisfaction.

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

give somebody pause »    To give somebody cause for concern.

give somebody the brush-off »    To rebuff, snub or curtly reject 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 the runaround »    Especially by providing useless information or directions .

give somebody the slip »    To evade, escape, or get away from somebody.

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 someone the eye »    To show flirtatious signs with the eye.

give someone what for »    To punish; to rebuke.

give the boot »    To fire, to sack, to dismiss.

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

give the elbow »    To terminate the employment of.

give the lie to »    To prove something to be false; to refute.

give the time of day »    To acknowledge somebody; to give somebody any respect or attention.

glimmer »    A faint light; a dim glow.

glimmer »    A faint or remote possibility.

glimmer »    A flash of light.

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

go against the grain »    To defy convention; to do something in a manner that is unusual or out of the ordinary.

go all out »    To reserve nothing; to put forth all possible effort or resources.

go all the way »    To continue to the conclusion of a task or project.

go along for the ride »    To accompany someone passively, or to take a passive role in a project.

go along with »    To comply with something, even if reluctantly; to accept or tolerate.

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

go back on »    To fail to keep; to renege on; as, to go back on one's promises.

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

go bad »    putrefy

go belly-up »    To fail or fold; especially, to close or shut down a business; to go out of business.

go blue »    Of states and counties, to be carried by a Democratic candidate in a given U.S. election.

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 by the board »    To fall or to go overboard; to be cast over the side of a ship.

go down »    To descend; to move from a higher place to a lower one.

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

go down »    Fall to the floor.

go down »    To stop functioning, to go offline.

go down »    To perform oral sex.

go down that road »    To settle a way of doing something; do decide to do something in a particular way.

go down the pan »    To fail or degenerate rapidly.

go down the road »    A way of doing something; to do something in a particular way.

go down the toilet »    To fail.

go down the tubes »    To fail or degenerate rapidly.

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 figure »    Expresses perplexity, confusion, surprise, or puzzlement.

go for »    To attack something.

go for »    To be equally valid or appropriate.

go for »    To do something, especially for leisure.

go for »    To endure, sustain or spend time.

go for »    To go somewhere in order to get something.

go for »    To try for something.

go for broke »    To try everything possible or do last thing possible in a final attempt.

go for broke »    To wager everything.

go for it »    A cry of encouragement.

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

go from strength to strength »    To continue to get stronger[1].

go from zero to hero »    To become very popular after being unpopular.

go from zero to hero »    To change from negative outcome to positive outcome. To improve one's fortunes significantly.

go in for »    To enter a competition.

go in for »    To have an interest in or approve of something.

go in for »    To engage or take part in something.

go in off »    To pot the cue ball accidentally after hitting the object ball.

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

go large »    To enjoy oneself to the maximum.

go mad »    Used to indicate that the second verb represents an action that is out of character.

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 native »    To adopt the lifestyle or outlook of local inhabitants, especially when dwelling in a colonial region; to become less refined under the influence of a less cultured, more primitive, or simpler social environment.

go off »    To explode.

go off »    To explode metaphorically; to become very angry.

go off »    To begin clanging or making noise.

go off »    To depart; to leave.

go off »    To putrefy or become inedible.

go off »    To like less.

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 half-cocked »    To take a premature or ill-considered action.

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

go off the boil »    To become less successful.

go off the boil »    To become of diminished intensity or urgency.

go off the boil »    To lose interest; to pall.

go out »    To be turned off or extinguished.

go out »    1922, Alfred Edward Housman, XXVIII, lines 3-4.

go out of one's way »    To make an extra effort.

go out the window »    To vanish or cease, especially due to lack of care, attention, etc.; to be discarded, disregarded, or ignored.

go out with »    Often in hopes that the relationship will become more longterm as in definition 1.

go over »    To look at carefully; to scrutinize; to analyze.

go overboard »    Fall out of a vessel.

go overboard »    Go too far, be excessive.

go red »    Of states or counties, to be carried by a Republican candidate in a given U.S. election.

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

go the distance »    To have the endurance to see a difficult sustained challenge to its natural end without faltering.

go the distance »    To participate in a boxing match for its maximum number of rounds.

go the extra mile »    To make an extra effort; to do a particularly good job.

go the way of »    To end up the same way as. To receive the same fate as.

go the way of the dinosaurs »    To go extinct or become obsolete; to fall out of common use or practice; to go off the firsthand market; to become a thing of the past.

go the way of the dodo »    To go extinct or become obsolete; to fall out of common use or practice; to go out of the firsthand market; to become a thing of the past.

go through the mill »    To experience the suffering or discipline necessary to bring one to a certain degree of knowledge or skill, or to a certain mental state.

go to seed »    To pass from flowering or ripening to the formation of seeds.

go to sleep »    An expression used to dismiss an extremely foolish statement, or to dismiss somebody that one does not feel like talking to.

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 the wall »    To make an all-out effort.

go to work »    To begin performing some task or work.

go too far »    To exceed an unstated limit, especially a limit of acceptable behaviour.

go up in smoke »    To catch fire and burn.

go with the flow »    To act as others are acting, conforming to common behavior patterns with an attitude of calm acceptance.

go without »    Be deprived of.

god fearing »    pious

god forbid »    Don't let it be.

God helps those who help themselves »    Fortune comes to those who make a genuine effort to accomplish things.

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...

going rate »    The current standard or usual price, rate, or salary for something.

going to the dogs »    In such a poor state that it should be left to the dogs.

gold mine »    A mine for gold ore or metal.

gold mine »    A plentiful stockpile of something sought after.

gold mine »    A very profitable economic venture.

gold standard »    A monetary system where the value of circulating money is linked to the value of gold.

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

golden duck »    The score of zero runs after getting out on the first ball faced.

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 hello »    A payment offered to an employee as an inducement to join, especially if currently working for a competitor.

golden rule »    A fundamental rule or principle.

golden ticket »    A philosophy that a quick fix can be achieved.

golden ticket »    A qualification, person or thing that can provide lucrative opportunities.

golf widow »    A woman who is deprived of her husband's time and attention due to his regular absence in order to play golf.

gone to the dogs »    To have fallen into disrepair or ruin; to have been stagnant or depreciated.

gongoozle »    To leisurely watch the passage of boats, from the bank of a canal, lock or bridge.

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

good egg »    A good person, someone to be trusted; a friend.

good enough for jazz »    Good enough.

good fences make good neighbors »    It is better to mind one's own business than get involved with other people's affairs.

good for you »    well done

good old boy »    A friendly, unambitious, relatively uneducated, sometimes racially biased white man who embodies the stereotype of the folksy culture of the rural southern USA.

good old boy »    A male friend or chum, especially a schoolmate; a man with an established network of friends who assist one another in social and business situations; a decent, dependable fellow.

good on you »    An exclamation of encouragement or congratulation; well done.

good things come to those who wait »    A patient seeker will be satisfied in due time; patience is a virtue.

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.

good turn »    A good deed; a thoughtful or selfless act.

goodbye cruel world »    A call said before taking a stiff drink, especially a shot of vodka.

goodbye cruel world »    An exclamation made before commiting suicide, or in a suicide note.

goof off »    To dawdle; to engage in idle activity or inactivity.

goon squad »    A group of individuals serving as enforcers, bodyguards, and the like, especially persons hired for such a purpose and using violent, thuggish methods.

goose is cooked »    All hope is gone; there is no possibility of success.

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

grace period »    A length of time during which rules or penalties do not take effect or are withheld.

grain of salt »    A bit of common sense and skepticism. Generally used in some form of to take with a grain of salt.

granary »    A fertile, grain-growing region.

granary »    A storage facility for grain or sometimes animal feed.

grand total »    The entire or final sum.

grasp at straws »    To guess randomly at or pursue any apparent option, as due to lack of options or information.

grass roots »    People and society at the local level rather than at the national centre of political activity.

grass roots »    The essential foundation or source of something.

grass widow »    A mother out of wedlock.

grass widower »    A married man whose wife is away.

grate »    A horizontal metal grille through which water, ash, or small objects can fall, while larger objects cannot.

gratuitous violence »    The artificial depiction of excessive violence.

gratuitous violence »    Violence that is not justified.

gravy train »    A gorging on luxuries, since someone else foots the bill.

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

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.

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

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 fingers »    A seemingly natural gardening ability.

green light »    A traffic light in its green state .

green state »    A state that is, or is perceived as, environmentally friendly.

green thumb »    A natural skill for gardening.

greener pastures »    Any place or condition that is more favorable or beneficial.

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

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

grin like a Cheshire cat »    To smile broadly, especially in a self-satisfied way.

ground rules »    The basic rules or standards; whatever someone must know before proceeding.

group captain »    raf officer

grow a pair »    To be brave; to show some courage, especially in a situation in which one has so far failed to do so.

grow cold »    To wane; to lose interest or enthusiasm for something or someone; to become disenchanted or to fall out of love with someone.

grow out of »    To become too physically large for something, especially clothes.

grow out of »    To become too mature for something.

grow up »    To flourish.

grunt work »    That is considered undesirable and therefore delegated to underlings.

guilt trip »    A feeling of shame or embarrassment, especially if self-indulgent, unwarranted, exaggerated or felt over a significant period of time.

guilt trip »    Remarks intended to produce such a feeling.

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.

gunboat diplomacy »    The pursuit of foreign policy objectives with the aid of conspicuous displays of military power.

gunshy »    Being afraid to use a gun.

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 factor »    Feelings about what feels right or wrong, good or bad. An inner persuasion that one may feel convinced is the appropriate decision.

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

hack it »    To cope with, to be successful in.

hair of the dog »    An alcoholic drink taken the morning after to cure a hangover or withdrawal symptoms.

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.

halcyon days »    A period of calm, often nostalgic: “halcyon days of yore”, “halcyon days of youth”..

halcyon days »    Period of calm during the winter, when storms do not occur.

half a mind »    A moderate inclination.

half nelson »    wrestling hold

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

halfway decent »    Good - better than expected.

halfway decent »    No more than adequate.

ham fisted »    clumsy

hammer and tongs »    With tools indicating seriousness of intent and capability of harm.

hammer home »    Until or so that a person or group of people understands it.

hammer out »    To come to an agreement after much arguing.

hand down »    To transmit in succession, as from father to son, or from predecessor to successor.

hand down »    To forward to the proper officer .

hand off »    To pass or transfer something to someone.

hand over »    To relinquish control or possession of something to someone.

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.

handwriting on the wall »    Alternative form of writing on the wall. A divine prediction or sentence to fate.

hang a Louie »    Make a left turn while driving a vehicle.

hang an arse »    To hang back, to be afraid to advance.

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

hang in the balance »    To be in a precarious situation, unsure of the future.

hang on »    To keep; to store something for someone.

hang out one's shingle »    To open an office or business, especially in a profession.

hang out with »    To spend time with friends, doing nothing in particular.

hang up »    ring off

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.

happy camper »    One who is thoroughly content or satisfied.

happy go lucky »    carefree

hard cheese »    Expressed to someone suffering misfortune.

hard feelings »    Resentment, anger.

hard lines »    Expressed to someone suffering misfortune.

hard of hearing »    Having difficulty hearing; somewhat deaf.

hard pressed »    Having or likely to have difficulty or to find a task almost impossible.

hard-hearted »    unfeeling

hardball »    In baseball, a type of ball and baseball game, as opposed to softball.

hardwired »    Designed to perform a specific task.

hardwired »    Of devices, closely or tightly coupled.

harsh one's mellow »    Disturbing someone otherwise in a state of calm.

harsh one's mellow »    To make someone feel bad emotionally.

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.

hash out »    To work through the details of something; especially to work through difficulties.

hat in hand »    With humility; in an apologetic or self-effacing fashion.

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

hatchet man »    A professional killer.

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

haul his ashes »    A euphemism for sexual intercourse.

haul off »    To alter course so as to get farther away from an object.

haul off »    To draw back the arm in order to punch.

haul off »    To leave.

have a ball »    To enjoy thoroughly; to have lots of fun or excitement.

have a blast »    To thoroughly enjoy; to be excited or have lots of fun.

have a cow »    To get angry; have a fit.

have a fit »    To become suddenly enraged.

have a fit »    To experience an epileptic seizure.

have a flat »    To be the owner of an apartment.

have a flat »    To have a flat tyre.

have a frog in one's throat »    To feel the need to cough; to have a tickle in one's throat; to have a scratchy or uneven voice.

have a go »    Shout at or tell off unnecessarily or excessively.

have a good time »    To enjoy oneself.

have a green thumb »    A person with a green thumb, a natural skill for gardening.

have a way with »    To be skilled, adept, or graceful in something.

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

have an eye for »    To have good taste; to have the ability to discriminate or identify quality.

have ants in one's pants »    To be agitated and constantly fidgeting.

have bats in one's belfry »    To be crazy or eccentric.

have butterflies in one's stomach »    To be nervous, uncertain, or anxious.

have egg on one's face »    To suffer embarrassment or humiliation; to damage one's reputation.

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 coming »    To deserve or merit, as the consequences of one's actions.

have it in for »    To be very angry at; to have a grudge against.

have it made »    To have accomplished all there is to do; to have no further work or difficulty; to have achieved a lifestyle characterized by good fortune and comfort.

have it off »    To engage in sexual intercourse.

have it your way »    Do something the way you want to, but be prepared for the consequences.

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.

have one's hands full »    To be busy or thoroughly preoccupied.

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 one's name on it »    To be reserved for someone.

have one's number on it »    Te be destined for someone.

have one's work cut out for one »    To face a large task or project.

have other fish to fry »    C. 1710, Jonathan Swift, The Journal to Stella, ch. 2, Letter 15.

have other fish to fry »    To have more important things to do.

have someone by the short hairs »    To have someone in a difficult situation in which he or she is without alternatives and can be controlled.

have someone's guts for garters »    To reprimand severely.

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 the time of one's life »    To enjoy oneself immensely.

have the time of one's life »    To enjoy oneself more than ever before.

have the wind up »    To be frightened or disturbed.

have tickets on oneself »    To be conceited.

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.

he who laughs last laughs best »    success is better after having previously endured ridicule.

he who laughs last laughs hardest »    Alternative form of he who laughs last laughs best.

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 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 over heels »    At top speed; frantically.

head scratcher »    A particularly puzzling or confusing event.

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

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.

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 have an extremely sensitive sense of hearing.

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-breaking »    That causes extreme sorrow or grief.

heat wave »    A period of exceptionally hot weather.

heat wave »    spell of hot weather

hedge one's bets »    To place bets with a third party in order to offset potential losses.

hedge one's bets »    To reduce the risk of making a mistake, by keeping one's options open.

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

hell and half of Georgia »    A very large region; everywhere.

hell hath no fury like a woman scorned »    A woman will make someone suffer if they reject her.

hell or high water »    Highly adverse circumstances; acts of God.

help oneself »    Take freely.

hem in »    enclose, confine

hen's teeth »    Anything very rare or impossible to obtain is said to be like finding hen’s teeth.

hen's teeth »    Plural form of hen's tooth.

hens' teeth »    Alternative form of hen's teeth.

here and there »    From time to time.

here goes nothing »    Indicates a lack of confidence or certainty about the activity about to be tried.

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..

hide nor hair »    A trace, indication, or evidence, especially of a person.

hide one's light under a bushel »    For a person to keep some talent or skill hidden from other people. The tone is that a person having a talent which they can be proud of ought not hide it.

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

high as a kite »    Very much under the influence of drugs, extremely high.

high cotton »    The best of times; a time of well being.

high ground »    A position of advantage or superiority in a conflict or competition.

high horse »    An appearance or sense of smug superiority.

high noon »    Exactly noon; midday; the middle of the day.

high on the hog »    Well off; living comfortably or extravagantly.

high road »    A course of action which is honorable, dignified, or respectable.

hightail it »    To hurry or run; often, to flee.

highway robbery »    Said of excessive or exorbitant prices.

hike up »    To lift; to tug or pull upwards.

hill of beans »    Something of no importance.

hind tit »    An inferior source of food or other resources.

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.

historical figure »    A fictional or fabricated person who was was given historical importance in legends and myth.

historical figure »    A person who lived long ago, usually of some historical note or importance.

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

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 out of the ballpark »    To produce a spectacular achievement.

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 someone for six »    Be affected in a devastating way by some unexpected news.

hit someone for six »    To hit another person very hard.

hit the big time »    To become successful and widely known.

hit the bricks »    To travel about, especially on foot.

hit the gas »    Go, go faster.

hit the ground running »    To begin an activity immediately and with full commitment.

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 rock »    To make a gesture to show celebration, friendship, or to be part of a secret handshake by one person raising their fist so the fist is pointing at the person and the other person lightly punches the fist.

hit the roof »    To be explosively angry.

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

hog heaven »    A state of contented bliss.

hoist by one's own petard »    To be hurt, or destroyed by one's own plot or device, of one's own doing which one intended for another; to be "blown up by one's own bomb".

hold a candle »    To compare; to be even remotely of the same quality, skill, etc. as another.

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 forth »    To extend or offer, propose.

hold off »    To delay someone or something temporarily; to keep at bay.

hold off »    To delay commencing an action (until some specified time or event has passed).

hold on »    To keep; to store something for someone.

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

hold one's liquor »    To be resistant to intoxication or to show few signs of intoxication, even after consuming a significant amount of alcohol.

hold one's own »    To stand up to; to give a respectable performance; to provide worthy competition.

hold out »    To hold something out; to extend forward.

hold out »    To set something aside or save it for later.

hold over »    Something left from an earlier time.

hold someone's feet to the fire »    To maintain personal, social, political, or legal pressure on someone in order to induce him or her to comply with one's desires; to hold someone accountable for his or her actions.

hold that thought »    To pause in a conversation for an interruption.

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

hold the fort »    To assume responsibility, especially in another’s absence..

hold the fort »    To maintain a secure position.

hold up »    To support or lift.

hold up »    To fulfil / fulfill or complete one's part of an agreement.

hold up one's end »    To hold up one's end of the bargain; to fulfill one's promise or obligation.

hold with the hare and run with the hounds »    To remain neutral by attempting to placate two factions or both sides of a controversy.

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.

hold your fire »    Wait, don't retaliate, calm down, be quiet.

holding pattern »    A path taken by an aircraft waiting to land.

holding pattern »    Any failure to advance; useless or unproductive activity.

hole in one »    Any rare, wonderful, or remarkable accomplishment.

holy mackerel »    An expression of surprise.

home away from home »    A place in which one is as comfortable as one's actual home.

home in on »    To focus or narrow down to something; to find or draw closer, as by trial and error or a gradual seeking process.

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

home is where you hang your hat »    Rather than feeling nostalgic or sentimental, one should simply accept any place where one happens to reside as one's home.1948, Ruth L. Yorck, "D.P.

home run »    A four-base hit, a homer.

home run »    The portion of a journey that ends at home.

home stretch »    The final part of a distance or the final effort needed to finish.

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 injun »    A phrase used to emphasize the truth of something.

honesty is the best policy »    Honesty is the most honorable and fulfilling way to live one's life.

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.

hoover up »    Quickly, especially by taking it into the mouth directly from the plate rather than using cutlery.

hopping mad »    Extremely angry; furious to the point of outburst.

horror film »    scary movie

horse around »    To play or fiddle; to clown; to do nothing of importance or consequence.

horse of a different color »    An unrelated or only incidentally related matter with distinctly different significance.

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

horse pucky »    Nonsense; feces.

horse sense »    Common sense, especially with a connotation of folk wisdom independent from, and trumping, formal education.

Horsefeathers »    Absolute nonsense; poppycock

horses for courses »    A person suited for one job may not be suited for another job, regardless of their expertise in the former job.

horses for courses »    The practice of choosing the best person for a particular job.

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 »    An unwinnable case, often passed to a newly-qualified member of the firm.

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

hot air »    boastful talk

hot and cold »    Ambivalent; having conflicting emotions.

hot cross buns »    good friday cakes

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

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.

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 »    Enthusiastic for.

hot on somebody's heels »    Close behind; pursuing or following closely.

hot potato »    A child's game in which players pass a ball or other item between them, with the object of avoiding being left holding the item when time expires.

hot to trot »    Eager for sexual activity.

hotfoot it »    To hasten; to move rapidly.

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.

house of cards »    A structure or argument built on a shaky foundation.

house warming »    Presented as a way of welcoming someone to a home into which he or she recently moved.

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

household name »    A very well-known public figure.

how are you »    An informal greeting, not requiring a literal response. Typical responses include.

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

how do you like them apples »    Directed jestingly or mockingly at someone who has received surprising information, ridiculing the situation.

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

how's tricks »    Informal greeting roughly equivalent to How are you?.

how-d'ye-do »    A troublesome state of affairs.

hum and haw »    Procrastinate and take a long time before doing something or taking a decision.

humble pie »    A pie made from the offal of deer or hog.

hung the moon »    To view or be viewed with uncritical or excessive awe, reverence, or infatuation.

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.

hunger is the best sauce »    Being hungry makes one less concerned about the taste of one's food.

hunker down »    To take shelter; to prepare oneself for some eventuality; to focus on a task.

hurt someone's feelings »    To offend or hurt someone.

hustle and bustle »    A large amount of activity and work, usually in a noisy surrounding.

ice over »    To become covered in ice, usually of a body of water.

ice up »    To become clogged with ice, usually of a mechanical device.

idiot light »    Any warning light or indicator on the dashboard of a car, designed to alert the driver of problems, such as the parking brake being on or the oil being low.

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 all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail »    With limited tools, single-minded people apply them inappropriately or indiscriminatelyIf a person is familiar with a certain, single subject/has with them a certain, single instrument, they may have a confirmation bias to believe that it is the answer to/involved in everything.

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 it's all the same »    If it makes no difference; if nobody minds; if it doesn't bother anyone.

if looks could kill »    A phrase said upon catching sight of someone's giving you a particularly nasty look of discontent or disapproval.

if my aunt had balls, she'd be my uncle »    (colloquial, vulgar, humorous) It is fruitless to speculate about counterfactual situations."We would have won the match if we'd had a decent goalkeeper.""And if my aunt had balls, she'd be my uncle!"

if need be »    If necessary; if there is a need.

if needs be »    If need be; if there is a need.

if only »    I wish that; signifies a wish or desire.

if pigs had wings »    Never.

if pigs had wings »    Shortened form of if pigs had wings they would fly.

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

if the mountain won't come to Muhammad »    "If one cannot get one's own way, one must bow to the inevitable.".

if the shoe fits »    If it has all of the characteristics of a thing, it probably is that thing.

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.

if you love somebody, set them free »    One should be willing to let go of someone they love if they truly love them.

if you want a thing done well, do it yourself »    It is better to do something oneself, than rely on others to do it well.

ignorance is bliss »    Lack of knowledge results in happinessSometime you are more comfortable if you dont know something.

ill fated »    doomed

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

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 flash »    Very quickly.

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

in a nutshell »    In summary; briefly or simply.

in a pinch »    In an urgent or difficult situation; when no other solution is available.

in aid to this fact »    In addition to; and futhermore.

in any way, shape, or form »    In any way at all; whatsoever.

in bed with »    Engaging in a close mutually beneficial relationship, especially secretly and illicitly.

in black and white »    Having it displayed using shades of gray/gray rather than colour/color .

in black and white »    Using shades of grey/gray rather than colour/color.

in character »    Acting as the character, not as oneself.

in clover »    In a condition of prosperity.

in cold blood »    In a ruthless and unfeeling manner; premeditated and deliberate.

in Dutch »    In trouble or in disfavor.

in effigy »    Symbolizing, usually as an effigy.

in fact »    Actually, in truth.

in fact »    Resulting from the actions of parties.

in focus »    Clearly perceived.

in focus »    Sharp and clear with no fuzziness.

in for a dime, in for a dollar »    Americanised form of in for a penny, in for a pound.1983, Allen Drury, Decision, p. 356:In for a dime, in for a dollar, he thought crazily, and said what he had to say in a voice he forced to stay level and calm.1998, Ellen Miller, Like Being Killed, p. 47:In for a dime, in for a dollar. I whispered to Gerry,

in for a penny, in for a pound »    Expressing recognition that one must, having started something, see it through to its end, rather than stopping short thereof; accepting that one must

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 full swing »    Proceeding fully, quickly, or completely; thoroughly begun and in progress.

in fun »    as a joke; not serious

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

in high dudgeon »    Resentfully or furiously.

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

in its infancy »    Still in an early stage.

in kind »    In the form of goods and service rather than money.

in light of »    Given, considering.

in line »    On a queue; waiting one's turn for something.

in line »    To assume a position in the future.

in no way, shape, or form »    Not in any way at all; not at all, nohow.

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

in one's element »    In a situation which is entirely appropriate or familiar.

in one's pocket »    Subject to one's whims because of bribery.

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

in order »    Complete, finished.

in order »    In accordance with the procedural rules governing formal meetings of a deliberative body.

in process of time »    In the course of time; as time goes on; gradually; in due course.

in shape »    I guess I'd better get my room in shape if I have guests.

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 short »    briefly

in so far as »    With respect to.

in spite of »    Despite, irrespective of, notwithstanding.

in stride »    Without disturbing one's course of activities.

in the act »    In the process of doing something; used to emphasize the eye-witness evidence.

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

in the buff »    Nude.

in the cards »    Destined or fated to happen; predicted or foreseen.

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

in the dark »    Without information.

in the doghouse »    In trouble; the subject of somebody's anger or disapproval.

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

in the face of »    Despite, against, contrary to.

in the face of »    On the face of.

in the fast lane »    In a lifestyle, employment position, or other set of circumstances where the rapid pace is exciting, frantic, or risky.

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 light of »    In the illumination from.

in the limelight »    In the focus of attention, especially from the media.

in the long run »    After a very long time; eventually; over a long period of time; more generally.

in the loop »    Informed; up to date; current; part of the discussion.

in the making »    In development; in the process of being made.

in the nick of time »    At the last possible moment; at the last minute.

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

in the reign of Queen Dick »    When pigs fly; never.

in the running »    Of a candidate, potential or likely; worthy of consideration.

in the swim »    Actively participating in the flow of events; very involved.

in the thick of it »    In a precarious situation.

in the toilet »    Finished; to an end.

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

in the twinkling of an eye »    Immediately; instantaneously.

in the wake of »    As a result of.

in the wake of »    Following.

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

in the wind »    Impending or in the offing; imminent.

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

in thunderation »    In any set of circumstances whatsoever.

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 vain »    19C, Friedrich Nietzsche.

in vain »    In a disrespectful manner, especially when concerning religion.

in vain »    Without success; ending in failure.

in view of »    Considering.

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

in virtue of »    By virtue of.

in your face »    An exclamation of derision or contempt.

index finger »    digit

inner circle »    The closest of friends of a person.

inquire after »    To ask about the health of someone.

inquire of »    To ask someone.

ins and outs »    The details or fine points of something.

inside baseball »    Matters of interest only to insiders.

inside job »    A crime or other illicit action committed by or with the help of someone either employed by the victim or entrusted with access to the victim's affairs and premises.

installed base »    The number of units of a system or product that are currently in use.

into thin air »    Immediately and inexplicably out of sight.

is the Pope Catholic »    The answer to the question is, obviously, resoundingly affirmative.

it ain't over 'til the fat lady sings »    There are more developments yet to come.

it ain't the whistle that pulls the train »    Alternative form of it's not the whistle that pulls the train.

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 not the whistle that pulls the train »    Alternative form of it's not the whistle that pulls the train.

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

it is what it is »    This thing has its own distinct nature; this thing is itself.

it isn't the whistle that pulls the train »    Alternative form of it's not the whistle that pulls the train.

it never rains but it pours »    Unfortunate events occur in quantity.

it takes all kinds to make a world »    Diversity is essential: the world would be incomplete if everyone were alike.He irons his clothes how?! That's crazy! Well, I guess it takes all kinds.

it takes two to tango »    Some things need the active cooperation of two parties; blame is to be laid on both parties in a conflict.

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 don’t understand any of it; it makes no sense..

it's all grist to the mill »    Everything referred to in the present context has some sort of use.1999, Simon Blackburn, Think: A Compelling Introduction to Philosophy (Oxford University Press paperback, ISBN 0199690871), ch. 7 section 6: "Kant

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.

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:

it's not what you know but who you know »    For success, and especially to obtain employment, one's knowledge and skills are less useful and less important than one's network of personal contacts.1951, G. P. Bush and L. H. Hattery, "Federal Recruitment of Junior Engineers," Science, vol. 114, no. 2966, p. 456:Eighty-four students referred to political influence as a disadvantage of federal employment with such remarks as: "There are too many political connections necessary . . . it's not what you know but who you know

it's one's funeral »    One's decisions or actions will bring undesirable consequences only on oneself.

itchy trigger finger »    A tendency to act in haste or without consideration.

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

jack in »    To stop doing a regular activity. Often a job or studies.

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 of all trades, master of none »    A person who has a competent grasp of many skills but who is not outstanding in any one.

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.

jack up »    To ruin; wreck; mess up; screw up; sometimes as a bowdlerized substitution for f** up.

jack-tar »    Alternative spelling of jacktar.

jacktar »    Nickname for a sailor in the Royal Navy.

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

jet setting »    The actions of the jet set; travelling from one fashionable location to another by jet.

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

jet-setting »    The actions of the jet set; travelling from one fashionable location to another by jet.

jew down »    To bargain or haggle with a seller in order to obtain a lower price for a good or service.

jive turkey »    Someone who is jiving, as in behaving in a glib and disingenuous fashion.

jive turkey »    Someone who is jiving, as in dancing. Often applied to people being funny or showy.

joe job »    An act of e-mail spamming where the sender's identity and address are those of an innocent third party, intended either to tarnish that person's reputation or to flood that person's e-mail with bounces.

join the club »    An expression of sympathy for a shared experience.

jolly someone along »    To make someone happy or compliant, as by encouragement or flattery.

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

jumble sale »    fundraising event

jump »    That is further forward.

jump »    To cause oneself to leave an elevated location and fall downward.

jump »    To employ a move in certain board games where one game piece is moved from one legal position to another passing over the position of another piece.

jump »    To employ a parachute to leave an aircraft or elevated location.

jump »    To force to jump.

jump »    To propel oneself rapidly upward such that momentum causes the body to become airborne.

jump about »    To move erratically by jumping. Usually as a result of being excited.

jump about »    To move from side to side, or fidget annoyingly. Usually as a result of being nervous.

jump around »    To move erratically by jumping. Usually as a result of being excited.

jump around »    To move from side to side, or fidget annoyingly. Usually as a result of being nervous.

jump at the chance »    To immediately accept an offer.

jump for joy »    Exalt, [rejoice]], feel elation.

jump in »    To enter something quickly. Usually a mode of transport.

jump off »    To participate in the final round of an equestrian showjumping event.

jump off »    To move from an elevated place by one jump.

jump on »    To attack someone verbally, or criticise them over strongly for small errors.

jump on the bandwagon »    To profit from a craze; to join a trend.

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 rope »    The length of rope, sometimes with handles, casing or other additions, used in that activity.

jump ship »    To part from a ship.

jump the gun »    To begin a race too soon, before the starting gun goes off.

jump the gun »    To trade securities based on information that is not yet public; to trade on inside information.

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.

jump to conclusions »    Make conclusions before being presented with all the evidence.

jump up »    To move from one position to a higher position by one jump.

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.

jumped-up »    We're doomed if this wee jumped-up monkey gets Gordon Smith's blessing.

jungle telegraph »    A gossip network; an informal communication system within a group or organization.

jungle telegraph »    A system used by primitive cultures in remote tropical regions for communication over long distances, such as drum sounds or a relay of runners.

just another pretty face »    Someone who is attractive, but not too distinguished.

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

just in case »    If and only if.

just what the doctor ordered »    Exactly what is necessary or useful in a given situation.

keel over »    Of a vessel: to roll so far on its side that it cannot recover; to capsize.

keel over »    To collapse in a faint; to black out; to die.

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 maintain a background awareness of something; to remain alert to changes without it occupying your full attention.

keep an eye open »    To maintain vigilance for a possibly dangerous situation.

keep an eye open »    To maintain vigilance for someone or something.

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

keep away from »    To avoid.

keep away from »    To evade.

keep away from »    To deny access to.

keep from »    To prevent or restrain ; refrain or cause refrain.

keep from »    To protect or preserve from.

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

keep on truckin' »    To continue or persist, regardless of circumstances or setbacks; to keep trying or striving.

keep one's eye on the ball »    My ethos has always been to be very straight with people, tell it as it is. It doesn't often make people happy but I found that over a period of time it's better to be that way. So being straight, also being very focused on your objectives, keep your eye on the ball and not get deflected away from it.

keep one's eye on the ball »    To maintain one's concentration fixed on one important theme.

keep one's eyes peeled »    To watch closely; to look for.

keep one's mouth shut »    To keep a secret; to refrain from speaking indiscreetly or carelessly.

keep one's pecker up »    Remain cheerful; keep smiling.

keep oneself to oneself »    To be introverted; to stay away from others.

keep out »    To refrain from entering a place or condition.

keep out »    After being warned, he kept out.

keep out »    To restrain someone or something from entering a place or condition.

keep out of »    To stay away from a place or condition.

keep out of »    To restrain someone or something from entering a place or condition.

keep quiet »    To refrain from talking about something; to keep a secret.

keep somebody posted »    To inform or to keep somebody up to date.

keep straight »    To avoid confusing or mixing up something; to keep something clear or organized.

keep tabs on »    To monitor; to keep track of; to watch.

keep the wolf from the door »    To delay sexual ejaculation.

keep the wolf from the door »    To ward off poverty or hunger.

keep up »    To maintain; to preserve; to prevent from deteriorating.

keep up »    To ensure that one remains well-informed about something.

keep up with »    To manage to remain beside or just behind that is moving away from one.

keep up with »    To manage to follow .

keep up with the Joneses »    To do or buy things for status, show, or image rather than out of need, especially for the purpose of competing with friends or neighbors.

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.

kettle of fish »    A situation which is recognized as different from or as an alternative to some other situation, and which is not necessarily unfavorable.

kettle of fish »    An awkward situation; a predicament.

key off »    To take as a controlling input datum.

kick around »    To wander loose; to float around; to hang around.

kick ass »    To beat someone in a fight.

kick down »    To break or demolish something by physical bodily force.

kick in »    To kick or strike so as to cause the object struck to collapse or fall inwards.

kick in »    To contribute, especially to a collection of money.

kick off »    To make the first kick in a game or part of a game.

kick off »    To start; to launch.

kick off »    To shut down or turn_off suddenly.

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 oneself »    To reproach oneself for making a mistake or missing an opportunity.

kick someone when they are down »    To make it worse for someone who is going through a difficult time.

kick the bucket »    Of a machine, to break down such that it cannot be repaired.

kick the habit »    To recover from or quit an addiction or habit. For example, to quit smoking, drinking, burping, or drug addiction.

kick up »    To function improperly.

kick up a fuss »    To show annoyance, or to complain loudly about something, often when it is of little importance in reality.

kick with the other foot »    To belong to a different religion.

kid around »    To engage in playful fun.

kill off »    To eliminate, or make extinct.

kill off »    To represent or portray as being dead.

kill the fatted calf »    To begin a festive celebration and rejoicing for someone's long-awaited return.

kill the goose that lays the golden eggs »    To seek short term gain at the sacrifice of long term profit.

kill the rabbit »    To get a positive test result from an old-fashioned pregnancy test.

kind »    Affectionate, showing benevolence.

kind »    Favorable.

kind »    Mild, gentle, forgiving.

kind of »    Slightly; somewhat; sort of.

kindred soul »    Someone with the same feelings or attitudes as oneself; kindred spirit.

kindred spirit »    Someone with the same feelings or attitudes as oneself.

king »    A male monarch; member of a royal family who is the supreme ruler of his nation.

king »    A playing card with the image of a king on it.

king »    A powerful or influential person.

king of hearts »    picture card

kiss and make up »    To settle one's differences and forgive.

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.

kiss of life »    Mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

kiss up »    To pay false flattery to another, particularly a superior at work, in order to get special attention.

kiss up »    To pay false flattery.

kiss up to »    To pay false flattery to; to flatter in excess.

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 »    That area of a slaughterhouse where carcasses unfit for human consumption are rendered down to produce useful materials such as glue.

kneel before »    To kneel in front of someone or something, especially in order to worship or supplicate.

knock about »    An informal game, usually football.

knock around »    To spend time with someone as a friend.

knock back »    To drink an alcoholic beverage swiftly or often.

knock down »    To hit or knock (something), intentionally or accidentally, so that it falls.

knock down »    Sold with a blow from the gavel.

knock down »    To reduce the price of.

knock down »    To drink fast.

knock for a loop »    To astonish; to surprise very much.

knock it off »    Stop doing something; desist.

knock off »    An imitation, especially one of poorer quality.

knock on wood »    A self-directive to undertake the customary action to ward off bad luck.

knock on wood »    To take a customary action to ward off some misfortune that is believed to be attracted my a presumptuous statement.

knock out »    To complete, especially in haste; knock off.

knock out of the box »    To cause a pitcher to be replaced by heavy hitting.

knock out of the box »    To cause something to be replaced by something else.

knock somebody's socks off »    To impress greatly; amaze; stun.

knock the living daylights out of »    To knock out; to hit and cause to be unconscious.

knock up »    To impregnate, especially out of wedlock. See knocked up.

knock up »    To put together, fabricate, or assemble, particularly if done hastily or temporarily. See also knock together.

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.

knock up »    To gently hit the ball back and forth before a tennis match, as practice or warm-up, and to gauge the state of the playing surface, lighting, etc. See knock-up.

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.

knocked for a six »    to be defeated; outwitted; outfoxed; beaten

knocked up »    "pregnant", typically outside of marriage.

know like the back of one's hand »    To be intimately knowledgeable about something, especially a place.

know the score »    Be aware of a situation, especially of the consequences of misconduct.

knowledge is power »    With knowledge and/or education, one's potential or ability to succeed in the pursuit of his objectives will certainly increase.

knuckle down »    To get to work; to focus on a task.

knuckle sandwich »    A punch to the face, especially to the mouth.

knuckle under »    To yield or cooperate when pressured or forced to do so.

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.

labor of love »    A task performed voluntarily without expectation of reimbursement; an altruistic work or undertaking.

laced-up »    Fastened with a lace.

laced-up »    Fixed in the sprockets of the projector.

ladies first »    A phrase encouraging polite gentlemanliness, allowing the ladies to go before the men.

ladies man »    Alternative spelling of lady's man.

ladies' man »    Alternative spelling of lady's man.

lady abbess »    A bawd, the mistress of a brothel.

lady of the night »    Prostitute.

lame joke »    An attempt at humor which is perceived to have been used previously to the point of being cliche, or was never funny to begin with.

land of opportunity »    A nickname for the United States.

land on one's feet »    To be lucky, or successful, often in difficult situations.

landing strip »    A cultivated pubic hair pattern in which much of the pubic hair is removed, leaving only a central vertical line or rectangle.

landing strip »    A runway for aircraft, especially one which is auxiliary or temporary.

lap of luxury »    A position or situation in which one is spoiled and indulged.

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.

larger-than-life »    Very imposing, renowned, or impressively influential.

lash out »    To make a fierce verbal attack.

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.

last of the big spenders »    Someone who doesn't spend much money.

last trump »    Forever.

last trump »    The moment of God's final judgement on Earth.

last word »    A final decision, or the right to make such a decision.

last word »    The final statement uttered by a person before death.

last word »    The finest, highest, or ultimate representative of some class of objects.

last-ditch »    Final, as a last resort; done in desperation.

latch onto »    To obtain, acquire or get and keep hold of something.

late bloomer »    A person who lives a child's life comparatively later than their peers.

late model »    Recently designed or fabricated; new.

laugh all the way to the bank »    To be happy due to the receipt of money.

laughing stock »    An object of ridicule, someone who is publicly ridiculed; a butt of sport.

laughing stock »    C. 1598, William Shakespeare, Merry Wives of Windsor, act 3, sc. 1.

laundry list »    Hence, a long list of items, especially an exhaustive one.

laundry list »    Originally, a list of articles of clothing that had been sent to be laundered.

law of the jungle »    The survival of the fittest, strongest or most cunning.

lay a finger on »    If you lay a finger on my little brother, I'll have your guts for garters.

lay a finger on »    To merely touch.

lay about »    To set about, with infinitive or gerund.

lay an egg »    To produce a failure or flop; to do something which is unsuccessful.

lay down »    To specify, institute, enact, assert firmly, state authoritatively, establish or formulate .

lay down »    To stock, store for the future. See also lay by.

lay down »    To sacrifice, especially in the phrase "to lay down one's life.".

lay down »    To lie down; to place oneself in a reclined or horizontal position, on a bed or similar, for the purpose of resting.

lay hands on »    To find, obtain or procure.

lay it on the line »    To state something, for example an ultimatum, strongly and clearly.

lay low »    To remain hidden or to hide oneself.

lay low »    To knock out; to cause to fall.

lay off »    From employment, e.g. at a time of low business volume, often with a severance package.

lay off »    To place all or part of a bet with another bookmaker in order to reduce risk.

lay off »    Alone.

lay off »    made redundant

lay open »    In Japan and South Korea, to publish a patent for initial public review, prior to the formal application for registration.

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.

lay up »    To take out of active service.

lay up »    To go out of active service.

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 »    Sheets or plates of lead used as a covering for roofs.

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 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.

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 depend upon for support.

lean towards »    To favor in a decision.

leap year »    Period of 366 days

leather working »    The technology of making products from leather.

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 somebody in the lurch »    To abandon somebody; especially, to abandon somebody and leave him or her in a difficult situation.

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

left and right »    All over the place; indiscriminately; frequently or excessively.

left field »    The defensive position in the outfield to the left.

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

left, right and center »    All over the place; indiscriminately; frequently or excessively.

left-handed compliment »    A complimentary remark which is ambiguous or ineptly worded, so that it may be interpreted as having an unflattering or dismissive sense.

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 »    Skillful or vigorous use of the legs, as in dance or sports.

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.

lemon sole »    fish

lemonize »    To damage something and then deny or be aloof from the damage.

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 alone »    Much less; to say nothing of.

let down »    To disappoint; to betray or fail somebody.

let go »    To dismiss from employment.

let go an anchor to the windward of the law »    To keep within the letter of the law.

let go and let God »    To consciously surrender one's free will to the will of God.

let her rip »    To set off or allow to begin.

let it be »    To leave something to follow its natural course.

let off »    To cause to explode.

let off »    To forgive and not punish.

let one's hair down »    To relax and enjoy oneself.

let somebody down »    To fail somebody; to disappoint or to fail to uphold a commitment.

let somebody in on »    To disclose; to tell somebody a secret or share privileged information.

let someone have it »    To attack someone with great force.

let the cat out of the bag »    To disclose a secret; to let a secret be known, often inadvertently.

let the good times roll »    To have fun or live fully; may imply letting things that are going well proceed.

letters after one's name »    A list of abbreviations, separated by commas, representing the academic qualifications and civil or military honours achieved by a person.

level up »    To progress to the next level of player character stats and abilities. Often used in role-playing games when the character has aquired enough experience points.

lex dubia non obligat »    (law) A doubtful law is not binding.

licence to print money »    A means of generating a large income with little effort.

licence to print money »    The authority to print money, usually given to a central bank exclusively as the issuer of currency.

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 »    He's just off licking his wounds. He'll be back to try again.

lick one's wounds »    To withdraw temporarily while recovering from a defeat.

lick out »    To perform cunnilingus on.

lie back and think of England »    . "think of England" refers to the importance of children.

lie back and think of England »    Used to preface any unpleasant but inevitable experience.

life and limb »    Existence together with bodily faculties.

life is like a box of chocolates »    Life is full of surprises, you never know what will happen next.

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.

lift a finger »    To make minimal effort; to help as little as possible.

lift up »    To elevate to a higher position.

lift up »    To lighten the mood of someone.

light a fire under »    To start sooner or move faster.

light bucket »    Nickname for a reflecting telescope, especially one with a relatively large aperture and suitable for observing deep sky objects such as nebulae and galaxies.

light middleweight »    type of boxer

lighten up »    To become less serious and more cheerful or casual; to relax.

like a cat on a hot tin roof »    Jumpy, nervous.

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 it's going out of style »    Enthusiastically, to an excessive degree.

like the back end of a bus »    Very unattractive.

like the new time »    Furiously or vigorously, repeatedly.

like water off a duck's back »    Without immediate or lasting effects.

line in the sand »    A defining moment, a cutoff point.

link whoring »    The practice of going out of one's way to place links to one's website on someone else's webpage.

lion »    A stylized representation of a large cat, used on a coat of arms.

lion »    A Chinese foo dog.

lion »    A famous person.

lion »    A large cat, Panthera leo, native to Africa, India and formerly to much of Europe. The term may apply to the species as a whole, to individuals, or to male individuals. It also applies to related species like mountain lions.

lion »    The arms of the University of the West Indies are Barry wavy of six Argent and Azure an open Book proper bound Gules garnished Or on a Chief of the third a Lion passant guardant Erminois. Crest: A Pelican proper. . See talk page.

lion's den »    Any dangerous or frightening place.

lion's den »    The lair of a lion.

lip service »    Empty talk; words absent of action or intention.

liquid courage »    Alcohol drunk to induce a feeling of courage in the drinker.

listen up »    To listen closely; to pay attention. Often used in the imperative.

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 down »    To get used to something shameful.

live in sin »    To cohabit as if man and wife without being married.

live it up »    To have a wonderful life; to live fully and have fun.

live large »    To have a lavish or overly-extravagant lifestyle.

live one »    Someone who is easily fooled, victimized, or ridiculed.

live one »    Someone who is eccentric, nonconformist, or otherwise peculiar.

live up »    To fulfil the expectations placed upon.

live wire »    An electrical wire through which there is a flow of electrical current.

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.

loaded word »    Any word, set phrase or idiom that has strong positive or negative connotations beyond their ordinary definition.

lock horns »    To come into conflict.

lock lips »    To kiss on the lips; to engage in a French kiss.

lock up »    To close all doors and windows of a place securely.

lock up »    To cease responding, to freeze.

log off »    To depart from conversation; to say goodbye.

log off »    To log out.

lone gunman »    An individual person who acts on his or her own initiative, without partners, especially one who has sole responsibility for doing something questionable, confidential, or iniquitous.

long absent, soon forgotten »    Love fades away when people are distant and don't keep close physical contact.

long arm »    A pole tool used for handling things too far away to reach.

long arm »    Influence, far-reaching power.

long drink »    Any drink containing more than 5 ounces of liquid and less than 9 ounces. Typically, a long drink will have lots of ice and mixer.

long finger »    A state of postponement or procrastination.

long finger »    Middle finger.

long finger »    [hire purchase]] or credit.

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 pork »    Human flesh.

long row to hoe »    A difficult or arduous task.

long run »    An extended period of time.

long shot »    A master shot, the primary wide shot of a scene into which the closeups will be edited later.

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 story short »    Introducing a short version of, or simply the conclusion of, an involved story.

long time »    Used as part of greeting of two people who have not been in contact for a long time.

long time no hear »    I haven't heard from you for a long time.

long time no see »    I haven't seen 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.

longpig »    Human flesh when cooked in cannabalistic rituals in certain Pacific Islands, due to the allegeded similarity to cooked pork.

look after »    To watch or protect; to keep safe.

look back »    To look behind oneself.

look before you leap »    Don't jump into something too precipitously; be at least a bit foresightful or circumspect.

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 off »    To mislead by directing one's apparent attention away from one's true object of intent.

look off »    To put off by one's facial expression.

look out »    To look from within to the outside.

look out for number one »    To act in one's own interests; to act in a manner advantageous primarily to oneself.

look over »    To scan-read and check for errors.

look through rose-tinted glasses »    Alternative spelling of wear rose-colored glasses.

look to »    To seek inspiration or advice from someone.

look up »    To have a bright future.

look up »    To obtain information about something from a text source.

look up to »    To show respect or admiration for.

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.

look-in »    A brief visit.

look-in »    A quick short pass to a receiver running diagonally toward the center of the field.

Loose cannon »    An uncontrolled or unpredictable person who causes damage to his own friends, faction, political party, etc.

loose end »    A small job that needs to be done, or minor problem that needs to be resolved, before a task can be considered complete.

loose end »    The end of a rope that has not been fastened.

loose ends »    Leftover items that have not been addressed or attended to.

lord of the flies »    A ruler over a worthless kingdom; leader of a meaningless microcosm.

lose face »    To lose the respect of others, to be humiliated or experience public disgrace.

lose it »    To lose control of a situation.

lose one's shirt »    To lose all of one's money; to go broke; to undergo financial ruin or disaster.

lose one's touch »    To lose one's special mastery of or knack for a particular skill or activity.

lose the number of one's mess »    To die, to perish.

lose the plot »    To have one's results decline severely in quality or suddenly fall below an acceptable standard, especially when compared to past excellence.

lose touch »    To cease to be familiar with someone or something or to cease to communicate or have contact.

lost cause »    A cause, attempt, or effort that is hopeless or futile.

lost errand »    A mission likely to fail.

louse up »    Mess up; confuse; put into a state of disorder.

love is blind »    A person who is in love can see no faults or imperfections in the person who is loved.

love nest »    A room, especially a bedroom or boudoir, used for sexual intercourse.

loved up »    Alternative spelling of loved-up.

low blow »    A rhetorical attack that is considered unfair or unscrupulous.

low blow »    An unfair or illegal blow that lands below the opponent’s waist; a groin attack..

low road »    A course of action which is undignified, wrongful, or otherwise unseemly.

low-hanging fruit »    Easily obtained gains; what can be obtained by readily available means.

lubrication 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.

luck out »    To experience great luck; to be extremely fortunate or lucky.

luck out »    To have run out of luck.

lucky break »    A stroke of luck; a fortunate event, particularly of the sort that propels one to success, fame, etc.

lump in one's throat »    A feeling of emotional sadness. On the point of crying.

lump to one's throat »    A feeling of emotional sadness. On the point of crying.

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.

mad money »    A sum of money, often relatively small in amount, kept in reserve to use for impulsive, frivolous purposes.

made in China »    Cheaply manufactured in East Asia.

made in China »    Manufactured in the People's Republic of China.

made in China »    Of poor or low quality.

made in Japan »    Cheaply manufactured in East Asia.

made in Japan »    Manufactured in Japan.

made in Japan »    Of poor or low quality.

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.

make a fool of oneself »    To appear foolish to others.

make a go of it »    To attempt; especially, to attempt to make a living.

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 name for oneself »    To gain fame.

make a pig's ear of »    To do badly; to make a mess of.

make a point »    To take care in doing something of something; to pay attention or ensure that something is done.

make a pug face »    To put on a sorry face, as a pug would look.

make a pug-face »    Putting on a sorry face, as a pug would look.

make a stink »    To complain; to demand attention or remedy for a problem.

make a virtue of necessity »    C. 1595, William Shakespeare, Two Gentlemen of Verona, act 4, sc.1.

make a virtue of necessity »    To make the best of a difficult situation; to recast or portray an action or situation in which one has no alternatives as an action or situation which was deliberately chosen on its merits.

make amends »    To repair a relationship; to make up; to resolve an argument or fight; to make reparations or redress.

make an example of »    He made an example of the drunken sailor with twenty lashes, to show that he must have a sober crew.

make an example of »    To punish someone so as to be a warning to others.

make an exhibition of oneself »    She had far too much to drink and made an exhibition of herself by flirting with everyone.

make an exhibition of oneself »    To embarrass oneself or others in public.

make an honest woman »    Especially if she is having a sexual relationship.

make book »    To be very confident.

make for »    To move towards.

make for »    ????, translator unknown, author Galileo Galilei, Two Chief World Systems.

make for »    To tend to produce or result in.

make for »    head towards

make fun of »    To tease, ridicule or make jokes about.

make game of »    To ridicule; to jest.

make hay »    To cut grass to turn into hay for animal feed.

make hay »    To take advantage of an opportunity.

make hay while the sun shines »    To act while an opportunity exists; to take action while a situation is favorable.

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 become famous and successful.

make it big »    To become famous and successful.

make it do or do without »    If you don't have a lot of money, extend the life of what you have.

make light of »    To regard without due seriousness; to joke or disregard inappropriately.

make no bones about »    To see no difficulty in, have no objection to.

make off »    To run away; to exit.

make off with »    To steal something and run.

make oneself scarce »    To leave or depart, or to avoid or stay away.

make out »    To characterize as; often with to be.

make out »    To fabricate a story.

make out like a bandit »    To profit greatly; to get an excessively good deal.

make over »    To renovate or to convert to a different use.

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 short work of »    To make a task quicker or easier.

make someone's day »    To make someone happy or to be a source of satisfaction.

make someone's skin crawl »    To disturb or bother; to frighten or disgust.

make sure »    To verify; to recheck; to use extra care or caution.

make the cut »    To succeed; to be chosen out of a field of candidates or possibilities.

make the grade »    To prove satisfactory; to be successful or worthy of merit.

make the most of »    To profit as much as possible from.

make the welkin ring »    By extension of.

make the welkin ring »    By extension of , to celebrate or revel.

make up »    To constitute; to compose; to form.

make up »    To compensate, fill in or catch up.

make up »    To resolve, forgive or smooth over an argument or fight.

mama's boy »    A male person, especially a young man or boy, who is overly attached to or influenced by his mother; a sissy.

man is man to man »    The human is a human for itself

man made »    artificial

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.

man up »    His station, prepared for departure of an aircraft, ship, etc.

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.

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.

manoeuvre the apostles »    To rob Peter to pay Paul; that is, to borrow money of one man to pay another.

many a mickle makes a muckle »    (UK) a lot of small amounts together, become a large amount.

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!.

map out »    To organise the basic plan for a project.

march to the beat of a different drum »    To do things in one's own way regardless of societal norms and expectations.

mark down »    To reduce the price of.

mark my words »    Listen to me; used before a statement one wishes to emphasize.

mark up »    To increase the price of something between its wholesale and retail phase.

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.

match made in hell »    A very unsuccessful or conflicting combination of two people or things.

matter of course »    A natural or logical outcome.

matter of course »    An expected or customary outcome.

matter of fact »    A fact.

matter of fact »    A more factual correction.

matter of fact »    Something completely true.

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.

meals on wheels »    Food delivered to the homes of those unable to cook for themselves.

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.

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.

meet one's maker »    To die or to pass into the afterlife.

melon head »    A dimwit, a fool.

member for Barkshire »    Said of one troubled with a cough, vulgarly styled barking.

memory lane »    A set of recollections available to be reviewed, especially accompanied by a feeling of nostalgia.

mend fences »    To repair damage to a friendship or relationship after a disagreement or other mishap.

mend one's ways »    To recognise one's failings and attempt to remedy them.

mess around »    To fiddle idly.

mess of pottage »    Something of trivial value, especially of immediate value.

mess up »    To make a mess of; to untidy, disorder, soil, or muss.

mess up »    To cause a problem with; to introduce an error or mistake in; to make muddled or confused; spoil; ruin.

mess up »    To botch, bungle; to perform poorly on.

mess up »    To make a mistake; to do something incorrectly; to perform poorly.

mess up »    To discombobulate, utterly confuse, or confound psychologically; to throw into a state of mental disarray.

mess with »    To interfere.

mickey finn »    spiked drink

middle of nowhere »    Nowhere; any place lacking population, interesting things, or defining characteristics.

middle of the road »    Having a centrist attitude or philosophy; not extreme, especially politically.

middle of the road »    Of a type of melodic popular music that has wide appeal.

midi system »    hi-fi

might makes right »    The stronger and more powerful rule others, control the situation or determine right and wrong.

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!

mike up »    To fit a microphone and transmitter to a person. Usually for television performers, or for police informers.

mill around »    To move or circulate in a confused or disorderly manner within a limited area.

mills of the gods grind slowly »    Justice may arrive slowly, but it cannot be avoided.

mince words »    To restrain oneself in a conversation by withholding some comments or using euphemisms.

mind one's own business »    To concern oneself only with what is of interest to oneself and not interfere in the affairs of others.

mind one's P's and Q's »    Alternative spelling of mind one's p's and q's.

mind one's p's and q's »    To be very careful to behave correctly.

mind the store »    To remain present in a retail business, in order to maintain the security of the premises and to serve customers.

mind the store »    To take active responsibility for a group or process, especially within an organization.

mind you »    Mind that you; be careful that you.

mind-numbing »    Excessively boring, tedious, or dull; repetitive; of an activity, etc., lacking any interest or variety that might serve as intellectual stimulation.

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 »    A caged bird kept caged in mines because its demise provided a warning of dangerous levels of toxic gases.

miner's canary »    Any thing, especially an organism, whose demise or distress provides an early warning of danger.

miners' canary »    A caged bird kept caged in mines because its demise provided a warning of dangerous levels of toxic gases.

miners' canary »    Any thing, especially an organism, whose demise or distress provides an early warning of danger.

mint condition »    Used, but still like new, as if freshly minted.

misfortunes never come singly »    bad things or situations always come in groups, they never come in a single way.

miss the boat »    To fail to take advantage of an opportunity; to overlook or be too late to pursue an option or course of action.

miss the mark »    To fail to hit the target.

miss the mark »    To fail to reach the result that was intended.

miss the point »    To fail to grasp the meaning of an utterance.

mix apples and oranges »    To mix two totally different things.

mix it up »    To compete vigorously, to quarrel, or to fight physically.

mix up »    To confuse or reverse.

mix up »    confused situation

mixed bag »    Any bag containing a mixture of something.

mixed bag »    By extension, a group of entities with few characteristics in common; an assortment.

mixed bag »    Something tending to have both good and bad results or characteristics; something having a mixture of advantages and disadvantages.

mixed blessing »    Something that has both good and bad features.

mocking is catching »    An admonishment to be careful of criticising others, lest the same happen to you.Mocking is Catching was the title of a 1726 song by Henry Carey.

moment of truth »    A deciding instant; the time when a test determines or makes it apparent whether something will succeed.

money can't buy happiness »    Money can buy external things, but true happiness comes from inside.

money for old rope »    Money exchanged for goods of low value.

money maker »    Something profitable.

money talks »    It is easier to accomplish goals using money instead of just talk.

monkey around »    To act foolishly.

monkey business »    An activity that may be considered illegal, questionable, or a vice, but not felonious.

monkey business »    Do your homework and forget about all this monkey business.

monkey business »    Wasting time, or effort, on some foolish project.

monkey on one's back »    A state of persistent distress or worry or the cause of such a state.

monkey wrench »    A wrench with a smooth adjustable jaw to grip different sizes of nuts.

month of Sundays »    A very long time; too long.

mop the floor with somebody »    To trounce or defeat thoroughly or in a humiliating manner.

mop up »    To fix problems; to correct or repair.

moral high ground »    A position or point of view which is ethically superior or more reputable, in comparison to others which are under consideration.

more haste, less speed »    When we are in a hurry, we often end up completing our task slower.

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.

mother hen »    A female chicken who bears eggs or chicks.

mother hen »    An outspoken and overprotective woman dealing with others' affairs.

mouse potato »    A person who spends excessive amounts of time using a computer.

mouth breather »    A person who routinely inhales and exhales through the mouth, instead of through the nose.

mouth of a sailor »    The characteristic of regularly using vulgar language, especially strong profanities; a person having this characteristic.

mouthful of marbles »    An indistinct, muffled or garbled manner of speaking.

move house »    To change one's place of residence.

move on »    To leave somewhere for another place.

move out »    To vacate one's place of residence.

move the goal posts »    To unilaterally change the rules, or terms of an agreement, especially in an unfair or underhand way.

move the goalposts »    To alter the agreed basis, scope, standards or target of a procedure or task during its course, especially to do so to someone's advantage.

mover and shaker »    Someone who has power and influence in some field or activity.

movie star »    famous film actor

much of a muchness »    Of two or more things, having little difference of any significance between them.

muck about »    To do somethings with a piece of equipment when you do not understand how it works.

muck about »    To be playful; full of fun and high spirits.

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.

muckety muck »    A person in a position of power, authority, or status.

mug's game »    A foolish, profitless, or hopeless undertaking.

mum's the word »    The accompanying facts are a secret, not to be divulged.

muscle in »    To interfere, or intrude forcibly.

muscle in on »    To interfere with, or intrude on something forcibly.

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.

mutual admiration society »    A group of two or more people, in a workplace or other social environment, who routinely express considerable esteem and support for one another, sometimes to the point of exaggeration or pretense.

my arse »    Indicates disapproval, disregard, disdain, disgust or disbelief.

my eye »    Expression of disapproval, disregard, disdain, disgust or disbelief.

my foot »    Indicates disapproval, disregard, disdain, disgust or disbelief.

naff off »    A mild version of f** off.

nail biter »    A nervous or uncomfortable situation.

nail biter »    An engaging or exciting cliffhanger.

nail biter »    One who bites or chews his or her fingernails.

nail down »    Firm or certain.

name and shame »    So as to single them out for individual blame and censure.

narrow down »    Make more specific.

ne'er cast a clout til May be out »    Advice not to change from winter clothes to summer clothes until June, as there is often a sudden cold snap in May.

near the knuckle »    Risqué, sexual, suggestive of impropriety..

necessity is the mother of innovation »    Alternative form of necessity is the mother of invention.

necessity is the mother of invention »    A person who is in great need of something will find a way to get it.

neck of the woods »    A local neighbourhood or region.

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.

needle in a haystack »    Something that is difficult or impossible to locate; something impossibly complex or intractable.

neither fish nor fowl »    Said of something not easily categorized or not fitting neatly into any established group.

neither here nor there »    Not important; having no significance or influence on the question at hand; not related; not relevant; not germane; not pertinent.

nervous hit »    A production which receives generally favorably notice, but is not assured of success.

nest egg »    A natural or artificial egg placed in a bird's nest, to encourage the bird to lay its own eggs there.

nest egg »    A savings; a reserve of money.

never in a month of Sundays »    At no time whatsoever.

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!.

never look a gift horse in the mouth »    Alternative form of don't look a gift horse in the mouth.

never mind »    It is not important; do not fret.

never you mind »    Do not concern yourself with it; it is none of your business.

new school »    A style, way of thinking, or method for accomplishing a task that is typical of the current era, as opposed to former eras.

nice guy »    An adult male who seeks sexual attraction and romantic intimacy, but only finds cordial friendship and platonic love.

nickel and dime »    Small time; operating on a small scale; involving small amounts of money; petty or cheap.

nickel-and-dime »    Alternative spelling of nickel and dime.

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 beverage drunk before bed that is usually alcoholic.

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 day wonder »    Something that generates interest for a limited time and is then abandoned.

nip and tuck »    So evenly matched that the advantage shifts from one to the other, and the outcome is uncertain.

nip in the bud »    To remove a bud from a plant to prevent flower and fruit from forming.

no comment »    A refusal to say the obvious impolite retort.

no comment »    An "official" refusal to relay any further information, as a response to a newspaper reporter's question.

no dice »    An unfavorable result.

no fear »    certainly not

no frills »    Basic or simple; providing only what is necessary, without anything extra or fancy.

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 ifs, ands, or buts »    Period; exactly so; without modification, limitation, or addendum.

no matter »    regardless of

no matter how thin you slice it, it's still baloney »    Regardless of how many clever points or fine distinctions one makes, what one is saying is still false or is still nonsense.

no nevermind »    No difference.

no news is good news »    A lack of information about a situation suggests that nothing bad has happened.

no pain, no gain »    One must be willing to endure some inconvenience or discomfort in order to achieve worthwhile goals.

no pressure »    The situation at hand is rife with emotional pressure.

no prize for guessing »    Used to form expressions emphasizing the unsurprising nature of what follows.

no rest for the wicked »    (humorous) People who are wicked must work harder than normal people.

no score »    In a sporting event, a score of zero to zero.

no screaming hell »    Something that is not particularly effective or impressive; something that is below expectations.

no skin off one's back »    No harm to one.

no skin off one's nose »    No harm to one.

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 smoke without fire »    Indicative of the fact that gossip or accusations are often substantiated by fact.

no spring chicken »    Said of a person who is no longer particularly young.

no time like the present »    A shortened form of there's no time like the present

no-show »    An absence; somebody who doesn't show up or a failure to show up.

noarch »    Short for "no architecture". It is a term used mainly in package management systems to mark packages which are architecture independent. Such packages usually contain graphics, documentation or similar data that can be used on any architecture.

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.

none of someone's business »    A matter that someone is not entitled to be involved in or informed about.

nose test »    An informal method for determining whether something is authentic, credible, or ethical, by using one's common sense or sense of propriety.

nose test »    An inspection of an object using the sense of smell, as for freshness of food.

nose test »    An inspection of the nasal passages or a trial of their function, as for breathing difficulties.

nose-pick »    To pick boogers from the nose.

nose-picking »    To insert a finger into one's nostril, especially to remove mucus.

nosebleed seat »    A seat high in the back of bleachers, stands, or the balcony at a theater.

not a pretty sight »    Something disappointing, disquieting, disreputable, or otherwise unworthy of admiration.

not a pretty sight »    Something visually unappealing, ranging from mildly unattractive to utterly disgusting in appearance.

not a sausage »    Absolutely nothing, none of something.

not a sausage »    Jill: Not a sausage I'm afraid, I'm just visiting.

not a sausage »    John: Do you know how I get to the town center from here?.

not a zack »    No amount of money; no money at all.

not all it's cracked up to be »    Not as good as claimed; falling short of expectations.

not at all »    Used similarly to you're welcome, as a conventional reply to an expression of gratitude.

not be able to get a word in edgeways »    To be unable to say a single word because of someone else's talkativeness.

not be caught dead »    To refuse completely to do something.

not half bad »    Pretty good; okay; decent.

not have the faintest »    To not know; to have no idea.

not in Kansas anymore »    No longer in quiet and comfortable surroundings; in the big city.

not long for this world »    Unlikely to remain for much time.

not much of anything »    Very little; not a lot.

not on your life »    Absolutely not; under no circumstances.

not on your nelly »    Not on your life, an emphatic form of no.

not the end of the world »    It's of minor importance, at least not as important as it first seemed.

not to put too fine a point on it »    Used to apologise for a possibly impolite statement one is making.

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 touch something with a ten foot pole »    Ambrose Bierce, The Collected Works of Ambrose Bierce, Vol. 8.

not touch something with a ten foot pole »    Francis Lynde, The Quickening.

not touch something with a ten foot pole »    To approach something or someone.

not touch something with a ten foot pole »    To avoid something at all costs; to refuse to associate with something; signifies a strong aversion.

not win for losing »    To repeatedly fail in one's gambles or efforts.

not worth a brass farthing »    Worth nothing or next to nothing.

nothing flat »    Amount of time; no time at all.

nothing special »    Ordinary, run-of-the-mill.

nothing to it »    Easy; simple or straightforward.

nothing ventured, nothing gained »    If one takes no risks, one will not gain any benefits.

now you're cooking »    A phrase, often given in response, meaning that the subject has switched to a more suitable or more efficient approach.

now you're talking »    A phrase indicating agreement with a previously stated suggestion to change a course of action.

nudge nudge wink wink »    A phrase added at the end of the sentence to hint that the speaker is referring to something else, euphemistically.

nugget of truth »    A small amount of truth in a generally untrue statement.

nugget of truth »    January 2008, Chicago Tribune - Clinton's Hispanic edge over Obama.

number one »    First; foremost; best.

nut-cutting time »    Time to exert maximum effort, for example, due to an approaching deadline or a looming competitive situation.

nut-cutting time »    Time to gather nuts before they are taken by other animals or buried in snow.

nutfarm »    An insane asylum.

nuts and bolts »    The basic, inner workings of something; the fundamentals or basics; that which makes something operate, on a basic level.

nutty as a fruitcake »    Behaving in an eccentric, foolish, or kooky manner; very nutty.

object lesson »    A lesson taught using a familiar or unusual object as a focus.

object lesson »    An example that typifies a principle.

object lesson »    Anything used an example or lesson which serves to warn others as to the outcomes that result from a particular action or behavior, as exemplified by the fates of those who followed that course.

odd and curious »    A way to designate special coins, namely coins that are both odd and imperfect or seriously damaged.

odd and curious »    On the Isle of Man, the common or general man.

odd one out »    A visual puzzle where the guesser has to choose which word/picture/symbol etc. does not fit with the others.

odd one out »    Something or someone in a group that is different or exceptional, that does not fit.

of a »    Every.

of all people »    Especially; more than other people.

of an »    Belonging to the same.

of an »    Indicates a more or less habitual activity during the given part of the day.

of course »    Acknowledges the validity of the associated phrase.

of course »    Asserts that the associated phrase should not be argued, particularly if it is obvious or there is no choice in the matter.

of course »    Indicates enthusiastic agreement.

of late »    In the recent past; recently; lately.

of sorts »    Resembling; similar to; in a way; partial or not entire; somewhat.

off and on »    Intermittently.

off balance »    Not physical balanced; not having physical equilibrium.

off balance »    Surprised; perplexed.

off board »    Not on or in a means of transportation.

off board »    Not participating.

off chance »    A condition of not being likely or probable.

off licence »    drinks shop

off one's dot »    Off one's rocker; bananas; mad.

off one's game »    C. 1910, Ralph Henry Barbour, "The Dub" in The New Boy at Hilltop and Other Stories.

off one's game »    Performing in any activity below one's usual level; behaving in an irregular, inept, or awkward manner; feeling unwell.

off one's game »    Playing or competing below one's usual level of performance.

off one's own bat »    At one's own instigation.

off one's rocker »    Crazy; insane.

off the back foot »    From a defensive position.

off the bat »    From the start; immediately; right away.

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 chain »    Free from work or direct supervision. In reference to slave labor, where workers are chained, or to the figurative chain of workers of an assembly line.

off the deep end »    Crazy, erratic, or irrational.

off the hook »    Of a telephone, having an open connection; not hung up.

off the hook »    Performing extraordinarily well.

off the hook »    Relieved of a duty, burden, responsibility, or pressure.

off the mark »    Inaccurate; not correct or appropriate.

off the radar »    Unlikely to happen, or be important in the near future or tending to escape detection or attention.

off the rails »    In an abnormal manner, especially in a manner that causes damage or malfunctioning.

off the rails »    Insane.

off the rails »    Off the intended path.

off the rails »    Out of control.

off the reservation »    Violating rules.

off the table »    Beyond consideration.

off the top of one's head »    Without great thought or investigation; extemporaneous; natural; offhand.

off the wagon »    No longer maintaining a program of self-improvement or abstinence from an undesirable habit, especially drinking alcohol.

off-color »    Considered dirty, vulgar or obscene.

off-roader »    A vehicle that is designed to drive off the road.

off-the-cuff »    Extemporaneous; without prior preparation; impromptu.

off-the-shelf »    As purchased or as commonly available, without modification or customization.

off-the-wall »    Greatly inappropriate.

off-the-wall »    Wildly unconventional; bizarre; absurd.

offer affordances »    To give elbow room or leeway for something to happen.

offer one's condolences »    To offer sympathy to someone.

oh dark hundred »    Some unspecified hour in the early morning.

oh dark thirty »    Some unspecified hour in the early morning.

oh, well »    An expression of disappointment or resignation; too bad; pity.

oil burner »    A device whose operation causes apparent combustion of lubricating oil.

oil burner »    A heating device which burns fuel oil; an oil furnace.

oil burner »    A machine that uses oil as its fuel.

oil painting »    works of art

old college try »    A vigorous, committed attempt or effort.

Old Fart »    An elderly person who holds views that are considered old-fashioned.

old fogey »    Old person.

old hat »    Something uninteresting, hackneyed, or passé due to overuse or long-standing familiarity..

old hat »    Something with which one is very familiar, or in which one is experienced or skilled.

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 money »    The monetary system used in the United Kingdom before decimalisation and consisting of pounds, shillings, and pence.

old school »    Characteristic of a style, outlook, or method employed in a former era, remembered either as inferior to the current style, or alternately, remembered nostalgically as superior or preferable to the new style, the older denoting something that would be considered out of date or out of fashion to some, but as such, is considered by others as cool and hip.

old stick »    A man, chap, fellow, guy.

old testament »    part of the bible

old time used to be »    Ex-girlfriend or ex-boyfriend. Often used in songs.

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 a shoestring »    On a very tight budget; with few resources or little money.

on about »    Speaking about, talking of.

on accident »    Accidentally; not intentionally; because of error, misfortune, or lack of caution.

on all fours »    On one's hands and knees.

on all fours »    Similar in nature or effect to something else; consistent.

on average »    Usually, typically; as a rule; as often as not.

on board »    Even when I am on board the plane, I can never feel secure that my luggage is, too.

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 cloud nine »    Very happy, blissful.

on good terms with »    Friendly towards; having good relations with.

on hold »    On reserve; being held for someone.

on ice »    Performed by ice skaters as an ice show.

on one's feet »    Being stable or capable, especially in a financial or emotional sense.

on one's feet »    Being standing up.

on one's feet »    Being well again after a bout of illness.

on one's high horse »    Self-righteous; proceeding on the belief one is more correct or proper than others.

on one's own »    Alone; by oneself; without the companionship or assistance of others.

on one's soapbox »    Stating or professing one's opinion; attempting to persuade others of something.

on one's watch »    During the period of time when one is in a position of authority or responsibility.

on opposite sides of the barricades »    Of starkly different, opposite views on an issue.

on pins and needles »    Feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety; in a state of suspense.

on purpose »    Purposefully; with intention; deliberately.

on second thought »    After reconsidering; on further consideration.

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 sufferance »    Unwillingly agreed to or barely tolerated.

on tenterhooks »    In a state of suspense or apprehension.

on the anvil »    Refers to anything in the making, being created, or in production, especially in the metalworking field.

on the back burner »    Not immediate; inactive; receiving less than full or regular attention.

on the back foot »    In a defensive posture; off-balance.

on the ball »    Alert, active, or attentive; on top of things.

on the ball »    Being in control of the ball.

on the blink »    Functioning erratically, malfunctioning; not working or not working well. Usually refers to a mechanical or electronic device.

on the bubble »    Having qualification for an event depend on the upcoming performances of other competitors.

on the bubble »    Holding the last qualifying position with qualification still in progress, and thus liable to lose that position.

on the bubble »    Uncertain of success.

on the cheap »    Economically, especially if too economically.

on the clock »    In the official time expired in a game or other sporting event.

on the clock »    In the official time remaining in a game or other sporting event.

on the clock »    Of a taxicab, engaged for hire; displayed numerically as time or fare on the meter of a taxicab.

on the clock »    Remunerated per unit of time.

on the clock »    Working at one's job; occupied in some manner during one's hours of remunerated employment.

on the cuff »    On credit, with payment to be made later.

on the defensive »    Prepared to defend or protect against criticism, attack or aggression.

on the dot »    Exactly; precisely, especially of a numerical quantity.

on the face of »    Notwithstanding.

on the face of it »    Apparently; as far as can be seen or determined.

on the fence »    Undecided; wavering in one's opinion.

on the fly »    Spontaneously or extemporaneously; done as one goes, or during another activity.

on the go »    Actively traveling; busy; moving often.

on the house »    Free, complimentary.

on the ladder »    Figuratively a property ladder, owning property.

on the level »    A discreet reference to freemasonry.

on the level »    Honest, sincere, straightforward.

on the line »    On a level with the eye of the spectator; said of a picture, as hung in an exhibition of pictures.

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 mend »    Improving or undergoing restoration to a previous, more favorable condition.

on the other hand »    From another point of view.

on the outs »    On unfriendly terms; estranged.

on the plus side »    Positively; from a favorable view or perspective.

on the pull »    Seeking the intimate company of a member of the opposite sex.

on the ropes »    Leaning against the ropes of the boxing ring, as when exhausted and nearing defeat or collapse.

on the ropes »    Showing signs of imminent failure or collapse.

on the run »    Constantly traveling or moving from place to place.

on the run »    Fleeing.

on the spur of the moment »    On very short notice; spontaneously.

on the square »    A discrete, unassuming reference to freemasonry.

on the tip of one's tongue »    Known but not quite remembered.

on the town »    Casually enjoying the nightlife of a town or city.

on the uptake »    In understanding or in the ability to absorb new information; especially in the phrases "quick on the uptake" and "slow on the uptake".

on the wagon »    By extension, maintaining a program of self-improvement or abstinence from some other undesirable habit.

on the wane »    In a period of decrease or decline.

on the whole »    For the most part; apart from some insignificant details.

on tiptoe »    Moving carefully, quietly, warily or stealthily.

on top of »    Fully informed about, and in control of something; up to speed with.

on top of »    In addition to something else.

on top of the world »    Delighted; ecstatic; exceptionally pleased, happy, or satisfied.

on track »    On a well-defined promotion path in an organisation, usually tenure.

on wheels »    Having wheels affixed to the bottom, and so transportable.

once and for all »    Finally, permanently, conclusively.

once bitten, twice shy »    One is cautious in the future if one has been hurt in the past.

once in a blue moon »    Very rarely; very infrequently.

once or twice »    A small, indefinite number of times.

once you go black, you never go back »    An expression assuming that once a person of another race gets in a sexual relationship with a black person they won't return to their own race.

one and the same »    The same person or thing. Used to emphasize the identity or equivalence of two things.

one another »    Used of a reciprocal relationship among a group of more than two people or things; compare each other.

one at a time »    Individually, as opposed to collectively; slowly or methodically, figuratively.

one brick short of a full load »    Not mentally sound; insane.

one brick short of a full load »    Stupid.

one candle short of a box »    not bright; stupid

one card shy of a full deck »    Mentally deranged; demented; insane.

one fell swoop »    One stroke; one action or event with many results.

one good turn deserves another »    One act of kindness should be paid back by another act of kindness.

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 of his majesty's bad bargains »    A worthless soldier, a malingeror.

one of those days »    A bad day.

one or two »    a few

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 step forward, two steps back »    A situation in which progress is more than offset by adverse developments.

one swallow does not a summer make »    One sighting or instance of an event does not necessarily indicate a trend.

one swallow does not make a summer »    A sign is not proof

one swallow doesn't make a summer »    One sighting or instance of an event does not necessarily indicate a trend.

one up »    To outdo, to do something slightly better than a competitor's prior effort.

one who hesitates is lost »    A person who spends too much time contemplating what to do may miss a valuable but fleeting opportunity.

one's days are numbered »    Some period of time, such as a term of employment or a lifetime, is coming to an end.

one's jig is up »    Alternative form of the jig is up. [for one].

one-hit wonder »    A musical performer or musical group known for a single hit song, especially after failing at later attempts at success.

one-hit wonder »    A person or group known for achieving only a single major accomplishment.

one-man band »    An organisation or business that is effectively run by only one person.

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.

one-off »    Occurring once; one-time.

one-track mind »    That said to be possessed by someone who is obsessed with something or only able to think of one thing.

one-trick pony »    A performing animal that knows only one trick.

one-trick pony »    A person or group noteworthy for only a single achievement, skill, or characteristic.

one-up »    To outdo, to do something slightly better than a competitor's prior effort.

one-upmanship »    A succession of instances of outdoing a competitor.

one-upmanship »    The art or practice of successively outdoing a competitor.

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 a can of whoop ass »    I'm gonna open up a can of whoop-ass on ya.

open ended »    without definite limits

open fire »    To begin firing at something or someone.

opposites attract »    people who are completely different make ideal partners.

or what »    Or something else; allows for the existence of an unexpressed alternative to what was said.

orphan drug »    But which is not manufactured or marketed because the demand is insufficient to cover the costs of supply.

other days, other ways »    People of the past thought and acted differently.

other half »    A spouse.

out of bounds »    Beyond the bounds of civility or morality; extremely unreasonable.

out of bounds »    Prohibited to enter.

out of character »    Inconsistent with one's personality, disposition, or usual expected behaviour.

out of character »    Not acting; not "on"; behaving within one's natural personality rather than that of a character in a performance piece.

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 date »    Not current, outmoded, out of style, or too old to be used.

out of fix »    Wrong, broken, nonfunctional.

out of gas »    Lacking fuel.

out of gas »    Tired; lacking energy or motivation.

out of house and home »    Cassandra Chrones Moore, Haunted Housing: How Toxic Scare Stories Are Spooking the Public Out of House and Home.

out of house and home »    Gail White, Partying with the Intelligentsia.

out of house and home »    Global Checkup: How Healthy is Earth?, Science NOW.

out of house and home »    Helping Your Dog Adjust to a New Home, The Progressive Animal Welfare Society.

out of house and home »    In a manner that deprives one of dwelling or some aspect thereof.

out of it »    Disoriented; not thinking clearly.

out of it »    Drunk.

out of it »    Not participating in some trend or group.

out of kilter »    Disturbed; out of order; not working or adjusted properly.

out of line »    Inappropriate or unsuitable, especially by reason of being unmannerly or indelicate.

out of luck »    Experiencing a temporary misfortune.

out of nowhere »    In an unexpected or inexplicable manner of arrival or occurrence.

out of one's depth »    To be in a situation which one is poorly prepared or unprepared to handle.

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 order »    Inappropriate or unsuitable.

out of order »    Not functioning properly.

out of order »    Out of normal sequence.

out of place »    Amongst all those horsey people I felt quite out of place.

out of place »    Not in the proper situation or arrangement, or inappropriate for the circumstances.

out of place »    She comes in out of the storm with not a hair out of place.

out of pocket »    Lacking funds, or suffering a loss.

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 »    How was the party? Out of sight, man!.

out of sight »    In hiding.

out of sight »    Not accessible to view.

out of sight »    Superb, excellent.

out of sight »    The notice was out of sight behind the door.

out of sight »    You better stay out of sight for a few days.

out of sight, out of mind »    When something is not nearby, it is forgotten about.

out of sorts »    Irritable or somewhat unwell, with vague medical symptoms.

out of stock »    Temporarily unavailable for sale.

out of the blue »    Unexpectedly; without warning or preparation.

out of the box »    Immediately, without intervention from the customer.

out of the box »    See outside the box.

out of the frying pan, into the fire »    From an already bad situation to a worse one.

out of the loop »    Not informed up to date; current; not kept part of the discussion.

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 question »    Impossible to even contemplate.

out of the running »    No longer in competition.

out of the way »    Improper or offensive.

out of the way »    Not obstructing or hindering; not in the way.

out of the way »    Remote or secluded.

out of the way »    Taken care of.

out of the way »    Unusual or out of the ordinary.

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 thin air »    From non-existent resources.

out of this world »    Exceptionally high quality; wonderful; marvellous.

out of touch »    No longer conversant with facts; not aware or realistic.

out of touch »    No longer maintaining contact or communications.

out of wedlock »    Of parents not legally married.

out of whack »    Not in proper alignment.

out of whack »    Not in proper balance; unbalanced.

out of whack »    Not working or operating properly.

out of whack »    Wrong, broken; specifically.

out of whole cloth »    Fabricated, fictitious.

out of work »    Unemployed, or having nothing to do.

out on one's ear »    Fired, dismissed or thrown out, especially for some wrongdoing or otherwise with disgrace.

out on the tiles »    I've had a pint of bitter and now I'm feeling better and I'm out on the tiles." Led Zeppelin in their song "Out on the tiles", 1970.

out on the tiles »    Out for a night on the town.

out the window »    Made obsolete; altered drastically as a result of situational change.

out to lunch »    Away eating lunch or for a midday break; especially, away from work or a job.

outshout »    To shout louder or for longer than another.

outside the box »    Beyond the bounds of convention.

outside world »    The rest of the world outside of some closed, restricted, or remote environment.

outsider »    A competitor or contestant who has little chance of winning; a long shot; a dark horse.

outsider »    One who is not part of a community or organization.

over and out »    Used to signal the end of a conversation, especially one conducted by CB radio or the like.

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 hill »    Old, past the prime of life.

over the transom »    Said of an unsolicited work submitted for publication.

overkill »    An unnecessary excess of whatever is needed to achieve a goal.

owing to »    because of

own up »    To acknowledge, confess, or admit guilt. Often used with to.

pachyderm »    A member of the obsolete taxonomic group Pachydermata, grouping of thick-skinned, hoofed animals such as the rhinoceros, hippopotamus, elephant, pig and horse.

pachyderm »    Someone with thick skin. It is used for animals such as an elephant or a hippopotamus.

pack away »    To store away, place out of the way, or stash, especially for the longer term.

pack up »    To prepare for shipping, as a gift.

packing heat »    Carrying one or more firearms on one's person, especially in a concealed manner.

pain in the ass »    Something that causes discomfort or is otherwise troublesome.

pain in the butt »    A nuisance; a source of trouble or annoyance.

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.

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.

painting rocks »    Pointless or futile work organised by the government, supposedly to increase employment but in fact merely disguising the unemployment level.

palace politics »    The relationships and interactions of top-level officials, advisors and other powerbrokers within a government, especially as involving internal rivalry and intrigue.

palm off »    To attempt to pass off a counterfeit or inferior product as genuine.

pan out »    By swirling dirt or crushed rock in a pan of water, in the manner of a traditional prospector seeking gold.

paper »    A sheet material used for writing on or printing on , usually made by draining cellulose fibres from a suspension in water.

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 .

paper »    A written document, generally shorter than a book , in particular one written for the Government.

paper trail »    A written record, history, or collection of evidence.

paper trail »    The records left by a person or organization in the course of activities.

par for the course »    To be expected; normal; common; usual.

parade of horribles »    A parade featuring a progression of people wearing comic and grotesque costumes.

parade of horribles »    A rhetorical device employing a series of progressively more terrible results following from an act.

pardon my French »    Please excuse my swearing or bad language.

park that thought »    Alternative form of hold that thought.

parking lot »    A major thruway blocked by stop and go traffic.

parking lot »    An open area, generally paved, where automobiles may be left when not in use.

part and parcel »    An integral or essential piece; that which must be done or accepted as part of something else.

party animal »    A person known for frequent, enthusiastic attendance at parties, especially one whose partying behavior is exuberant or excessive.

party crasher »    Someone who attempts and often gains entry to a party or club to which they were not invited, often using social engineering techniques. The party crasher usually tries to blend into the party so as not to be kicked out.

party pooper »    Someone who unnecessarily dampens fun.

party to »    Privy to; having knowledge of.

pass muster »    To adequately pass a formal or informal inspection.

pass off »    To happen.

pass off »    To misrepresent something.

pass out »    To faint; fall asleep.

pass out »    To graduate, usually marked by the ceremony at the end of their training.

pass the buck »    To transfer responsibility or blame from oneself onto another; to absolve oneself of concern for a given matter by claiming to lack authority or jurisdiction.

pass the hat »    To ask for money, especially from a group of people; to solicit donations or contributions.

pass through »    To infiltrate.

patience of Job »    An great amount of patience.

patience of Job »    From the Bible, James Ch.5 V.11.

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 attention »    To be attentive; to focus one's attention.

pay for »    To exchange for, especially money for goods or services.

pay for »    To be punished or held accountable for.

pay for it »    To suffer the consequences of one's actions.

pay off »    To bribe, especially to deter oversight.

pay off »    To become worthwhile after a lapse.

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 one's dues »    To outlay money which is owed as a membership fee or price of admission.

pay the bills »    To provide enough income to sustain one's lifestyle.

pay the fiddler »    To contribute in order to participate.

pay the fiddler »    To face the consequences of one’s actions..

pay the freight »    To bear the cost.

pay the freight »    To pay for the cost of transport.

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.

pay up »    To pay for something in total, after a certain amount of time after receiving a purchase.

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 »    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.

pee off »    Euphemistic variant of piss off.

peed off »    Simple past tense and past participle of pee off.

peel grapes »    To perform a menial task, eliminating trivial inconveniences.

peel out »    To start abruptly from a standing stop, accelerating rapidly, especially so as to produce skid marks.

pelt of the dog »    An immoderate, excessive quantity of alcohol drunk the morning after whilst suffering withdrawal symptoms or a hangover, which goes beyond alleviating the complaint to causing drunkenness; cf. hair of the dog.

penalty box »    That is assessed after an infraction.

pencil pusher »    One who does routine office work; someone involved mainly in paperwork.

penny for your thoughts »    Used to inquire into the thoughts and feelings of another, especially when the person appears pensive or conflicted.

penny pincher »    One who spends little money; one who is very frugal or cautious with money.

penny wise and pound foolish »    Prudent and thrifty with small amounts of money, but wasteful and profligate with large amounts.

people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones »    Do not criticize others if you have weaknesses yourself.

per se »    by or in itself

perfect storm »    A powerful hurricane or other major weather disturbance, especially as produced by a combination of meteorological conditions.

perfect storm »    A situation where a calamity is caused by the convergence and amplifying interaction of a number of factors.

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.

peter out »    To dwindle; to trail off; to diminish to nothing.

phase out »    To remove or relinquish the use of something little by little.

pi%C3%A8ce de r%C3%A9sistance »    A masterpiece; the most memorable accomplishment of one’s career or lifetime..

pick of the litter »    The best person or item in a group.

pick on »    To bully or make fun of a victim; to bother or harass.

pick one's nose »    The act of picking one's nose, insertion of a finger or other object into one's nostril.

pick somebody's brain »    To seek information from someone knowledgeable; to ask questions of someone.

pick up »    To lift; to grasp and raise.

pick up »    To notice, detect or discern, often used with "on".

pick up »    To meet and seduce somebody for romantic purposes, especially in a social situation, sometimes used with "on".

pick up »    To pay for.

pick up stitches »    Stitches to the knitting needle that were previously bound off, or that belong to the selvage, during the process of knitting or entrelac.

pick up the tab »    To accept a charge and pay for it, especially at a bar or restaurant.

pickin' and grinnin' »    Vigorously playing folk or country music on a stringed musical instrument, especially the guitar or banjo, while smiling broadly.

pickle »    A difficult situation, peril.

pickle »    An affectionate term for a loved one.

pickle »    The brine used for preserving food.

piece de resistance »    A masterpiece; the most memorable accomplishment of one’s career or lifetime..

piece of ass »    A male prostitute.

piece of ass »    A very attractive woman, when considered as a sex object.

piece of ass »    An act of intercourse, especially a one night stand.

piece of cake »    A job, task or other activity that is easy or simple to do.

piece of cake »    One slice of cake.

piece of work »    A product or manufactured article, especially an item of art or craft.

piffy on a rock bun »    A person ignored or sidelined from an activity.

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.

pile-up »    A traffic accident or collision involving multiple vehicles.

pin down »    To corner somebody in order to get a firm answer.

pin tuck »    narrow ornamental fold

pinch and a punch for the first of the month »    Said the first day of a new month, accompanied by a pinch and a punch to the victim.

pinch-hit »    To bat in place of another player.

pinch-hit »    To do something in the place of another person who is not able to perform or is less skilled; to substitute or stand in for somebody.

pinchpenny »    One who spends little money; one who is very frugal or cautious with money.

pink slip »    An automobile roadworthiness inspection certificate.

pink slip »    Notice of the termination of employment.

pipe down »    To be quiet; to refrain from being noisy.

pipe dream »    fanciful hope

piss and vinegar »    Exuberance or enthusiasm, especially to an excessive degree; bravado; youthful energy.

piss away »    To spend wastefully.

piss off »    To leave, to go away.

piss off »    To annoy, anger.

piss up a rope »    To engage in futile or impossible activity.

pissed off »    Annoyed, upset, angry.

pissin like a race horse »    To urinate profusely.

pissing contest »    A boys' prankish competition to determine who can urinate the furthest up a wall.

pitch woo »    To flatter.

pitched battle »    A hostile engagement involving sustained, full-scale fighting between opposing forces in close combat.

pitched battle »    An intense, rancorous argument or confrontation.

plan on »    To expect; to prepare future actions based on.

play around »    To engage in sexual practices outside of marriage.

play ball »    An expression used at the beginning of a game of baseball.

play dumb »    To pretend to be slow-witted or lacking in specific knowledge, usually in order to avoid responsibility or to gain some advantage.

play fast and loose »    To be recklessly inaccurate, inappropriate, or otherwise ignoring guidelines and conventions.

play fast and loose »    To ignore proper behavior or social conventions, especially when it suits ones purpose.

play for love »    To play a game of cards without stakes.

play hookey »    To be absent without permission, especially from school.

play it by ear »    To play a song according to how it sounds, rather than from a written score.

play it safe »    To take a cautious, risk-free approach.

play Old Harry »    To play the devil; to make mischief.

play on words »    A pun, or similar humorous use of language such as a double entendre.

play one against another »    To manipulate two persons into competing against one another in a way that benefits the person carrying out the manipulation.

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 possum »    To feign sleep, illness, etc.

play second fiddle »    To play a subsidiary or subordinate role to someone or something else.

play someone like a fiddle »    Skilfully.

play the field »    To date more than one person at the same time.

play the fool »    To behave in a foolish or comical manner.

play the race card »    Mark Fuhrman, Murder in Brentwood p.153.

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 to the gallery »    To appeal to the least sophisticated parts of an audience in order to obtain maximum approval.

play with fire »    To put oneself in a precarious situation with a high risk of getting harmed, particularly emotionally or financially.

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.

plug away »    To persist or continue, as with an effort.

plump up »    To shake or arrange so as to be fatter or more evenly distributed.

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.

plus fours »    knickerbockers

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.

point of no return »    The point in an aircraft's flight when there is insufficient fuel to reverse direction and return to the place of origin.

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.

point out »    To identify with a bodily gesture, notably by pointing a finger or implement.

point the finger »    To accuse; to direct or imply blame.

point the finger at »    To accuse or blame.

poison »    A substance that is harmful or lethal to a living organism.

poison pen »    A usually intentionally rude, spiteful, and/or condescending piece of writing directed at a person, group, lifestyle, way of thought, or other target.

poison tree bears poison fruit »    Unethical actions in the service of good intentions will have immoral or unethical consequences.

polish off »    Or liquor.

polish off »    To remove by polishing .

pop off »    To leave, and return in a short time.

pop off »    To die suddenly.

pop off »    To kill someone.

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 someone's cherry »    To deflower someone.

pope's nose »    The tail end piece of a cooked chicken.

pore over »    To examine something carefully and attentively.

possession is nine-tenths of the law »    One who has possession of a thing has some right to it; a popular statement of the doctrine of adverse possession.

poster child »    One who is a prototypical or quintessential example of something.

Postpone »    to cancel until a future a time

pot calling the kettle black »    A situation in which somebody comments on or accuses someone else of a fault which the accuser shares.

potter »    One who places flowers or other plants inside their pots.

potter's field »    A public place where strangers, paupers, and criminals are buried.

potty mouth »    The characteristic of regularly using vulgar language, especially strong profanities; a person having this characteristic.

pound of flesh »    Something which is owed and which will be hurtful or difficult to provide; a debt owed to someone who is merciless and demanding.

pound sand »    To engage in a futile activity.

pound the pavement »    To travel on foot; to walk or run.

power behind the throne »    Someone who appears to be without special status, but who has great covert influence on a person in authority.

power chord »    A chord or combination of notes used in rock music and typically selected to sound good at high volume and high levels of distortion. Power chords make extensive use of intervals such as open fourths and fifths.

power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely »    The corrupting influence of power is total when one's power is total.Lord Acton see: Wikiquote

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.

practice makes perfect »    If one practices an activity enough, one will eventually master it.

prawn cocktail offensive »    A strategy of the Labour Party in winning over important people in the world of finance.

pre-war »    Describing the most recent or significant war in a culture's history.

pre-war »    Describing the period before a war.

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.

press stud »    snap fastener

press the flesh »    To shake hands and socialize, especially in a political gathering.

pretty penny »    A considerable amount of money; a high price or a high income.

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.

price out of the market »    To charge an exorbitant price for a service or product so that no one will purchase it.

pride comes before a fall »    A person who is extremely proud of his or her abilities will often suffer a setback or failure, because he or she tends to be overconfident and to make errors of judgment.

pride cometh before a fall »    Alternative form of pride comes before a fall.

pride goes before a fall »    Alternative form of pride comes before a fall.

pride goeth before a fall »    Alternative form of pride comes before a fall.

prime of life »    The period of one's mature life when one is at a peak of health and performance.

private eye »    A private personal detective, employed to gather information about someone.

prize fighter »    boxer

problem child »    A child who is particularly difficult to raise or educate, especially due to a lack of self-control and disruptive and antisocial behavior.

problem child »    Someone or something persistently difficult or vexing; a frequent source of trouble or annoyance.

prove out »    To demonstrate the feasibility of.

proverbs come in pairs »    Alternative form of proverbs run in pairs.1979, Irving Howe, John Hollander, David Bromwich, Literature as Experience: An Anthology, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, ISBN 0155511130, page 325:Sometimes proverbs come in pairs, the first one providing the context, the second, the revision.

proverbs go in pairs »    Alternative form of proverbs run in pairs.1932, Bertrand Russell,

proverbs hunt in pairs »    Alternative form of proverbs run in pairs.

proverbs often come in pairs »    Alternative form of proverbs run in pairs.

proverbs run in pairs »    Every proverb seems to be contradicted by another proverb with an opposed message, such as "too many cooks spoil the broth" and "many hands make light work."1863, Sir Richard Burton, Abeokuta and the Camaroons Mountains, vol. 1, Tinsley (London), p. 309:Moreover, all the world over, proverbs run in pairs, and pull both ways: for the most part one neutralizes, by contradiction, the other.

puddle jumper »    A small passenger airplane, typically used for shorter connecting trips to smaller airports.

puff out »    To inflate.

puff out »    To blow briefly and lightly.

puff up »    To inflate with air.

puff up »    To swell due to injury or illness.

puff up »    To become proud.

pulcher »    Beautiful, fair.

pull a »    He pulled an Elvis and got really fat.

pull a face »    To make an abnormal facial expression.

pull a fast one »    To deceive or trick.

pull apart »    To open something by pulling on various parts of it.

pull my finger »    A phrase used when playing a prank regarding flatulence, in which a mark is asked to pull the finger of the person playing the prank, who simultaneously flatulates so as to suggest a causal relationship between the pulling of the finger and the resulting expulsion of gas.

pull off »    To remove by pulling.

pull off »    To achieve; to succeed at something difficult.

pull one's finger out »    To stop wasting time in preliminaries, and concentrate on the important task.

pull one's head in »    To withdraw as a turtle might; to discontinue support of a particular argument.

pull one's socks up »    To start making an effort; to renew or redouble one's efforts.

pull oneself together »    To become mentally focused after a period of being unfocused.

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 out »    To withdraw; especially of military forces; to retreat.

pull out »    To use coitus interruptus as a method of birth control.

pull out »    To remove something from a container.

pull out »    To maneuver a vehicle from the side of a road onto the lane.

pull someone down a peg »    To lower someone's high self-opinion.

pull strings »    To manipulate, especially by asking favours of.

pull teeth »    To do something that is especially difficult or effortful.

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 other one, it's got bells on »    The implication is that one leg has been pulled, and the joker will have more fun with the other one due to the bells.

pull the plug »    To cease from production or publication.

pull the plug »    To cease life support.

pull the trigger »    To commit to a course of action.

pull the trigger »    To fire a gun.

pull together »    To unite for a common objective.

pull up »    Lift upwards or vertically.

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

pump iron »    To lift weights; to engage in weight or strength training.

pump up »    To inflate by means of a pump.

pump up »    To inflate with a pumping action.

pump up »    To excite a person or group to a frenzy.

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.

punch up »    to fight

purple prose »    Extravagant or flowery writing, especially in a literary work.

push one's luck »    To take an excessive risk or to attempt some task unlikely to succeed, especially after having already been unexpectedly lucky.

push the boat out »    To do something, especially spend money, more extravagantly than usual, particularly for a celebration.

put a damper on »    To stop people from enjoying an activity.

put a foot wrong »    To make a mistake.

put across »    To perform a theatrical production.

put all one's eggs in one basket »    Rather than diversifying.

put aside »    To ignore or intentionally forget something, temporarily or permanently, so that more important things can have one's attention.

put away »    To store away, place out of the way, clean up, or organize.

put away »    To catch a fly ball or tag out a baserunner.

put back »    To drink fast; to knock down alcohol.

put by »    To preserve food by canning, freezing, drying, etc.

put by »    To perform an action without attracting attention.

put down »    To pay an initial amount of money on a large purchase.

put down »    To halt, eliminate, stop, or squelch, often by force.

put down »    To land an aircraft.

put down »    To drop someone off, or let them out of a vehicle.

put down for »    To record that someone has offered to help, or contribute something.

put down roots »    To feel that one belong in a place.

put down to »    To state the cause of a situation.

put forth »    To give or supply; to make or create.

put forward »    To propose for consideration.

put forward »    To change the time in a time zone to a later time.

put off »    To procrastinate.

put off »    To offend, repulse, or frighten.

put off »    postpone

put on »    clothe oneself in

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 foot in front of the other »    To walk, decomposed to stress the fundamentality of the task.

put one over »    To fool, trick or deceive.

put one past somebody »    To deceive, trick, or fool, especially by concealing something.

put one's back into »    To make a strenuous effort to do something.

put one's best foot forward »    To show oneself in the best or most positive way possible; to make a favorable impression.

put one's feet up »    To relax.

put one's foot down »    To insist, demand, or refuse.

put one's foot down »    To make a car go faster, accelerate.

put one's foot in it »    To make a mistake in public, or a social blunder, that is embarrassing, or offensive.

put one's foot in one's mouth »    To misspeak; to say something embarrassing or wrong.

put one's mind to it »    To apply oneself; to exert a directed effort.

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 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 oneself in someone's shoes »    To try to look at a situation from a different point of view; as if one were the other person. To empathise.

put out »    The statistic of the number of outs a defensive player directly caused.

put out feelers »    To explore or watch for; ask around; investigate.

put paid to »    To stop something once and for all.

put someone down as »    To assume someone has a particular character from very little information.

put someone in mind of »    To remind someone of; to inspire a mental image or awareness of; to cause thoughts concerning.

put the bee on »    To beg; to borrow money from.

put the bee on »    To finish off, to beat.

put the boot in »    To kick a fallen opponent.

put the cart before the horse »    To put things in the wrong order or with the wrong priorities.

put the cat among the pigeons »    If you set the cat among the pigeons, you will cause a flutter in the dovecote.

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 forward »    To change the time in a time zone to a later time.

put the feedbag on »    To dine; to eat.

put the pedal to the metal »    To exert maximum effort.

put the wind up »    To frighten or disturb.

put through its paces »    To test completely; to exercise the full range of abilities or functions.

put two and two together »    To figure out; to deduce or discern.

put up »    To present, especially in "put up a fight".

put up one's dukes »    Prepare to fight; literally, to raise your fists.

put up or shut up »    Desist from saying something unless one is able to prove it.

put up with »    To tolerate, suffer through, or allow, esp. something annoying.

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.

quarter of »    "I need twenty minutes to get to the shop." "You'll be late. It's already a quarter of.".

quarter of »    Fifteen minutes before the next hour.

quarter past »    Fifteen minutes past any hour.

queer fish »    An odd or eccentric person.

queer one's pitch »    To make a task more difficult for the speaker.

question mark »    The punctuation mark “?”, used at the end of a sentence to indicate a question..

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.

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.

quiet down »    To reduce intensity of an activity.

quieten down »    To reduce intensity of an activity.

quote unquote »    Emphasizes the following word or phrase for irony, as used almost exclusively in spoken language.

rack one's brain »    To struggle to think of or remember something.

rag bagger »    A sailboat, usually a cruising sailboats which tend to carry and store lots of supplies along the deck, or any sailboat that looks like a neglected vessel, or messy vessel.

rag doll »    soft toy

rag the puck »    To proceed slowly at any activity in order to use up time; to stall for time.

rag the puck »    To retain possession of the puck by skillful skating and stickhandling without attempting to score, as a deliberate tactic intended to use up time.

rag-chewing »    A phrase used by morse code operators for a longer than usual conversation, generally a conversation extending about 30 minutes.

rags to riches »    In a biographical context, from poverty to exceptional wealth.

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.

rain or shine »    Regardless of what the circumstances are, and how the weather is.

rain pitchforks »    To rain heavily.

rainy day »    A difficult period of need, when things do not go right.

raise a stink »    To complain; to demand attention or remedy for a problem.

raise the flag and see who salutes »    It generates, usually as a preliminary step.

raise the spectre »    To cause concern that something unfortunate might happen.

raise the stakes »    To increase in significance or risk.

raise the stakes »    To raise the stakes of a hand of poker.

rake »    A garden tool with a row of pointed teeth fixed to a long handle, used for collecting grass or debris, or for loosening soil.

rake »    A set of coupled rail vehicles, normally coaches or wagons.

rake »    The direction of slip during fault movement. The rake is measured within the fault plane.

rake »    The sloped edge of a roof at or adjacent to the first or last rafter.

ramp up »    To be in the process of learning a new ability.

ramp up »    Of a project or operation, to start up.

rank and file »    Those lacking any particular title or status; those having no station.

rat race »    An activity or situation which is congested with participants and which is hectic or tedious, especially in the context of a busy, modern urban lifestyle.

rat run »    A small road that people venture down when they want to sneak off the motorway and take a short cut.

rat running »    Present participle of rat run.

rattle off »    To list or recite quickly.

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 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'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 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 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.

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.

reckon for »    To answer for; to pay the account for.

red card »    referee's item

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 flag »    A cue, warning, or alert; a sign or signal that something is wrong.

red herring »    A clue that is misleading or that has been falsified, intended to divert attention.

red hot »    to be keen; he is the favourite to win

red ink »    A euphemism for financial loss.

red light »    A sign of a brothel.

red light »    A warning light, especially as a traffic signal indicating ‘stop’..

red light »    Denial to proceed. Ruling out of any possibility.

red mist »    Anger sufficient to cloud judgement, to stop clear thinking.

red state »    A state of the United States voting Republican in a given election, or tending to vote Republican in general.

red tape »    A derisive term for regulations or bureaucratic procedures that are considered excessive or excessively time- and effort-consuming.

red-handed »    In the act of wrongdoing.

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.

redolent »    Fragrant or aromatic; having a sweet scent.

redolent »    Having the smell of.

reflect on »    To think carefully about something, and give it due consideration.

reflect on »    At run-time using reflection.

reflect on »    To give an impression of .

reflect upon »    To reflect on.

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.

rely on »    To be confident in.

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.

rhyme off »    To list or recite quickly.

ridden hard and put away wet »    Mistreated; not properly cared for.

ride herd on »    To supervise a group of people, such as workers, and/or their actions, i.e. their work.

ride one's luck »    To avoid failure only by good fortune.

ride out »    To tackle a difficult problem and survive.

ride shotgun »    To ride in the front passenger seat of a vehicle, next to the driver.

ride tall in the saddle »    To act or conduct oneself in a manner that is imposing, impressive, resolute, or manly.

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 »    Correct; factually accurate.

right back »    Used in several informal constructions to indicate return -- especially imminent return to a point of origin.

right on »    An expression of enthusiasm or encouragement.

ring a bell »    To seem at least vaguely familiar.

ring around »    To call a number of people by phone, usually a circle of friends, to organise something.

ring false »    To seem to be incorrect, or implausible.

ring hollow »    To seem to be false or implausible; to be unconvincing.

ring in »    To make a phone call to one's usual place of work.

ring off »    To finish a telephone conversation and disconnect.

ring off the hook »    Of a telephone, to ring constantly or excessively.

ring out »    To make a phone call from an internal phone system to a general telephone network number.

ring round »    To call a number of people by phone, usually a circle of friends, to organise something.

ringside seat »    A seat in the front row of a boxing or wrestling match.

rip off »    To pull off by ripping.

rip off »    To steal, cheat or swindle.

rip off »    To copy, especially illegally.

rip off »    To charge an exorbitant or unfair rate.

rip to shreds »    To severely devalue, to refute.

rise from the ashes »    To make a comeback after a long hiatus. To come back into common use or practice. To come back into popularity. To come back to being a thing of today.

rise up »    To rise to the surface.

rivet counter »    A person who has an obsession with the minutae of their particular interest. Anyone preoccupied with small distinguishing features between different items.

roach coach »    Whimsically, a catering or food truck.

road movie »    A film in which much of the action takes place during a journey, especially one involving overland travel.

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.

roadwarrior »    Alternative spelling of road warrior.

rob the cradle »    To use a young person for a purpose inappropriate to his or her age.

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.

robber baron »    In Europe, an aristocrat who charged exorbitant fees or otherwise exacted money from people who journeyed across land or waterways which he controlled.

rock the boat »    To disturb the status quo or go against rules or conventions, as in an effort to get attention.

rock up »    To work one's way vertically up a chimney or cleft using a rocking movement.

rock up »    To turn up to a place or function unexpectedly, or without notice or prior warning.

rocket science »    Anything overly complex, detailed or confusing.

rocket science »    The science or study of rockets and their design.

rocket scientist »    One specializing in the science or study of rockets and their design.

rocket scientist »    Someone qualified to understand or handle that which is overly complex, detailed or confusing; a genius.

rocking horse shit »    A metaphor for something exceedingly rare or, more likely, nonexistent.

rocking-horse shit »    Alternative form of rocking horse shit.

roll down the windows »    To flail one's arms in a circular motion when off-balance, as to mimic the act of rolling down a car window.

romper suit »    baby's outfit

root around »    Alternative form of root about.

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.

rose-colored glasses »    An optimistic perception of something; a positive opinion; seeing something in a positive way, often thinking of it as better than it actually is.

rose-coloured »    Cheerfully optimistic.

roses are red »    The start of a generic poem about love.

rough and ready »    Crude or unpolished, but still fit for use; good enough.

rough around the edges »    In need of refinement; unsophisticated.

rough sledding »    A difficult period of time.

rough trot »    A series of difficult circumstances.

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 of applause »    An outburst of clapping among a group or audience. Often asked for by the Master of Ceremonies at a concert or other performance.

round off »    To change the shape of an object to make it more circular.

round off »    To change a number into an approximation having fewer significant digits.

round off »    To complete or finish something.

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.

royal flush »    poker hand

rub off on »    To adapt to a way of behaving after constant exposure to it.

rub salt in the wound »    To make an injury feel worse.

rub up against »    Of pets. To touch a person's body in a friendly manner, seeking attention.

rubber-chicken dinner »    A formal dinner or event thrown by politicians to raise funds.

ruffle some feathers »    To disturb; to arouse resentment, anger, or concern.

rule of thumb »    A general guideline, rather than a strict rule; an approximate measure or means of reckoning based on experience or common knowledge.

rule out »    To reject an option from a list of possibilities.

rule with an iron fist »    To rule with absolute authority or to the detriment of the people. To rule tyrannically.

rules OK »    To be popularly accepted, or supported by the general majority of people.

rum go »    An odd affair; a surprising event; a confusing experience; a queer thing.

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.

rumor mill »    A group or network of persons who originate or promulgate gossip and other unsubstantiated claims.

run a bath »    To fill a bathtub with water in preparation for taking a bath.

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 about »    To be very busy doing many different things.

run across »    To find or discover by chance.

run afoul of »    To become entangled in; to run aground on.

run afoul of »    To contravene.

run after »    To chase.

run after »    To make a determined effort to win someone's affections.

run around »    To be very busy doing many different things.

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 around with »    To spend a lot of time with a person or group of people. Often used to talk about a person's group of friends that one does not like much.

run away »    To flee by running.

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 back »    To take someone home by car. Give someone a lift to their house.

run back »    To rewind a film or cassette.

run by »    To inform someone briefly of the main points of an idea.

run by »    To repeat some information.

run down »    To criticize someone or an organisation, often unfairly.

run down »    To find something or someone after searching for a long time.

run down »    To lose power slowly. Used for a machine, battery, or other powered device.

run down »    To reduce the size or stock levels of a business, often with a view to closure.

run for »    To try to obtain political position through the democratic voting process.

run for office »    To seek political power.

run for one's money »    A difficult challenge for the person indicated, especially one involving a competitive situation.

run for one's money »    A reasonable opportunity to succeed, perform acceptably, or escape harm, especially in a difficult situation.

run for the hills »    Flee.

run for the roses »    A college football game or series of games played with the ultimate goal of qualifying for the championship Rose Bowl game.

run for the roses »    A hard-fought competition or demanding challenge of any kind.

run for the roses »    Nickname for the Kentucky Derby horse race.

run hot and cold »    To alternate between two opposite extremes, such as enthusiasm and disinterest or success and failure.

run in »    Alternative spelling of run-in.

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 mismanage to the point of ruin.

run off »    To flee or depart quickly.

run off »    To make photocopies, or print.

run off »    To write something quickly.

run off »    To pour or spill off or over.

run off »    To leave someone without prior advice.

run off »    To chase someone away.

run off »    To operate by a particular energy source.

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 on »    To continue talking for a long time.

run on fumes »    By extension, to operate with few resources or little money.

run on fumes »    To operate a vehicle that is low on fuel.

run oneself ragged »    To work or exert oneself to the point of exhaustion.

run out »    Alternative spelling of runout.

run out of steam »    To run out of energy; to run out of motivation.

run over »    To briefly describe.

run over »    To practice quickly, briefly.

run over »    To overflow.

run scared »    To try everything to avoid defeat.

run somebody ragged »    To exhaust; to demand excessive effort or work from somebody.

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 the gamut »    To encompass the full range or variety possible.

run through »    To briefly summarise.

run through »    To use completely, in a short space of time. Usually money.

run through »    To pervade, of a quality that is characteristic of a group, organisation, or system.

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.

run up »    To bring a flag to the top of it's flag pole.

run up »    To make something, usually an item of clothing, very quickly.

run-of-the-mill »    Ordinary; not special.

rush hour »    The times of the day when traffic jams are commonplace, due mainly to people commuting to or from work.

sabre-rattling »    A flamboyant display of military power as an implied threat that it might be used.

sack out »    To fall asleep, usually from implied exhaustion.

sacked out »    Sound asleep, usually from a healthy exhaustion.

sacred cow »    Something which cannot be tampered with, or criticized, for fear of public outcry.

safe and sound »    Having come to no harm, especially after being exposed to danger.

safety pin »    fastener

said and done »    Agreed to and accomplished or finished.

sainted »    Simple past tense and past participle of saint.

salad years »    The inexperienced, youthful prime of an individual, group, organization or entity.

same difference »    It makes no difference; it amounts to the same thing.

sauce for the goose »    A short form of what's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander

save face »    To take an action or make a gesture intended to preserve one's reputation or honour.

save someone's bacon »    To save someone's life.

say goodbye »    To separate from someone.

say goodbye »    To wish someone farewell upon their leaving.

say grace »    To recite a prayer of invocation or thanksgiving at meal time.

say so »    power of decision

scare out of one's wits »    To frighten someone to such an extent that they behave irrationally.

scare the bejeebers out of »    To thoroughly terrify.

scare the pants off of »    To scare or startle thoroughly.

scared shitless »    Very scared, terrified.

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.

scissorbill »    And railroad term for someone who refused to join the union or who openly colluded with management to thwart the union.

scissorbill »    Someone considered contemptible or foolish.

scotch mist »    fine rain

scrape off »    To remove something by a scraping action.

scrape the bottom of the barrel »    To use the least desirable parts of something.

scrape together »    To collect, assemble or gather small amounts , from various sources, with some difficulty.

scratch the surface »    To barely begin; to see or do only a fraction of what is possible.

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 »    Used as an intensifier.

screen out »    To use a screen, grate, sieve or similar means to separate large from small objects or particles.

screen out »    Figuratively, to exclude.

screw back »    To cue the cue ball in such a way as to impart backspin. On impact, the ball will follow a reverse trajectory according to the spin.

screw the pooch »    To screw up; to fail in dramatic and ignominious fashion.

screw this »    "I don't care enough to continue"; "This is too stressful for me"; whatever.

scrimp and save »    To scrimp greatly; to economize; to live very frugally, particularly when saving for something.

scrounge up »    To seek or find despite a lack of apparent resources or availability.

sea change »    A profound transformation.

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 childhood »    A childlike state in any adult, resulting from mental illness, trauma, or other conditions.

second childhood »    The period or state of cognitive decline of an elderly person, characterized by childlike judgment and behavior.

second fiddle »    A fiddle part in harmony to the first fiddle.

second fiddle »    A sidekick or subordinate, or the role of such a person.

second fiddle »    The person playing second fiddle.

second nature »    A mindset, skill, or type of behavior so ingrained through habit or practice that it seems natural, automatic, or without a basis in conscious thought.

second string »    In sports, a unit of players that plays behind the first string.

second string »    Not as good; of a lower quality or condition.

second-guess »    Presumably from trying to guess with second sight.

second-guess »    Presumably from trying to improve with a second stab.

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 red »    To receive a red card, and be dismissed from the playing field.

see someone through »    To constitute ample supply for one for.

see someone through »    To suffice for a time.

see something through »    To fulfill a commitment.

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.

see the light »    To gain an understanding of something previously not understood, especially in a sudden insight.

see you next Tuesday »    A euphemism for cunt.

seeing is believing »    You need to see something to believe it; visible facts cannot be denied.

seek and ye shall find »    something can be found if it is looked for.

seize the day »    To enjoy the present and not worry about the future; to live for the moment.

seize the day »    To make the most of today by achieving fulfillment in a philosophical or spiritual sense.

sell »    To agree to transfer goods or provide services in exchange for money.

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 down the river »    To betray, especially in a manner which causes serious difficulty for the one betrayed.

sell like hot cakes »    To sell fast.

sell out »    To abandon one's supporters or principles to seek profit or other personal advantage.

sell out »    To sell all of a product that is in stock.

sell someone a bill of goods »    To deceive or cheat someone.

sell wolf tickets »    To make empty threats or promises; to bluff.

sell-by date »    The final date on which a perishable product can be legally sold to the public.

sell-by date »    Used to indicate that something, or someone, is old and out of date.

seller's market »    An excess of demand over supply, leading to abnormally high prices; a market condition favoring the seller.

send away »    To dismiss from one's presence.

send away »    To send to a particular place for a long time, as a family member, an employee, etc.

send away for »    To write to a business or other organisation, requesting a thing.

send somebody packing »    To expel or eject somebody; to chase off or force out.

send up »    To imitate someone or something for the purpose of satirical humour.

senior note »    A bond that takes priority over other debt securities sold by the issuer. In the event the issuer goes bankrupt, senior debt must be repaid before other creditors receive any payment.

separate the wheat from the chaff »    To select only that which is of value.

serpentine »    Having the shape or form of a snake.

serpentine »    Of, or having attributes associated with, the mythological serpent, such as craftiness or deceitfulness.

serpentine »    Of, pertaining to, or characteristic of snakes.

set aside »    To separate and reserve something for a specific purpose.

set back »    To remove from or allow distance.

set down »    Simple sum of parts set + down, to place, especially on the ground or a surface; to cease carrying.

set foot »    To go to a place , or to be there.

set for life »    Possessing sufficient resources, especially financial, to last a lifetime.

set in one's ways »    Driven by habit; inclined or determined to continue according to one's custom or established preferences.

set in stone »    Permanent; certain; firm.

set of pipes »    A wind instrument incorporating multiple pipes, such as a panpipe or bagpipe.

set of pipes »    Voice for singing.

set off »    To begin; to cause; to initiate.

set off »    To cause to explode.

set off »    To count an addition in one thing against a reduction in something else.

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.

settle for »    To accept or allow something, especially something not entirely desirable.

settle in »    To get comfortable or established, as in a new place.

sex machine »    Any machine that is used for sexual pleasure.

sex up »    To enhance in terms of fashionable appeal.

sexual congress »    Loose translation of the title of Aristophanes' play Ecclesiazousae, more literally translated as Assemblywomen.

sexual relation »    Behaviour of a sexual nature between one or more individuals.

sexual tension »    Physically induced libidinal unrest arising between two individuals when aware of each other's presence.

shack up »    To live together, especially of an unmarried couple.

shacked up »    Simple past tense and past participle of shack up.

shake the pagoda tree »    To find a source of easy enrichment; to become absurdly rich in a short time.

shank-nag »    To travel on foot.

shanks' mare »    One's own legs used for walking; to "travel by shanks' mare" or "ride on shanks' mare" is to walk to your destination.

shanks' nag »    Transportation by foot. To "take a shanks' nag" means using one's own legs to walk.

shanks' pony »    Transportation by foot.

shape up »    To take shape; to transform into or become.

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.

shell out »    To use a program's "shell escape" function to execute an unrelated command or to invoke a subsidiary, interactive shell.

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.

shit a brick »    To react strongly or excessively, especially in anger or fear.

shit one's pants »    To be extremely frightened.

shit one's pants »    To involuntarily defecate into one's pants or other clothing.

shit oneself »    To soil oneself.

shit or get off the pot »    To choose between taking action now, or foregoing the opportunity until a later date.

shit-eating grin »    A broad smile indicating self-awareness that may suggest self-satisfaction, smugness, discomfort, or embarrassment.

shitstorm »    Considerable backlash from the public.

Shittin in high cotton »    Living well, often above one's means

shoot 'em up »    A short story, novel, television show, film, computer game, or other narrative which depicts considerable gunplay.

shoot down »    To the point of preclusion.

shoot first and ask questions later »    To act boldly.

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 off at the mouth »    Don't let [presidential press secretary Ron] Ziegler shoot off at the mouth without our knowledge.

shoot off at the mouth »    To boast, or brag, or talk too much.

shoot off at the mouth »    To disclose some information that was supposed to be secret.

shoot one's mouth off »    To make reckless or exaggerated statements.

shoot oneself in the foot »    To act against one's own interests, e.g., by saying what one is really thinking.

shoot oneself in the foot »    To deliberately sabotage an activity in order to avoid obligation, though it causes personal suffering. Origins in first world war trench warfare.

shoot the boots »    To kick swiftly and violently, especially in the groin.

shoot the moon »    To take a risk which may result in great rewards; to succeed after taking such a risk.

shooting iron »    A firearm, especially a handgun.

shore up »    To strengthen, reinforce, or consolidate.

short fuse »    The personality trait of being quick to anger.

short leash »    Forcing one to function within a strict set of rules, or under great scrutiny or oversight.

short of »    Except; without resorting to; up to the point of.

short of »    Insufficiently equipped with.

short of »    Less than.

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.

short strokes »    The final steps of an undertaking, especially one which has been lengthy or laborious.

short temper »    The personality trait of being quick to anger.

shot in the arm »    A shot of drug in the arm, to get on a high.

shotgun »    A gun which fires loads consisting of small metal balls, called shot, from a cartridge.

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 shack »    A house with no internal barrier between the front and back doors.

shoulder to cry on »    Someone offering emotional support to another in distress.

show off »    To exhibit; to demonstrate one's skill, talent, etc. for its own sake.

show somebody the door »    To dismiss or reject; to exclude someone who was formerly included.

show somebody the door »    To escort someone to the exit of the premises; to expel someone from a room, gathering, etc.

show the flag »    Of a naval vessel or military force, to identify itself by displaying the flag of its country of origin, especially in order to establish an authoritative presence and to exert diplomatic or political influence.

show the flag »    To display the flag of one's country, especially as an expression of patriotic pride.

show the flag »    To represent one's country or some other group in a manner intended to suggest the authority or importance of that country or group.

show up »    To outperform or one-up, often in an arrogant manner.

showstopper »    A performance or segment of a theatrical production that induces a positive reaction strong enough to pause the production.

showstopper »    Any impediment that prevents all further progress.

shrinking violet »    A very shy person, who avoids contact with others if avoidable.

shroud »    Especially, the dress for the dead; a winding sheet.

shroud »    One of the two annular plates at the periphery of a water wheel, which form the sides of the buckets; a shroud plate.

shroud »    The branching top of a tree; foliage.

shrouded »    Concealed or hidden from sight, as if by a shroud.

shrug off »    To ignore or disregard; to be indifferent.

shuffle »    A rhythm commonly used in blues music. Consists of a series of triplet notes with the middle note missing, so that it sounds like a long note followed by a short note. Sounds like a walker dragging one foot.

shuffle »    An instance of walking without lifting one's feet.

shuffle »    The act of shuffling cards.

shuffle »    To get lost in the shuffle: to lack attention when you deserve it.

shuffle off this mortal coil »    To die; to divest oneself of one's mortal body.

shut down »    To turn off or stop.

shut one's face »    To stop talking; to be quiet.

shut the hell up »    Indicating disbelief.

shut the hell up »    Shut up intensified by "the hell".

shy bairns get noot »    (Geordie) Alternative spelling of shy bairns get nowt.

shy bairns get nowt »    If you're too shy, or don't ask, you will not get what you want.A' forgot te ask hor for me money back!Wye, shy bairns get nowt

shy bladder »    An inability to urinate in the presence of others.

side issue »    An issue or topic which is not of direct significance to a primary concern.

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.

sight unseen »    Not having seen the object beforehand.

sign in »    In order to get into the office after hours, you'll have to sign in at the security desk.

sign of the times »    A symbol of an era; a zeitgeist.

sign off »    Term used to describe the closing of a radio or television station's studios and cessation of a broadcasting signal, usually during the overnight hours.

sign on »    The time of day when a radio or television station begins broadcasting, usually after being off the air for several hours.

sign on the dotted line »    To formalize an agreement.

silence is golden »    Peace and quiet have immense value.Often the best choice is to say nothing.

silly money »    Sum of money.

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 surfer »    An elderly person who regularly uses the Internet.

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.

since when »    From what time.

since when »    Used to indicate doubt as to the veracity of a statement.

sing from the same hymnbook »    To make the same or similar statements, especially to express the same opinions in public as a result of a prior agreement.

sing soprano »    To perform vocal music in a higher pitch than alto.

sing soprano »    To suffer castration or an injury to the testicles.

sing the praises of »    To commend someone's attributes to others.

singing from the same hymnbook »    Present participle of sing from the same hymnbook.

sink or swim »    To fail or succeed, no matter what.

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 back »    To relax, to not exert oneself.

sit in »    To attend something for one time, as a visitor.

sit in »    form of protest

sit in for »    To substitute; to take somebody's place.

sit on the fence »    To remain neutral on a certain topic, to not have a stance or opinion.

sit out »    To escape a hold while face-down by swinging one's legs around into the sitting position.

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 pretty »    Having a comfortable or certain supply of money or resources.

sitting pretty »    In a favorable situation, especially a situation in which one possesses an advantage.

six feet under »    Buried six feet underground; not alive; dead.

six of one, half a dozen of the other »    The two alternatives are equivalent or indifferent; it doesn't matter which one we choose.

sixth former »    senior pupil

size up »    To evaluate; to estimate or anticipate the magnitude, difficulty, or strength of something.

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.

skimp and save »    Alternative form of scrimp and save.

skin and bones »    Said of one who is emaciated; very skinny, as from lack of nutrition.

skin deep »    superficial

skinny as a rail »    Especially of a person, very skinny.

skip rope »    To jump over a rope, both of whose ends are held by the jumper or by two others, while the rope is moved under the jumper's feet in a continual rhythm; to play the game of jump rope or exercise by jumping rope.

skirt chaser »    A man with amorous intentions who habitually seeks out female companionship.

slag off »    To talk insultingly to or about someone or something.

slam dunk »    A task expected to present no difficulty.

slam dunk »    An impressively forceful dunk.

slam dunk »    Tacking on top of the wind of the following yacht in close quarters.

sleep on »    To consider after a period of sleep, implying a decision will be made the next day.

sleep on it »    To postpone a decision until the following day to avoid making a hasty choice.

sleep with the fishes »    To be killed and have one's body disposed off in the sea or other body of water.

sleeping at the switch »    Variant form of asleep at the switch.

sleeves from one's vest »    Something non-existent; something of no value or cost.

slim chance »    Little or no likelihood of occurrence or success.

slip into something a little more comfortable »    To wear something suitable to be stripped off by a lover.

slip of the pen »    A mistake in handwriting.

slip of the tongue »    A mistake in speech.

slip someone's mind »    To be forgotten; to escape one's memory.

slip through the cracks »    To escape notice or lack sufficient attention.

slip up »    To err, falter; to make a mistake.

slippery as an eel »    So crafty, or cunning that they cannot be caught by the police, although it is known that they are acting illegally.

slippery slope »    A chain of events that, once initiated, cannot be halted; especially one in which the final outcome is undesirable or precarious.

slippery slope »    A logical argument that follows a chain of events or causes and effects to some conclusion.

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.

slowly but surely »    In a slow, yet careful manner

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.

small change »    A minor or insignificant amount of money.

small fry »    One or more children.

small fry »    One or more persons or things of relatively little consequence, importance, or value.

small fry »    One or more small or immature fish.

small potatoes »    One or more persons or things of relatively little consequence, importance, or value.

smallpox blanket »    An apparently benevolent offering whose real intent is to disrupt, destabilize or weaken.

smart arse »    One who is particularly flippant or insolent or tends to make snide remarks or jokes.

smart chance »    A substantial quantity of something.

smart off »    To show disrespect verbally.

smash hit »    Something that is tremendously popular or successful.

smear campaign »    An effort to damage or call into question someone's reputation, by propounding negative propaganda.

smell test »    An assessment of a subject's ability to detect and distinguish odors.

smell test »    An informal method for determining whether something is authentic, credible, or ethical, by using one's common sense or sense of propriety.

smell test »    An inspection of an object using the sense of smell, as for freshness of food.

smoke and mirrors »    A deceptive, fraudulent, or unconvincing explanation or description.

smoke like a chimney »    To smoke tobacco frequently.

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.

smoke signal »    A type of flare or combustion device sometimes used as a distress signal.

smoke signal »    An indirect message or indication, especially concerning a future event.

smoking gun »    Evidence, particularly of a crime, that is difficult or impossible to dispute.

smooth operator »    A person who accomplishes tasks with efficiency and grace, especially one with verbal skills who is persuasive in interpersonal relationships, negotiation, etc.

smooth operator »    A skillful, manipulative person, con artist, or clever scoundrel.

snake eyes »    Two ones, after rolling two dice.

snake oil »    A fraudulent, ineffective potion or nostrum; panacea.

snake oil »    A type of 19th century patent medicine sold in the United States that claimed to contain snake fat, supposedly a Native American remedy for various ailments.

snake oil »    Any product with exaggerated marketing but questionable or unverifiable quality.

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.

sneck posset »    A fastened latch.

sniff out »    To find something using the sense of smell.

sniff out »    To find, especially to find something that cannot be seen.

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 in »    By a large snowfall.

snow job »    An attempt to persuade a person using flattery or deception.

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.

snowball's chance in hell »    Little or no likelihood of occurrence or success.

snug as a bug in a rug »    Very cosy and comfortable.

so far »    Until now; previously; yet.

so far »    as yet; up till now

so far so good »    Up to this point, all is OK.Well, you've packed your bags for the holiday, bought your tickets, reserved the hotel and put the dog in kennels. So far so good, now let's get to Minorca without any troubles.

so long as »    Depending upon some condition or requirement; provided that; if, assuming; as long as.

so much for »    An expression of disregard, or resignation; something said upon giving up, quitting, or disposing of something.

so on and so forth »    Indicates that a list continues in a similar manner.

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 there »    A defiant expression used to finish a poorly-made argument.

so-and-so »    A name used to take the place of an epithet.

so-called »    So named; called by such a name, with a very strong connotation that the item is not worthy of that name.

soapbox »    A crate for packing soap, or, by extension, any inexpensive crude platform raised above the surrounding level to give prominence to the person on it, especially when used for speeches.

sob story »    A sad story told to make others feel sympathy for the teller.

soccer player »    footballer

social death »    The alienation of certain people from society to the point of being forgotten, excluded, or ignored in society.

socialized medicine »    A politically charged term used to contrast such systems with free market alternatives and emphasize the perceived link to socialism.

socialized medicine »    An umbrella term for any system of government-run health care.

sod off »    Go away.

soft as a grape »    someone who is limited in their ability

soft hearted »    Be kind; Fall for someone

soft mick »    An extravagant person.

soft sawder »    "How the old boy swallowed my soft sawder and Brummagem notes!" —Tom Taylor, The Ticket-of-Leave Man.

soft sawder »    "If she goes to act ugly, I'll give her a dose of "soft sawder"; that will take the frown out of her frontispiece...!" —Thomas Haliburton, "The Trotting Horse" — first usage.

soft sawder »    Cajoling or flattery.

soft shoe »    A kind of tap dancing performed in soft-soled shoes, popular in vaudeville.

soft shoe »    A speech, explanation, sales pitch, or other set of remarks delivered in a restrained or conciliatory manner in order to persuade, distract, or otherwise influence someone.

soft spot »    A fontanelle.

soft spot »    A point of vulnerability in a defence.

soft spot »    A sentimental fondness or affection.

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.

softly softly »    Discreet, low-key, careful.

softroader »    . This involves increased ground clearance with tyre, wheel, and suspension tweaks, skid plates and refers to mini SUV or wagons.

soldier on »    To continue or persist, despite adversity or difficulty.

some days you get the bear, other days the bear gets you »    One cannot always overcome a powerful adversary.

some people »    Expresses disgust at the actions of a person; a response to a person doing something silly, bizarre, nonsensical or ill-mannered.

something awful »    Intensely or extremely; badly; in the worst way.

somewhere along the line »    At some unspecified time; eventually or once; at some point.

son of the morning »    A traveler.

song and dance »    An excessively complex set of instructions.

song and dance »    An excessively elaborate story or excuse used to justify something.

sort of »    Approximately; in a way; partially; not quite; somewhat.

sort oneself out »    To calm down emotionally.

sort oneself out »    To organize or solve one's personal problems.

sort out »    To clarify by reviewing mentally.

sort out »    To fix, as a problem.

sort out »    To organise or separate into groups, as a collection of items, so as to make tidy.

sort out »    To separate from the remainder of a group; often construed with from.

sound off »    To hold forth about something in an opinionated manner.

soup-to-nuts »    Comprehensive; complete; covering all of something.

sour grapes »    A putting down or expression of disdain about something that one desires but cannot have.

sow one's wild oats »    To indulge in a period of irresponsible behavior, particularly sexually; Often used in reference to young adults or to the recently divorced.

sow one's wild oats »    To spread one's genes around by impregnating many females.

space out »    To stupefy, intoxicate, disorient, or lose attention or focus, especially by the use of drugs.

spaghetti western »    Nickname for a motion picture produced by an Italian-based company and filmed in Europe, depicting a tale of cowboys and desperadoes set in the American Old West.

spanner »    A hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts.

spanner »    A hand tool shaped like a small crank handle, for winding the spring of a wheel lock on a musket.

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 »    An extra wheel or tire carried as a replacement in case of a flat.

spare tire »    Excess weight or fat accumulated near the waist.

spare tyre »    A large stomach and rolls of fat around the waist.

spare tyre »    An extra tyre carried in case one of the vehicle's tyres is damaged or deflated.

spark off »    To initiate something by providing the necessary conditions.

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 to »    To give evidence regarding something; to attest for.

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.

special needs »    Needs for special care, services or accommodations.

spectator sport »    A sporting activity which has a relatively high ratio of watchers to direct participants.

spectator sport »    An activity which consists of watching or observing.

spectator sport »    Something, especially a process or activity, which is a popular object of observation; an activity which a person prefers to watch rather than to participate in.

spell out »    From its component letters.

spic and span »    Perfectly clean.

spice up »    To enhance the flavor of something by adding spice to it.

spice up »    To make more exotic, fun or extravagant.

spick and span »    Alternative form of spick-and-span.

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 one's seed »    To masturbate or to ejaculate when the penis has been withdrawn from one's partner.

spill over »    To enter into another zone by way of accident or overcrowding; to overflow.

spin a yarn »    To tell or create a story, especially one which is lengthy or far-fetched.

spin one's wheels »    To make no progress despite making an effort; to get nowhere.

spit the dummy »    To a situation childishly, in an angry or frustrated manner.

split up »    Cease to be together, break apart from the group.

spoil the ship for a hap'orth of tar »    To have something important fail for want of a small amount of money or effort.

spot check »    A cursory inspection or examination or the inspection or examination of a sample of something.

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 for »    To pay for; to offer money.

spring in one's step »    Enthusiasm, energy or a positive outlook or cheerful attitude.

spring to mind »    To appear suddenly in one's thoughts, often as an example of something.

spruce up »    To refresh, revamp; to freshen or improve something, especially its appearance.

spur of the moment »    Impluse; short notice; a lack of planning.

square away »    To finish, complete, tidy or put in order.

square meal »    A satisfying meal, especially suitable for one performing physical labor.

square off »    To get ready for a fight.

square off »    To get in the fighting position.

square one »    The place where one begins; a lack of progress.

square up »    To get ready for a fight.

square up »    To get in the fighting position.

squaring the circle »    The historical problem of how to construct, using compass and ruler, a square having the same area as a given circle.

squint like a bag of nails »    To squint very much, as though one's eyes were directed as many ways as the points of a bag of nails.

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.

stage of the game »    A point in the progress of an ongoing dispute or process.

staircase wit »    Thinking of an idea or course of action too late to use it effectively, or the tendency to do so.

stamp out »    To get rid of, eradicate.

stand back »    To maintain a safe distance from a hazard.

stand back »    To abstain from participation.

stand back »    To stand a long way behind the wicket so as to catch balls from a fast bowler.

stand by »    To wait in expectation of some event; to make ready.

stand by »    To remain loyal or faithful.

stand down »    To wait; to stop pursuing or fighting.

stand for »    To mean; to symbolize; to represent.

stand for »    To advocate, to support.

stand for »    To tolerate.

stand from under »    To escape something falling or being thrown from above.

stand in for »    To replace; to act as a double or substitute for.

stand in someone's shoes »    To see from another's point of view; to feel what another feels.

stand off »    To stand some distance apart form something or someone.

stand off »    To prevent any would-be attacker from coming close by adopting an offensive posture.

stand on end »    To stand erect, bristle, especially from fear.

stand on its own »    To be independent of others.

stand on one's own two feet »    To be independent. To survive without any help.

stand one's ground »    To maintain or stick by an opinion or position; to remain resolute in the face of opposition.

stand the test of time »    To remain useful or valued over a long period of time; to last a long time.

stand up »    To rise from a lying or sitting position.

stand up »    To stand immediately behind the wicket so as to catch balls from a slow or spin bowler, and to attempt to stump the batsman.

stand up against »    To defy or challenge someone.

standard fare »    Menu items or dining options which are regularly available in a restaurant or other place where food is served.

standard fare »    Something which is normal, routine, or unexceptional; something which is commonly provided or encountered.

standard fare »    The usual price for travel by air, rail, or another means of transport.

stare someone in the face »    To be extremely visible and obvious.

stars in one's eyes »    The state of being overly or extremely impressed with something; enchanted with romance.

start off »    To begin.

start off on the wrong foot »    To begin badly; especially, to begin a relationship badly.

state of affairs »    A specific situation; a set of circumstances.

stave in »    To stave from the outside, to crush inward, to cause to collapse inward.

stave off »    To prevent something from happening; to obviate or avert.

stay put »    To remain in one fixed place.

steal a march on »    To get ahead of someone or something by starting earlier.

steal somebody's thunder »    To detract from somebody's accomplishments or glory; to undermine.

step down »    To resign from office.

step down »    To gradually reduce something, a little at a time, as an electronic step down transformer.

step in front of a moving train »    To sacrifice one's own life for a noble and loyal cause.

step on a rake »    To fall victim to a hazard.

step on a rake »    To step on the tines of a garden rake, causing the handle of the rake to rise from the ground rapidly, invariably striking the person walking in the face.

step on it »    To drive fast; to step on the accelerator.

step out »    To exit a place on foot, often for a short time.

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 in someone's craw »    To cause lasting annoyance, irritation, or hard feelings.

stick in the mud »    A person unwilling to participate in activities, often because he or she believes the activity is not wholly kosher; a party pooper.

stick in the mud »    More generally, one who is slow, old-fashioned, or unprogressive; an old fogey.

stick it to the man »    To take some action intended to defy a source of oppression such as globalization, commercialization, big business or government.

stick one's neck out »    To take a risk, putting oneself in a vulnerable position.

stick one's nose in »    To be nosy; to meddle or interfere in the affairs of another.

stick up for »    To defend or protect.

stick with »    To follow or adhere to.

stick-in-the-mud »    Alternative spelling of stick in the mud.

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.

stickhandle »    To maintain individual possession of the puck or ball by controlling it with movements of one's stick, especially to do so in a skillful manner.

sticking point »    A disputed issue or state of affairs that causes an interruption or outright impasse in progress towards some goal or resolution, especially in negotiation or argumentation.

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 »    A petty thief or petty thieves.

sticky fingers »    An inclination to steal.

stiff upper lip »    The quality of being resolute and showing self-restraint, associated with stereotypical British people.

still life »    type of painting

stir-crazy »    By extension, restless, uncomfortable, or impatient due to inactivity.

stir-crazy »    Of a prisoner, mentally unbalanced due to prolonged incarceration.

stock phrase »    A phrase frequently or habitually used by a person or group, and thus associated with them.

stone cold »    Very cold; lacking any semblance of warmth.

stone deaf »    Utterly deaf.

stone's throw »    A short distance, roughly equivalent to how far a person can throw a stone.

stop and smell the roses »    To relax; to take time out and enjoy or appreciate life.

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.

stop someone in his tracks »    To prevent someone from continuing along a path or way, literal or figurative, he has begun going along.

stop the presses »    An imperative form used to introduce especially new, important, surprising, or recent developments.

stop up »    To fill a hole or cavity, or block an opening or passage, as with a plug.

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 face »    A face that is expressionless, especially not laughing.

straight from the horse's mouth »    Directly from the source; firsthand.

straight from the shoulder »    Done in a direct manner; blunt.

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.

straighten out »    To correct or rectify.

straighten out »    To eliminate confusion from or concerning.

strange bedfellows »    An unusual combination or political alliance.

strap on a pair »    To be brave; to show some courage, especially in a situation where one has so far failed to do so.

straw poll »    A survey of opinion which is unofficial, casual, or ad hoc.

streak of good luck »    A series of lucky events.

stretch one's legs »    To walk about, especially after prolonged time sitting or lying down.

stretch out »    To lie fully extended.

stretch out »    To fully extend a part of the body.

stretch the truth »    To exaggerate, often to the point where the truth is obscured or lost.

strike through »    Partly obliterate text by drawing a continuous line through the centre thereof, usually to indicate the deletion of an error or obsolete information.

string up »    To suspend by means of rope, cord or similar material.

strip away »    To ignore a factor which obscures the reality.

strip down »    To remove all of one's clothing.

strip down »    To remove inessentials from.

strip off »    To remove anything by stripping, e.g. items of clothing or paint from the side of a ship.

strip off »    To be removed by stripping.

stroke of work »    With "do not do a", to do none of the assigned task at all.

strut one's stuff »    To behave, or to perform in a showy or ostentatious manner, especially in a way to impress others; to show off.

stuck up »    Snobbish, conceited; believing oneself to be better than others; haughty.

stuff up »    To ruin.

stuff up »    To make a big mistake.

stuff up »    Cause to be blocked.

stuffed like a turkey »    Engorged from overeating.

stuffed shirt »    One who is overly official or officious; somebody in charge but not necessarily in power or effective.

stumble across »    To discover or find something by accident.

stumble on »    To discover or find something by accident.

stumble upon »    To discover or find something by accident.

stump up »    To pay for something. Often indicating reluctance to pay.

stupid is as stupid does »    A person's intelligence may be judged by the wisdom of his or her actions.

success has many fathers, failure is an orphan »    Many will seek credit for success, few will accept responsibility for failure.

such as »    For example.

such as »    Like, of the kind mentioned.

suck donkey balls »    To be terrible, of extremely poor quality.

suck face »    To kiss, especially deeply and for a prolonged time.

suck hind tit »    To feed from an inferior source of food.

suck in »    To cause someone to become slowly more and more involved in a business or situation that is often not to that person's liking.

suck into »    To cause someone to become slowly more and more involved in a business or situation that is often not to that person's liking.

suck it up »    To put up with something; to deal with something, such as pain or misfortune, without complaining.

suck off »    To fellate a man until he ejaculates.

suck up »    To absorb fluid.

suck up »    To adulate or flatter somebody excessively, generally to obtain some personal benefit or favour.

suffer fools gladly »    To be tolerant of stupidity or incompetence in other people.

sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof »    No need to worry about the future; the present provides enough to worry about.

sugarcoated »    Made superficially more attractive. This often implies the reality has faults that are being hidden.

summer and winter »    To spend extended periods of time with; to test.

sure of oneself »    Self-confident.

swallow one's pride »    To set aside one's feelings of pride and adopt a more humble or appropriate stance.

swan song »    A final performance or accomplishment, especially one before retirement.

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.

sweep someone off their feet »    To seduce someone romantically.

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.

sweet william »    flower

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 act in a way that might generate a very good result, but which also has a large chance of failing.

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.

swings and roundabouts »    Offsetting gains and losses.

switch off »    To turn a switch to the "off" position in order to stop or disable a device.

switch off »    To lose interest, and start thinking about something else.

switch off »    To alternate between; to trade.

switch on »    To change one's expression or appearance as if by turning a switch.

sword and sandal »    Of or pertaining to a genre of books or films relating fantasy-adventure tales involving heroic exploits in ancient or biblical times.

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..

tack up »    To prepare a horse for riding by equipping it with tack.

tag along »    To accompany, join, or follow; to go with.

tail between one's legs »    A reaction to a confrontation, specifically one with excessive shame and hurt pride.

take a bath »    To lose a large amount of money in an investment.

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 bullet »    To purposely receive a gunshot that was intended for another.

take a crap »    To defecate.

take a dim view of »    To dislike; to regard with skepticism, disbelief, disfavor, etc.

take a dive »    To feign a knockout in order to lose intentionally.

take a dive »    To lose or fail intentionally.

take a leaf out of someone's book »    To adopt an idea or practice of another person.

take a licking »    To suffer a defeat or a beating.

take a number »    Recognize that many others are in the same situation; recognize that one's concerns are not of high priority; be prepared to wait.

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 shit »    To defecate.

take a spill »    To trip or fall.

take a spin »    To go for a ride; especially, to try riding or driving something.

take a stand »    To assert an opinion or viewpoint; to defend one's point of view or beliefs.

take a tumble »    To fall in price or value.

take a tumble »    To fall off something, or down something.

take aback »    To surprise or shock; to discomfit.

take aback »    Of a ship: to catch it with the sails aback suddenly.

take after »    In appearance or habit.

take after »    To follow someone's example.

take against »    To stop liking someone. Become unfriendly.

take apart »    To soundly defeat someone, or a team.

take apart »    To move someone away from others to be able to talk to, or give them something in private.

take away »    To remove something and put it in a different place.

take away »    To prevent, or limit, someone from being somewhere, or from doing something.

take away from »    To make something seem not so good or interesting.

take back »    To regain possession of something.

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 down »    To remove something from a wall or similar vertical surface to which it is fixed.

take down »    To remove something from a hanging position.

take down »    To remove a temporary structure such as scaffolding.

take down »    To lower an item of clothing without removing it.

take down a peg »    Alternative form of pull down a peg.

take effect »    To become active; to become effective.

take exception »    To take offense; to object or protest.

take exception to »    Express offense at; to.

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 flight »    To flee.

take for granted »    To assume something to be true without verification or proof.

take for granted »    To give little attention to or to underestimate the value of, to fail to appreciate.

take in »    To foster or adopt a child informally.

take in »    To receive into your home for the purpose of processing for a fee.

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 from me »    Believe me, rest assured.

take it to the bank »    Said to emphasize that something is known for sure.

take its toll »    To affect, especially negatively; to damage or degrade; to cause destruction.

take leave of one's senses »    To go crazy; to stop behaving rationally.

take liberties »    To behave disrespectfully, especially to make unwanted sexual advances.

take no notice of »    To ignore.

take off »    To remove.

take off »    To imitate, often in a satirical manner.

take off »    To leave the ground and begin flight; to ascend into the air.

take off »    To become successful, to flourish.

take off »    To depart.

take off »    To quantify.

take off »    To absent oneself from work or other responsibility, especially with permission.

take on »    To assume responsibility for.

take on »    To attempt to fight or compete.

take one's eye off the ball »    To lose one's concentration on what is most important.

take one's hat off to »    To publicly praise or thank.

take one's time »    To go about something slowly and carefully.

take out »    Alternative spelling of takeout.

take out of context »    To interpret something in a manner in which it was not intended to be understood, often deliberately.

take out the trash »    To forcefully remove people from a place.

take out the trash »    To remove rubbish from a place.

take over »    To assume control of something, especially by force; to usurp.

take over »    To adopt a further responsibility or duty.

take over »    To buy out the ownership of a business.

take over »    To become more successful than someone or something else.

take sides »    To ally oneself with a given opinion, agenda or group; to support one side or viewpoint in a competition or confrontation.

take somebody's word for it »    To believe what somebody tells one.

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 something in stride »    To cope with something without much effort; to accept or manage something well.

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

take the bull by the horns »    To confront a difficulty, rather than avoiding it.

take the fall »    To assume blame for oneself.

take the field »    To go out onto the playing field.

take the fifth »    To decline to comment, especially on grounds that it might be incriminating.

take the heat »    To take the blame; to be the focus of anger or scrutiny; to take the consequences.

take the lead »    To become the leader, to advance into first place.

take the Michael »    Alternative form of take the mickey, usually considered more polite.

take the mick »    Alternative form of take the mickey.

take the offensive »    To attack instead of defending; to be bold and proactive.

take the piss »    Everyone takes the piss out of the bankers these days.

take the rap »    To be blamed or punished for something, especially for the actions of another.

take the shadow for the substance »    To be easily deceived, credulous, superficial.

take the stand »    To testify as a witness in a trial.

take the wheel »    To assume control of a situation.

take the wheel »    To be in control of the steering wheel of a vehicle or a vessel.

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 one's heels »    To leave; especially, to flee or run away.

take to task »    To lecture, berate, admonish, or hold somebody accountable for his or her actions.

take to the cleaners »    To take a significant quantity of a person's money or valuables, through gambling, unfavorable investing, fraud, litigation, etc.

take to the hills »    To flee or vanish; to run away.

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.

take up the cudgel for »    To make a defense for in lieu of another person.

take up with »    To form a close relationship with someone.

take upon »    To take charge of an item of business, or an obligation, as a personal initiative.

take with a pinch of salt »    Not take entirely seriously.

taking upon oneself »    venturing

talk a blue streak »    To talk for a long time, at great length, or to the point of tedium.

talk dirty »    To use profane language, especially sexual vulgarities for the purpose of arousal.

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 of the town »    A subject discussed by many people.

talk out of turn »    To make a remark or provide information when it is inappropriate or indiscreet to do so, or when one does not have permission or the authority to do so.

talk someone's ear off »    To talk excessively or far more than is wanted or appreciated.

talk through one's hat »    To assert something as true or valid; to bluff.

talk through one's hat »    To speak lacking expertise, authority, or knowledge; to invent or fabricate facts.

talk turkey »    To talk or negotiate plainly, frankly, or seriously.

talking head »    A pundit who discusses issues of the day, especially one on TV.

tall order »    A big job; a difficult challenge.

tall tale »    A greatly exaggerated, fantastic story.

tape off »    To cordon.

taper off »    To diminish or lessen gradually; to become smaller, slower, quieter, etc.

tart up »    To modify or repackage a product, service, or idea to make it more attractive or easier to sell.

tartufo »    Hypocrite; tartuffe.

tartufo »    Truffle.

task force »    A group of people working towards a particular task, project, or activity, especially assigned in a particular capacity.

teacher's pet »    A student who is perceived to be favored by the teacher.

teacher's pet »    favourite pupil

tear a strip off somebody »    To scold vigorously.

tear away »    To remove oneself reluctantly; often expressed in the negative.

tear up the pea patch »    To put on a notable performance, especially in sports; to go on a rampage.

tee off »    To hit the first shot of the hole.

tee off »    To irritate, vex, or annoy.

teed off »    Annoyed, upset, angry.

tell all »    To reveal everything, particularly information that is normally withheld.

tell apart »    To be able to know the difference between things; to distinguish.

tell off »    To speak to someone rudely, disrespectfully or angrily; to berate; to unleash one's fury verbally towards someone.

tell off »    To rebuke, to reprimand, or to admonish.

tell on »    To inform on.

tell tales »    To be lying, to be making false claims.

tell the truth »    To speak frankly.

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".

telling off »    A reprimand, reproach, or lecture.

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.

ten foot pole »    See not touch something with a ten foot pole.

test bed »    Any venue, setup, etc. used for experimentation, testing, proving a concept, etc.

test the waters »    To explore or probe, as before making a commitment.

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 which doesn't kill you makes you stronger »    Used to express the sentiment that hardship or difficult experiences build moral character.

that's just me »    Indicates the expression of a personal opinion, but often used ironically as an understatement.

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.

that's the way the cookie crumbles »    That is the way things happen; that's life.

that's the way the mop flops »    That is the way things happen.

the apple doesn't fall far from the tree »    A child grows up to be very similar to its parents in the way they act and in their physical abilities.

the ball is in your court »    It is your turn to do something; often making a decision.

the bee's knees »    Most excellent; surpassingly wonderful; cool.

the bigger they are, the harder they fall »    The larger something is, the more disastrous and spectacular its downfall

the calm before the storm »    A period of peace before a disturbance or crisis; an unnatural or false calm before a storm.

the company »    Nickname for an intelligence service.

the course of true love never did run smooth »    There will always be problems in a relationship.

the die is cast »    The future is determined; there are no more options; events will proceed in an irreversible manner.

the dogs bark, but the caravan goes on »    Life goes on, even if some will try to stop or talk against progress.

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 all-be all »    Something ultimate; the best part of something; the thing which solves all problems associated with something.

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 end of one's rope »    At the limit of one’s patience, when one is so frustrated or annoyed that one can no longer take it..

the ends justify the means »    Alternative form of the end justifies the means.

the finger »    An obscene gesture, typically consisting of extending the middle finger at somebody.

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 fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you take »    Alternative form of the fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you get.

the fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you're going to get »    Alternative form of 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 hell out of »    Used as an intensifier.

the icing on the cake »    Something wonderful at the end of something good.

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 long arm of the law »    The body of law enforcement officers.

the man »    The best man for a job.

the man »    The oppressive powers that be, including the government and corporations; the system, as coordinated outside of one’s control..

the map is not the territory »    Our models of the world, and our sensations of the world, are not the true world.

the more the merrier »    It is more fun with more people.

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 name of the game »    The overall purpose; the principal goal, or objective.

the nose knows »    Despite the addressee's belief that the speaker was unaware of something, the speaker, in fact, was already aware.

the other day »    Recently; lately; a few days ago.

the pen is mightier than the sword »    More influence and power can be usurped by writing than by fighting.

the pick of the litter »    The absolute best one has to offer.

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 rabbit died »    A statement spoken to indicate one's own pregnancy, or that someone has found out they are pregnant.

the salt of the earth »    wonderful

the screwing you get isn't worth the screwing you get »    Alternative form of the fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you get.

the screwing you get isn't worth the screwing you take »    Alternative form of the fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you get.

the screwing you get isn't worth the screwing you're going to get »    Alternative form of the fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you get.

the shoe is on the other foot »    The roles of people in a situation have been reversed, such the advantage has shifted to a party which was previously disadvantaged.

the shoemaker's children go barefoot »    One often neglects those closest to oneself.

the sky is the limit »    Nothing is impossible or out of reach

the sky is the moon »    A new modern combination of "the sky is the limit" and "shoot for the moon".

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 terrorists will have won »    Phrase used following a description of an activity to indicate that if that activity is not continued or carried out, those who seek to disrupt normal activities through terror will have succeeded, an which is an unacceptable result.

the thing of it »    The important point to consider.

the way to a man's heart is through his stomach »    Cooking for a man is a good way to win his affections.

the whistle does not pull the train »    Alternative form of it's not the whistle that pulls the train.

the whistle doesn't pull the train »    Alternative form of it's not the whistle that pulls the train.

the whole nine yards »    And everything. Often used, like etc., to finish out a list.

the world is one's lobster »    (UK, humorous) intentional misrendering of the proverb "the world is one's oyster"

them's the breaks »    (idiomatic) That is the way things happen; that's life.

them's the facts »    That's the truth, that's how it is; frequently used in reference to an unfortunate truth.

then again »    From another point of view; on the other hand; on second thought.

there and back »    One or for a round trip journey, literal or figurative.

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 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 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 »    That is it; that is the situation or state of things.

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 accounting for taste »    When it comes to subjective matters of taste, people have wildly different opinions.Disagreements about matters of taste can't be objectively resolved.

there's no fool like an old fool »    Age does not bring wisdom.

there's no I in team »    A team game is focused on the team, not on the individual.

there's no place like home »    one feels the most comfortable at home

there's no such thing as a free lunch »    Nothing is free; everything has a price.

there's nowt so queer as folk »    Nothing is as strange as people can be.

there, there »    Conveys comfort; used to calm somebody urge somebody to relax, especially when the person is crying.

they're only after one thing »    Men are only interested in sex.

thief in the night »    Something stealthy or that occurs without warning.

thieve out »    To walk out of a place stealthily.

thin edge of the wedge »    Beginning; opening; precedent.

thin end of the wedge »    Something that if allowed or accepted to a small degree would lead to systematic encroachment.

thin-skinned »    Overly sensitive to criticism; quick to take offence; touchy.

think better of it »    To change one's mind; especially to decide against.

think of England »    To tolerate or endure bad sex. Used in conjunction with "I just lie on my back and.." "I just go through the motions and..." etc.

think one's shit doesn't stink »    To be arrogant or snobbish; to feel superior to others.

think over »    To ponder or reflect on a subject.

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 the world of »    To have a good opinion; to esteem; to admire.

think through »    To fully consider an action, and understand all its consequences.

third degree »    Intensive rough interrogation in order to extract information or a confession.

third rate »    inferior

third string »    A unit of players that plays behind the first and second strings; a junior varsity team.

third string »    Of a decidedly lower quality or condition.

third wheel »    A person or thing that serves no useful purpose.

thorn in the flesh »    Ivar Specto. The Soviet Union and the Muslim World, 1917-1958.

thorn in the flesh »    A persistent difficulty or something very annoying that will not go away.

those who will not when they may, when they will they shall have nay »    (archaic) One should take immediate advantage of an opportunity that may not be available later.

thrash out »    To discuss something so fully as to resolve a problem or conflict; to hammer out.

three Rs »    The basic precepts of any subject matter.

three skips of a louse »    Said about some trifling or insignificant matter.

three-on-the-tree »    On an automobile, describing the gearshift lever of a steering column-mounted three-speed manual transmission.

through and through »    Completely; entirely; fundamentally.

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 away »    To discard or dispose of something.

throw away »    To place a son or daughter for adoption.

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 down »    To cause something one is holding to drop, often forcefully.

throw down »    Admirably or forcefully.

throw down »    To fight, incite to fight, or approach with the intent to fight; to make a stand.

throw down »    To accomplish or produce something in a grand, respectable, or successful manner; to "represent".

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 for a loop »    To confuse or disorient; to throw off; to mix up.

throw money away »    To spend money foolishly or indiscriminately; to waste money without regard of the consequences.

throw off »    To confuse; especially, to lose a pursuer.

throw off »    To introduce errors or inaccuracies; to skew.

throw off balance »    To unsettle, to catch by surprise.

throw one's toys out of the pram »    To lose one's temper; to throw a tantrum.

throw one's weight around »    To exercise influence or authority especially to an excessive degree or in an objectionable manner.

throw out »    To dismiss or expel someone from any longer performing duty or attending somewhere.

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 smoke »    To consistently pitch fastballs that are difficult to hit.

throw the baby out with the bathwater »    To discard something valuable, often inadvertently, in the process of removing waste.

throw to the dogs »    To remove or cast out someone or something out of one's protection, such as into the streets.

throw to the wolves »    To remove or cast out someone or something out of one's protection, such as onto the streets, especially towards predators.

throw to the wolves »    To sacrifice someone, especially in an attempt to save oneself.

throwing money away »    The act of spending money foolishly; wasting money without regard of the consequences.

thumb a ride »    To flag or signal a passing vehicle in hopes of securing passage.

thumb a ride »    To secure a ride by flagging down a vehicle.

thumb one's nose »    To act disrespectfully, especially by flouting the object of disrespect.

thumb one's nose »    To place a thumb upon the tip of the nose, usually while simultaneous wiggling one's fingers, in a gesture of disrespect.

thumbs up »    A gesture signifying approval or okay; a thumb pointing up out of a fist.

thus and such »    A placeholder or generic name for something.

tick off »    Sign with a tick.

tick off »    To annoy, aggravate.

tick off »    To reprimand.

tickle somebody's funny bone »    To amuse; to strike somebody as funny.

tickle someone's fancy »    To amuse, entertain, or appeal to someone; to stimulate someone's imagination in a favorable manner.

tickle the ivories »    I don't have as much time as I'd like, but I still enjoy tickling the ivories from time to time.

tickled pink »    Simple past tense and past participle of tickle pink.

tide over »    To support or sustain someone, especially financially, for a limited period.

tie up »    To complete, finish, or resolve.

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.

tight lips »    Of a person, silence or reticence.

tight spot »    A difficult position.

tight-lipped »    Unwilling to divulge information.

tilt at windmills »    To go on a wild goose chase; to persistently engage in a futile activity.

time after time »    Again and again; repeatedly; every time; always.

time and material »    A form of contractual compensation involving payment for materials used and at agreed rates for the those involved in performing the services.

time and tide »    Shortened form of time and tide wait for no man

time and tide wait for no man »    action is necessary without delay

time flies »    Time seems to pass quickly. Time flies when you're having fun.

time flies when you're having fun »    Time seems to pass quicker when one is enjoying oneself.

time heals all wounds »    Negative feelings eventually erode away

time of the month »    The time when a woman is menstruating.

time off »    A period of time where one is not required to work.

time out »    To call for a suspension of activity or conversation.

time out »    To call for a time-out.

time out of mind »    A lengthy duration of time, longer than is readily remembered.

time out of mind »    The distant past beyond anyone's memory.

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.

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.

tip of the hat »    A gesture of acknowledgement; often, an expression of gratitude.

tip of the iceberg »    Only the beginning; just a small indication of a larger possibility; a problem is much bigger than it seems.

tip off »    To alert or inform someone.

tip off »    information

tip one's hat »    To briefly remove or tap one's hat as a gesture of greeting, deference, or respect.

tip-off »    An obvious clue or indication.

tit for tat »    Equivalent retribution, an eye for an eye, returning exactly what you get.

tit for tat »    Hat.

to a fare-thee-well »    To the greatest extent or to completion; to a state of refinement or perfection.

to a fault »    To an excessive degree; extremely.

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 be honest »    Frankly, honestly.

to be the cat's whiskers »    To perform better than was generally supposed possible.

to beat the band »    Very vigorously; at a frantic pace; to a high degree; in large quantities.

to boot »    Moreover, on top of that, besides, also.

to die for »    Very good; exquisite; excellent; particularly desirable.

to each his own »    Every person is entitled to his or her personal preferences and tastes.

to give a person line »    To allow a person more or less liberty until it is convenient to stop or check him/her, like a hooked fish that swims away with the line.

to go »    Belonging to the subgroup that have not passed or have not been finished or have not been addressed yet.

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 hell in a handbasket »    To a bad state of affairs quickly.

to one's heart's content »    Until satisfied; as much as is wished.

to spare »    left over

to tell the truth »    An attestation to the truthfulness and frankness of an associated statement.

to that end »    For that reason, with that goal, intending to produce that result.

to the letter »    Literally, exactly, to follow the rules as they're written.

to the moon »    Used as an intensifier.

to the point »    Relevant or pertinent; succinct; specific.

to the tune of »    Roughly; about; as much as; to the sum of, to the extent of.

to the victor go the spoils »    The winner of a conflict wins additional benefits, beyond just the subject of the conflict.

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.

tomato tomato »    Uses insignificant pronunciation difference to dismiss a correction to one's adherence to an alternative standard.

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

tone down »    To make a television program, piece of writing, etc. less offensive and so more suitable for a family audience.

tone up »    To strengthen and make the muscles of the body firmer by regular excercise.

tongue-tied »    Unable to speak; at a loss for words.

too bad »    It is unfortunate that.

too bad »    That's a pity; that's unfortunate.

too big for one's boots »    Far less capable than one's claims to be.

too big for one's britches »    Disturbingly confident, unacceptably cocky.

too big for one's britches »    Too large to fit into one's pants.

too hot to hold »    A place that has too much police activity to harbor a fugitive unnoticed.

too many cooks spoil the broth »    If too many people try to take charge at a task, the end product might be ruined.

toot one's own horn »    To promote oneself; to boast or brag; to tout.

top dollar »    The maximum amount of money that an item, service, or worker is worth; a very high price.

top drawer »    Of the highest quality.

top it all off »    To emphasize or underscore; to make something even better or worse.

top notch »    Very good; of the highest quality.

top of the line »    The best, fanciest, or highest quality, especially among selections in a product line.

top of the morning »    A generic greeting said to someone in the morning.

top off »    To fill completely; to fill or refill the final portion of something not empty.

top oneself »    To commit suicide.

top oneself »    To outdo oneself or do more than one's previous best.

top shelf »    Best, or high quality.

top shelf »    Books, magazines, or movies that have adult content, or soft-core porn.

top up »    To fill something.

top up »    To extend the credit of something.

top up »    refill

top up »    refill

torque off »    To annoy, distress, or anger.

torqued off »    Annoyed, upset, angry.

toss-up »    A decision in which neither choice is clearly favorable or unfavorable, or for which the outcome does not matter.

toss-up »    Either of two outcomes that are equally likely.

toss-up »    The toss of a coin used to decide some issue.

toss-upness »    The quality of being a toss-up, usually used in reference to a toss-up state in American presidential elections.

totus porcus »    Completely; unreservedly: swallowed the official version totus porcus.

touch a nerve »    To make a remark or perform a deed which produces a strong response, especially an emotional response such as anxiety or annoyance, because it calls to mind something which has been a source of concern or embarrassment.

touch cloth »    To be on the point of soiling oneself.

touch down »    To land an aircraft.

touch judge »    rugby official

touch of the tar brush »    Of South Asian or Afro-Caribbean in their background and/or in their appearance.

touch off »    To start; to cause, especially used for unstable situations that may magnify if disturbed.

touch oneself »    To masturbate.

touch up »    To make slight corrections or adjustments; to fill in or perfect.

touch up »    To touch or to grope someone in flirtatious or sleazy way.

touch%C3%A9 »    An acknowledgement of a hit.

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.

touch%C3%A9 »    Used in a conversation or debate to concede a point as true, often in response to a successful counter of one's own logic.

touch-and-go »    Precarious, delicate, dangerous, risky, sensitive or of uncertain outcome.

touched in the head »    Demented, slightly mentally deficient.

touchy-feely »    Driven by intuition or emotion, with a connotation of de-emphasis of rational thought or logic.

touchy-feely »    Having a fondness for physical contact with other people, especially to an excessive degree.

tough call »    A choice or judgment which is difficult to make, especially one involving only two alternatives.

tough love »    The compassionate use of stringent disciplinary measures, to attempt to improve someone's behavior.

tough nut to crack »    A difficult or sticky problem.

tough row to hoe »    A difficult or arduous task.

toy with »    Handling something in a careless or frivolous manner.

track down »    To hunt for or locate; to search for; to find.

track record »    An organization's, product's, or person's past performance reviewed in its entirety, usually for the purpose of making a judgment.

trailer trash »    Deleted from the movie trailer. Not included in theatrical run.

train wreck »    The aftermath of a train crash.

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.

trench mouth »    Acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis, a severe bacterial infection of the gums, typically characterized by inflammation, bleeding, deep ulceration, necrotized tissue, pain, fever, enlarged lymph nodes, fatigue, and halitosis.

trick of the trade »    A shortcut or other quick, or very effective way of doing things, that professional workers learn from experience.

trick out »    To trick out; to mod or customize an object, typically for the purpose of both personalization as well as enhancing the object's performance capabilities and more particularly for the purpose of performing stunts with that object.

trigger-happy »    Having a tendency or desire to shoot a firearm irresponsibly before adequately identifying the target.

trip out »    To hallucinate as a result of drugs.

trip out »    To have a fit, to become enraged.

true believer »    A strict follower of a religious doctrine.

true blue »    Indubitably loyal or faithful.

try one's hand »    To attempt a skill, craft, or trade.

try out »    To test something in order to see if it works.

try out »    To undergo a test before being selected for a team etc.

tube steak »    A frankfurter.

tuck in »    To push the fabric at the bottom of a shirt under the pants.

tuckered out »    Simple past tense and past participle of tucker out.

tuits »    If I had more tuits.[1].

tuits »    Virtual tokens for an amount of time or attention that a particular issue would need to resolve.

tune in, turn on, drop out »    Pay attention to the new way of living; take drugs; abandon the established ways.

tune out »    To change the channel or frequency away from.

tune out »    To fail to pay attention to; to ignore.

tune up »    To make adjustments to an engine in order to improve its performance.

tune up »    To make preparations for vigorous exercise; to warm up.

turf war »    A dispute over territory between rival gangs.

turf war »    A fight or confrontation between two divisions or parties for access to resources or capital.

turn a hair »    To become afraid or visibly upset.

turn a trick »    To perform a sexual service for a customer.

turn against »    To rebel or oppose something formerly supported.

turn away »    To rotate the body or head so as not to face someone or something.

turn away »    To bend or turn from a fixed course.

turn away »    To refuse to admit someone.

turn away »    To avert or deflect something.

turn back »    To fold something back; to fold down.

turn back »    To refuse to allow someone to pass a border or enter a place.

turn down »    To refuse, decline, or deny.

turn down »    To reduce the amount of something by means of a control, such as the volume, heat, or light.

turn down »    To reposition by turning, flipping, etc. in a downward direction.

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 into »    To transform into; become.

turn into a pumpkin »    Used to indicate a curfew, or the time by which one must depart.

turn loose »    To roam freely or to act freely.

turn of phrase »    An artful phrasing of words.

turn off »    To power down; to stop a device by switching it off.

turn off »    To repulse, disgust, or discourage.

turn off »    To leave a road; exit.

turn on »    To rebel; to go against something formerly supported.

turn one's back »    To forsake, to abandon; to ignore.

turn out »    To turn or rotate outwards or out of something.

turn out »    To refuse service or shelter; to eject or evict.

turn over »    To flip over; to rotate top to bottom.

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 the page »    To move on to new involvements or activities; to make a fresh start.

turn the tables »    To reverse a situation, such that the advantage has shifted to the party which was previously disadvantaged.

turn tricks »    To work as a prostitute, providing sexual services for money.

turn up »    To increase the amount of something by means of a control, such as the volume, heat, or light.

turn up »    To reposition by rotating, flipping, etc. upwards.

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 up one's nose »    To refuse, especially as due to pride or status.

turn upside down »    To flip over; to rotate top to bottom.

turnabout is fair play »    It is allowable to retaliate against an enemy's dirty tricks by using the same ones against him.

twatfaced »    F**ed, pissed, drunk as a skunk.

twelfth man »    reserve in cricket

twenty-twenty hindsight »    Perfect understanding of events only after they have happened.

twiddle one's thumbs »    To circle one's thumbs around one another, usually with the fingers interlaced, usually done idly while waiting or bored.

twiddle one's thumbs »    To wait or dawdle; to accomplish nothing useful or lack a useful occupation.

twist in the wind »    To be unassisted and without comfort in a situation likely to result in distress or failure.

twist in the wind »    To wait for an uncomfortably long period of time.

twist of fate »    An unfortunate turn of events.

twist someone's arm »    To coerce, force, or cajole.

two birds with one stone »    Any two things that were performed or completed at the same time by one action.

two bob »    A small amount of value.

two can play that game »    The tactics and/or strategies of an enemy can be used against him.

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 for two »    Successful at both of two efforts.

two left feet »    Exhibiting particular clumsiness, especially at dancing or at soccer.

two thumbs up »    The strong approval itself.

two wrongs don't make a right »    (ethics) A wrongful action is not a morally appropriate way to correct or cancel a previous wrongful action.1915, William MacLeod Raine, The Highgrader, ch. 15:"But when it comes to taking what belongs to another

two wrongs make a right »    A logical fallacy whereby a wrongful action is justified by the commission of another

two-bit »    Insignificant or worthless.

two-fisted drinker »    Either someone who can handle their liquor well, or an alcoholic clutching a drink in each hand.

two-second rule »    A rule of thumb for safe driving by which a driver must maintain a two-second distance from the vehicle in front.

under a spell »    Bewitched, held by the power of a magical spell.

under erasure »    Of a bit of text, written and strickenthrough; hence, figuratively in some sense both present and absent.

under fire »    Criticized or held responsible for something.

under fire »    Subjected to enemy attack.

under lock and key »    Imprisoned with little or no chance of escape.

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 sail »    With sails unfurled; powered by the wind.

under the gun »    The first player to act on the first round of betting in Texas hold 'em.

under the gun »    Under great pressure to perform.

under the impression »    Thinking or making assumptions, often incorrectly.

under the influence »    Drunk; intoxicated; affected by alcohol.

under the knife »    Undergoing a surgical procedure.

under the table »    Secretly or without reporting, especially of payments made or business transacted.

under the weather »    Somewhat intoxicated or suffering from a hangover.

under the wire »    Across the finish line.

under the wire »    At the last minute; before the deadline; barely on time; nearly late.

university of life »    The real world as a source of instruction, as opposed to a formal education.

unring a bell »    To perform the impossible.

unring a bell »    To reverse the ringing of a bell.

until hell freezes over »    Forever; One will never in their life get the results that they want, no matter what they're doing involving the situation.

until one is blue in the face »    Forever; for a hopelessly long time.

until the cows come home »    For a very long time.

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 a creek »    In trouble; in a difficult situation.

up a creek without a paddle »    In a difficult situation, without any help. Superlative form of up a creek: most up a creek.

up against »    Facing; challenging, or opposing.

up for »    Planned; next in line.

up for »    Willing to participate in; interested in.

up for grabs »    Available for anyone to obtain, claim or win.

up front »    Open, honest; tending to disclose information; truthful.

up in arms »    Angry; preparing for a fight.

up on »    Well-informed about.

up shit creek »    Alternative form of up the creek.

up shit creek without a paddle »    Alternative form of up the creek without a paddle.

up the ante »    To raise the stakes of a hand of poker.

up the creek without a paddle »    In a difficult situation with no means of rectifying it.

up the ying yang »    Far more than one needs.

up to »    Considering all members of an equivalence class the same.

up to »    The option or decision of.

up to scratch »    Sufficient; adequate; of acceptable or satisfactory quality.

up to snuff »    Adequate; of acceptable or quality; satisfying an appropriate standard.

up to snuff »    Mentally alert, shrewd, savvy.

up to speed »    Fully informed; current.

up-and-comer »    Someone who is up-and-coming, who has begun to be successful in some field and is likely to become even more successful in the future.

up-to-date »    Informed about the latest news or developments.

uphill battle »    A challenge with the odds of success stacked strongly against.

uphill battle »    difficult struggle

upper crust »    The topmost layer of a bread, pastry dish, or other item with a hardened coating.

ups and downs »    Periods of positive and negative events, moods, or interactions; highs and lows.

upset the applecart »    To spoil carefully laid plans or arrangements; to spoil something.

urban fabric »    The physical aspect of urbanism, emphasizing building types, thoroughfares, open space, frontages, and streetscapes; while excluding without prejudice to this useful term, environmental, functional, economic and sociocultural aspects.

used to »    Accustomed to; in the habit of.

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.

variety is the spice of life »    Variety is what makes life interesting

venus flytrap »    insect-eating plant

verge on »    To approach or come close to something; to border or be on the edge of something.

vertically challenged »    Of a person, short.

victory at sea »    Ocean conditions very windblown and messy, possibly to the point of being inimical to surfing and other water sports.

vote in »    To collectively approve a nominee into an office or position as a result of voting.

vote out »    To expel the holder of an office or other position through an act of voting.

vote with one's feet »    To show a lack of support for something by departing or otherwise absenting oneself.

vote with one's feet »    To show support for something by going to or otherwise being present somewhere.

vouch for »    To affirm the truth or reliability of.

wade in »    To interrupt someone, or a situation, by doing or saying something abruptly, or forcefully, and usually without thinking about the consequences.

wage war »    A figurative allusion to pay discrepancies.

wail on »    To strike an opponent heavily and repeatedly in a fight.

wait for the other shoe to drop »    To await a seemingly inevitable event, especially one which is not desirable.

wait for the other shoe to drop »    To defer action or decision until another matter is finished or resolved.

wait up »    To stay awake waiting for somebody to return.

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 a tightrope »    To undertake a precarious course of action.

walk away from »    To abandon or leave; to shun.

walk into »    To fall into .

walk it off »    To deal with an negative emotional event without complaint; to take it like a man.

walk it off »    To walk or pace in order to relieve a pain or cramp.

walk on eggshells »    To be careful and sensitive, in handling very sensitive matters.

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.

walk the line »    To behave in an authorized or socially accepted manner, especially as prescribed by law or morality; to exercise self-control.

walk the plank »    To be forced to resign from a position in an organization.

walk the talk »    To do what one said one could do, or would do, not just making empty promises. To walk one's talk is to be innocent of hypocrisy.

wall off »    To separate with a wall.

wall to wall carpets »    floor coverings

walls have ears »    There is a risk of being heard, so pay attention to what you say.

wank off »    To masturbate.

wank off »    To sexually stimulate another's penis.

war bride »    A company or individual whose business is increased by warfare.

ward off »    To parry, or turn aside.

ward off »    To avert or prevent.

warm down »    Gentle excercise at the end of a training session before cooling off.

warm fuzzy »    A good impression; a feeling of comfort or trust.

warm the cockles of someone's heart »    To provide happiness, to bring a deeply-felt contentment.

warm up »    To make an audience enthusiastic or animated before a show.

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 away »    To eliminate, in a figurative sense.

wash down »    To help to swallow by drinking a liquid, after eating something, or taking a pill.

wash down »    To wash something completely from top to bottom.

wash one's hands of »    To absolve oneself of responsibility or future blame for.

wash out »    To wear away by the flow of water; to erode.

wash over »    To pass unnoticed so that one is unaffected by it.

wash over »    Said of the way an emotion affects one suddenly.

wash over »    Of open water. To surge over the banks, or other retaining structure.

wash up »    To wash one's hands and/or face, often around mealtimes.

washed out »    Of clothes. When they lose some of their original colour from being washed so often.

washed up »    Finished; having no future in a particular role.

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.

waste not, want not »    If one is not wasteful then one will not be needy.

watch one's head »    To look out for things one's head might bump into.

watch one's mouth »    In the imperative form, used as a warning to avoid or stop using inappropriate language, especially profanity, or disrespectful utterances.

watch one's mouth »    To be careful about what one says, especially with regard to disrespectful or profane language.

watch out »    To be aware or conscious; to look closely or carefully; to use caution. Often used in the imperative.

watch this space »    An indication that a development will follow.

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.

water under the bridge »    Something in the past that cannot be controlled or undone, but must be accepted, forgiven, or forgotten.

watered-down »    Weakened or simplified.

way out of a paper bag »    A minimal level of competence or effectiveness, as used in phrases where one is unable to perform such.

way to go »    An expression of congratulations, encouragement, or approval.

weak sister »    A person or thing which is the least robust or least dependable member of a group.

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.

weather the storm »    To reach the end of a very difficult situation without too much harm or damage.

wee small hours »    He worked into the wee small hours to get everything perfect for the opening day.

wee small hours »    The very early morning, just after midnight, when most people are asleep.

weed out »    To remove unwanted elements from a group.

weekend warrior »    A person who indulges in a sport or pastime on an infrequent basis, usually on weekends when work commitments are not present.

weigh down »    To act as a ballast for.

weigh down »    To be too much for someone to cope with.

well ain't that the catfish in the trap »    A sentence commonly spoken in the Southern United States. It can often be used in place of "well, I'll be damned". Used to express surprise.

well begun is half done »    Much depends on the beginning of an endeavor.

well, I never »    An exclamation of great surprise.

wet blanket »    A person who takes the fun out of a situation or activity, as by pessimism, demands, dullness, etc.

whack-a-mole »    The practice of trying to stop something that persistently occurs in an apparently random manner at the point where the occurrence is noticed, such as terminating spammers' e-mail accounts or closing pop-up advertisement windows.

whale on »    To strike an opponent heavily and repeatedly in a fight.

what doesn't kill you makes you stronger »    Used to express the sentiment that hardship or difficult experiences build moral character.

what for »    An unspecified punishment or rebuke.

what for »    For what reason; why.

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.

what is more »    Furthermore, or in addition, moreover.

what it says on the tin »    Exactly what is described or what one would expect from the name.

what of it »    So what? Who cares? Expresses disinterest, disregard or lack of concern.

what the dickens »    Euphemism for what the Devil, used to add emphasis to "what" when beginning a question.

what with »    Owing to; because of; as a result of.

what's eating somebody »    ? Inquired of somebody who is upset, worried, angry, etc.

what's in it for me »    To me, personally?.

what's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander »    If something is acceptable for one person, it is acceptable for another.

what's the good of »    What is the purpose or advantage of.

what's up with »    Used to express disbelief or curiosity.

whatever floats your boat »    What makes you happy; what stimulates you.

when he's at home »    In reality; in fact; when it comes down to it.

when Hell freezes over »    Never; not in this lifetime; not a chance.

when in Rome, do as the Romans »    Alternative form of when in Rome, do as the Romans do.

when it rains, it pours »    If a person encounters bad luck, more bad luck will follow.

when pigs fly »    Never.

when push comes to shove »    When the pressure is on; when the situation is critical or urgent; when the time has come for action, even if it is difficult.

when the cat's away »    People are likely to take advantage of the absence of authority or enforcement of compliance.

when the cat's away the mice will play »    In the absence of a controlling entity, subordinates will take advantage of circumstances.

when the going gets tough, the tough get going »    in difficult times, it is the strong-willed who take action.

when the shit hits the fan »    A reference to the messy consequences of a secret or private situation becoming public.

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.

when, as, and if »    Used to indicate the timing and contingency of some obligation in contracts, especially financial.

where there's smoke, there's fire »    If there is telltale evidence of some event, the event is probably occurring.

where's the beef »    Where is the content? So what?.

whip up »    To produce something quickly, especially of a meal.

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 past the graveyard »    To attempt to stay cheerful in a dire situation; To proceed with a task, ignoring an upcoming hazard, hoping for a good outcome.

whistle past the graveyard »    To enter a situation with little or no understanding of the possible consequences.

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.

whistle-blower »    One who reports a problem or violation to the authorities; especially, an employee or former employee who reports a violation by an employer.

whistle-stop train tour »    A tour in a political campaign that makes many brief stops in small communities.

whistle-stop train tour »    Any travel that's quick and with only brief pauses.

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 elephant »    An ornament etc that is unwanted or is a financial burden; an unprofitable investment.

white goods »    fridges, washing machines, etc

white hole »    A theoretically possible but physically highly unlikely singularity which would emit matter and energy; the antithesis of a black hole.

white lie »    A deliberate, untrue statement which does no harm or is intended to produce a favorable result.

white on rice »    A descriptive analogy of closeness. See like white on rice.

white-knuckle »    Causing fear, excitement, apprehension, suspense, or nervousness.

whitewash »    A lime and water mixture for painting walls and fences bright white.

who pays the piper calls the tune »    One who pays for something controls it.

who shot John »    A long and involved explanation; a thing of which an explanation would be long and involved.

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.

whole enchilada »    All of something or a group of related things taken in totality.

whomp on »    To assail with overwhelming force; to defeat decisively.

why the dickens »    Euphemism for why the Devil, used to add emphasis to "why" when beginning a question.

wide of the mark »    Inaccurate.

wide of the mark »    Missing the target.

wild horses »    A force not subject to human control and normally stronger than a man.

wild horses »    Plural form of wild horse.

wild-goose chase »    A futile search, a fruitless errand; a useless and often lengthy pursuit.

wild-goose chase »    A task whose execution is inordinately complex relative to the value of the outcome.

will on »    To wish intensely that someone succeeds in what they are doing. Often implies a silent, or almost inaudible wish.

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.

willies »    Plural form of willy.

willy nilly »    Without regard for consequences or the will of those affected.

win over »    To persuade someone, gain someone's support, or make someone understand the truth or validity of something.

wind back »    To wind a tape, cassette, or film, etc towards the beginning; to rewind.

wind back the clock »    Figuratively to return in time to an earlier period of history.

wind down »    Relax; get rid of stress.

wind up one's bottoms »    To finish a job.

window dressing »    A means of creating a deceptively favourable impression of something or someone; something for appearance only.

window dressing »    The decorative display of retail merchandise in store windows.

window dressing »    These latest modifications are mere window dressing, the same problems remain.

window-shopping »    The browsing of shop windows without any intention of buying.

wing it »    To improvise; to make things up or figure things out as one goes; or to perform with little or no preparation.

winkle out »    To acquire something or someone with difficulty.

winkle out »    Tom managed to winkle the truth out of John eventually.

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 out »    To crash, fall over.

wipe somebody's eye »    To defeat; to humiliate.

wipe the slate clean »    To forget about previous differences and disagreements, and make a fresh start.

wishful thinking »    Decision-making based on self-delusion.

wishful thinking »    The illusion that what one would like is actually true.

with a vengeance »    Intensely motivated; resolute; forceful.

with flying colors »    Extremely well; in an exceptional, noteworthy, or extraordinary manner.

with no further ado »    Without any other formalities; with no further delay.

with open arms »    With enthusiasm, as if embracing.

within an ace of »    Very near; on the point of.

without fail »    Certainly; by all means; as a matter of importance.

without further ado »    With no further ado.

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.

wits' end »    Limit of one's sanity or mental capacity; point of desperation.

wolf down »    Quickly and without regard for table manners.

wolf in sheep's clothing »    Something harmful or problematic disguised as something peaceful or pleasant.

wooden spoon »    A spoon made from wood.

wooden spoon »    An ironic prize for finishing last in a competition.

wooden-top »    Uniformed police officers.

word of mouth »    Verbal means of passing of information.

word to the wise »    A piece of advice.

work against the clock »    To work very quickly because you know you only have a very limited period of time to do something.

work around the clock »    To work all day and all night without a break, because it is imperative to finish something.

work at »    To make a physical or mental effort to progress some specified task.

work one's arse off »    Work excessively or to the point of exhaustion.

work one's butt off »    To work very hard or to excess.

work one's fingers to the bone »    Work especially hard, usually for an extended period.

work one's tail off »    Work excessively or to the point of exhaustion.

work out »    To make sense of.

work out »    To habitually exercise rigorously, especially by lifting weights, in order to increase strength or muscle mass or maintain fitness.

work over »    To improve a prototype, or first draft.

work spouse »    A man or woman in the workplace with whom one shares a special relationship having bonds similar to those of a marriage: special confidences, loyalties, shared jokes and experiences, and unusual degree of honesty or openness.

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-beater »    Someone or something superior to all others of its sort.

worlds apart »    Vastly different.

worm's-eye view »    A view of an object from below, from the ground.

worse for wear »    Drunk.

worse for wear »    In poor physical condition due to long or heavy use.

worth one's while »    Good and important enough for one to spend time, effort, or money on.

worth the risk »    The benefit of the success is more valuable than the problems caused by the potential loss.

wouldn't shout if a shark bit him »    Frugal, miserly.

wouldn't you know it »    Expresses dismay or annoyance, especially at bad luck or misfortune.

wrap around one's fingers »    To make one susceptible to desire, in that their behavior or actions are influenced.

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 fold and secure something to be the cover or protection for something.

wrap up »    To finish off a task completely.

wrap up »    To form a cylinder by rolling a sheet of something.

wrap up »    To wear more clothes as protection from the weather; to bundle up.

wrestling with a pig »    To engage in a pointless task that leaves one worse off for having made an honest attempt.

wring out »    To force someone to give something, usually truth, or money.

write down »    To make a downward adjustment in the value of an asset.

write off »    To reduce an asset's book value to zero.

write off »    To record an expenditure as an expense.

write off »    To record an notional expense such as amortization or depreciation.

write off »    Figuratively, to assign a low value to something.

write off »    unrepairable car

write one's own ticket »    To be empowered to choose whatever job, financial arrangement, or course of action one desires.

write out »    To write in full length or expanded form.

write up »    To document the faults of.

written all over someone's face »    Very obvious, from someone's facial expression.

wrong side of the tracks »    . May refer to area where the working class, poor or extremely poor live.

yak shaving »    Any apparently useless activity which, by allowing you to overcome intermediate difficulties, allows you to solve a larger problem.

yank off »    To remove something, like a piece of cloth or bread, by tearing it with one quick strong pull.

yank off »    To masturbate.

year dot »    A very long time ago, from the beginning or as far back as one can remember.

yell at »    To scold, to rebuke - often by yelling.

yellow journalism »    Material published in a broadcast or periodical, such as a tabloid newspaper or magazine, which is sensationalistic and of questionable accuracy and taste.

yellowbelly »    Someone from Lincolnshire.

yes to death »    To agree with someone, often sarcastically.

yes-man »    A person of unquestioning obedience.

you and whose army%3F »    You can't do all that on your own.

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 hang your hat on that »    It's something to put faith in, to rely upon or trust (when used in a positive connotation).

you can't fight city hall »    (chiefly US) Nothing can be done to change the situation, because it is a governmental decision.I see they're going to build the airport after all. I suppose you can't fight city hall.

you can't get a quart into a pint pot »    What is being discussed is not possible.They've asked me to get to New York by five o'clock, but you can't get a quart into a pint pot!

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 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 tell a book by its cover »    Alternative form of you can't judge a book by its cover.

you don't dip your pen in the company's ink »    Alternative form of you don't dip your pen in company ink.

you don't dip your pen in the inkwell »    Alternative form of you don't dip your pen in company ink.

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 know what »    A phrase used to get someone's attention before announcing something.

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 make the bed you lie in »    A person's circumstances are normally the result of his or her own actions.

you name it »    Used after a short list to show that further examples are unnecessary; all kinds of things.

you never know what you've got till it's gone »    Good friends and acquaintances shouldn't be taken for granted.

you only get what you give »    There is a positive correlation between the effort one puts in and the benefits one receives.

you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours »    If you do me a favor then I will do you a favor; quid pro quo.

you shouldn't have »    Used to express gratitude at unnecessary generosity, especially when receiving a gift.

you snooze you lose »    If you are not alert and attentive, you will not be successful.

you what%3F »    An intensified version of what or huh.

you're never too old to learn »    It is possible to learn new things, at any age; (implying) follow your desires and dreams

you've got to crack a few eggs to make an omelette »    In order to achieve something, it is inevitable and necessary that something should be destroyed.

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".

yours sincerely »    A polite formula to end a letter, especially when the recipient’s name is known to the sender.

yours truly »    myself

zero in »    To focus one's aim; to zoom in and center on something.

zero in on »    To successfully narrow down a search.

zero in on »    To concentrate or focus one's attention on at task.

zip up »    To close with a zip fastener.

zip up »    To close as if with a zip fastener.

zip up »    To convert a computer file into a smaller package.

zonk out »    To fall suddenly into a very deep sleep.

zoom in »    To focus a zoom lens in order to obtain a larger image, or a closer view.

zoom out »    To focus a zoom lens in order to obtain a smaller image, or a more distant view.

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