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 house is not a home »
A home is not merely a building but requires inhabitants and a friendly atmosphere.
|
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 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!
|
above the law »
Exempt from the laws that apply to everyone else.
|
accident of birth »
Reference to the fact that various benefits or detriments to the life of a person arise from the circumstances into which that person was born, these being entirely beyond his control.
|
act out »
To go through the process of a scene from a play, a charade or a pointless exercise.
|
against the grain »
Contrary to what is expected; especially, of behavior different from what society expects.
|
all the time »
Very often; frequently.
|
am I right or am I right »
Rhetorical question from somebody who has stated what they consider to be an unassailable truth.
|
an apple a day »
Healthy eating and living using traditional temperate-zone fresh foods.
|
an axe to grind »
A grievance, with implications of confrontation.
|
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.
|
any way one slices it »
From any perspective; in every case.
|
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.
|
as of »
From, on or at a specified time.
|
ass over teakettle »
Frantically.
|
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 ease with nudity »
ISM free identification with nude recreation
|
at large »
On the loose; roaming freely; not confined.
|
at peace »
Free of worries; peaceful.
|
at the end of one's tether »
At the limit of one’s patience; frustrated or annoyed..
|
autem gogler »
Pretended French prophet.
|
back away »
Of your attention on the thing in front being avoided.
|
back off »
To move backwards away from something.
|
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.
|
bad taste in one's mouth »
A feeling of disappointment and frustration.
|
baggage »
In a metaphorical sense, factors that restrict a person's freedom, often in an intellectual or psychological way: emotional baggage.
|
bail out »
To remove water from a boat by scooping it out.
|
bang up cove »
A dashing fellow who spends his money freely.
|
bar fly »
A person who frequents bars or lounges to get drunk.
|
bar star »
A female who frequents bars or lounges, usually late at night.
|
barrel »
A metallic tube, as of a gun, from which a projectile is discharged.
|
be off »
To be away from.
|
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.
|
beat up »
To get something done, derived from the idea of beating for game.
|
beauty sleep »
C. 1900, Ralph Connor, The Man From Glengarry, ch. 23.
|
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.
|
bigger fish to fry »
A higher valued result or target to reach.
|
bigger fish to fry »
A much more pressing issue to attend to.
|
bird's-eye view »
The view from directly or high above.
|
bite one's tongue »
To forcibly prevent oneself from uttering a word.
|
black magic »
Magic derived from evil forces, as distinct from good or benign forces; or magic performed with the intention of doing harm.
|
blame Canada »
A catch phrase for shifting attention away from a serious social issue by laying responsibility with Canada.
|
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 chunks »
To suffer from explosive diarrhea.
|
blow this pop stand »
To exit or remove oneself from a less than exciting location or environment.
|
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.
|
board up »
To block doors or windows with boards, either to prevent access or as protection from storms, etc.
|
bone up »
To study or cram, especially in order to refresh one's knowledge of a topic.
|
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'.
|
bounce back »
To recover from a negative without seemingly any damage.
|
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.
|
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.
|
break off »
To remove a piece from a whole by breaking or snapping.
|
break out »
To separate from a bundle.
|
breath of fresh air »
Something relieving, refreshing, or new.
|
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 »
The piece, on string instruments, that supports the strings from the sounding board.
|
bright-eyed and bushy-tailed »
Alert and in an eager, frisky, or playful mood; full of life.
|
bring back »
To cause someone to remember something from the past.
|
bring forth »
To produce, bear as fruit.
|
bring it on »
Used to indicate one's willingness to accept a challenge, confront a threat, etc.
|
bring up »
To bring from a lower position to a higher position.
|
bros before hoes »
(US, informal) A man should prioritize his male friends over his girlfriend or wife.
|
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.
|
bulletproof »
Capable of withstanding a direct shot by a bullet fired from a gun.
|
bunny hop »
A dance from the big band era, a variation of the conga.
|
burn rubber »
To accelerate so rapidly from standstill that it leaves a mark of burnt rubber on the road from the tire.
|
buzz up »
To allow entrance into a building from a higher floor by triggering an electronic lock.
|
by oneself »
Alone; without assistance, accompaniment, or help from others.
|
cake crumbs »
Crumbs from a cake.
|
call in »
To withdraw something from sale or circulation.
|
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.
|
cash cow »
A product, service, or enterprise that generates ongoing, high net free cash flows.
|
cash in »
To profit from; to use an opportunity to maximum advantage, especially financially.
|
cast off »
To finish the last row of knitted stitches and remove them securely from the needle.
|
catch-as-catch-can »
A. 1681, John Fryer, Richard Chiswell, Robert Roberts, Robert White, A New Account of East-India and Persia, in Eight Letters, Being Nine Years Travels, Begun 1672 and Finished 1681.
|
catmeat »
Meat from a cat.
|
champ at the bit »
To show impatience or frustration when delayed.
|
change one's mind »
To convince someone to make a decision differing from what a previous one.
|
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.
|
cheaters never prosper »
One does not gain from cheating.
|
check out »
To pay the bill, and record one's departure, as from a hotel.
|
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.
|
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.
|
chicken out »
To shy away from a daring task; to decline, refuse, or avoid something due to fear or uncertainty.
|
chinese gooseberry »
kiwi fruit
|
chomp at the bit »
To show impatience or frustration when delayed.
|
chopped liver »
A Jewish food made by frying liver and onions in schmaltz.
|
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.
|
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.
|
class clown »
A student who frequently makes jokes or pokes fun; a wiseacre.
|
clean out »
To empty completely; to remove all money or possessions from.
|
climb the walls »
To behave in a distressed or frantic manner; to feel very agitated.
|
come a cropper »
To fall headlong from a horse.
|
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 down »
To recover from drug-induced euphoria.
|
come out of the woodwork »
To appear or emerge as though out of nowhere, frequently in large numbers or quantity.
|
come to grips »
To confront or deal with directly.
|
company »
As he had worked for the CIA for over 30 years, he would soon take retirement from the company.
|
copious free time »
A hypothetical time set aside for performing time-consuming tasks, however insinuating that the speaker really has no free time.
|
cordon off »
To protect from intrusion by enclosing in a rope barrier.
|
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.
|
cramp someone's style »
To restrict someone's free actions, or to give the impression of such.
|
cross the aisle »
Of a member of a parliament, to resign from one's political party and join another party, resulting in moving from one's currently assigned desk or seat in the legislative chamber to a new desk or seat physically located with the other members of one's new party.
|
cross the floor »
Of a member of a parliament, to resign from one's political party and join another party, resulting in moving from one's currently assigned desk or seat in the legislative chamber to a new desk or seat physically located with the other members of one's new party.
|
cut it out »
To stop; refrain from; halt.
|
cut off »
To isolate or remove from contact.
|
cut up »
To aggressively move in front of another vehicle.
|
cutting edge »
The forefront, or position of greatest advancement in some field.
|
damson jam »
fruit preserve
|
dawn of a new day »
A new beginning; a fresh start; an important, promising turning point.
|
dead duck »
A project that is doomed to failure from the start.
|
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.
|
deep-six »
To throw something overboard from a ship.
|
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.
|
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.
|
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 from. General use, though somewhat more common in medical or scientific contexts.
|
discretion is the better part of valour »
It is often wise to refrain from seemingly brave speech or action.1597
|
dishpan hands »
Hands which are rough, reddish, and dry, as from irritation and chafing caused by immersion in hot water mixed with detergent.
|
do a slow burn »
To experience a gradually increasing feeling of anger or frustration.
|
do one »
To depart from a place, often with a sense of urgency.
|
don't give up your day job »
Implying that they could not earn a living from it without other regular employment.
|
double Dutch »
A game of jump rope with two ropes and frequently two jumpers.
|
down the road, not across the street »
Along the radial artery rather than across the wrist from side to side.
|
draw back »
To retreat from a position.
|
draw back »
To withdraw from an undertaking.
|
draw out »
To physically extract, as blood from a vein.
|
drink from a firehose »
To take a small amount from an enormous, hard-to-manage quantity.
|
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.
|
due course »
A. 1399, Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales.
|
dummy out »
From a video game in the process of localizing that game from a foreign country.
|
dust off »
To remove dust from something.
|
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.
|
early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise »
platitude from Benjamin Franklin under the pseudonym Poor Richard.
|
easy street »
A carefree situation or lifestyle, especially as resulting from possession of wealth.
|
elbow room »
Freedom or leeway.
|
even Homer nods »
Not even the most vigilant and expert are immune from erring.
|
even money »
By extension, an event that is somewhat likely to happen, but far from inevitable.
|
experience is the best teacher »
Lessons learned from experience are the most lasting.
|
f** it »
An expression of frustration.
|
face off »
Either an actual or a figurative face to face confrontation, especially a bitter one.
|
face the music »
To accept or confront the unpleasant consequences of one's actions.
|
face up to »
To confront a condition or situation, typically one that is unpleasant or uncomfortable.
|
factor space »
A space obtained from another by identification of points that are equivalent to one another in some equivalence relation.
|
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.
|
fail over »
To automatically switch processing from a failed component in a critical system to its live spare or backup component.
|
fair weather friend »
Only when it is advantageous or easy.
|
fall off »
To become detached or to drop from.
|
fall on one's sword »
To resign from a job or other position of responsibility, especially when pressured to do so.
|
fall over »
To fall from an upright or standing position to a horizontal or prone position.
|
false friend »
A word in a foreign language bearing a deceptive resemblance to a word in one's own language.
|
far be it »
Pewtey in Marriage Guidance Counselor from And Now For Something Completely Different.
|
fat lip »
A swelling on the lip, especially one resulting from a punch or other blow.
|
fed up »
Frustrated, annoyed, tired .
|
feed out of »
To feed from.
|
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.
|
fence in »
To restrict freedom.
|
field day »
A day of class taken away from school for a field trip.
|
film out »
To transfer images or animation from videotape or digital files to a traditional celluloid film print.
|
fire-breathing »
That emits flame from the mouth or nostrils.
|
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 to fry »
A matter to attend to.
|
flesh out »
To complete; to create details from a basic outline, structure or skeleton.
|
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 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.
|
fool's errand »
A foolish undertaking, especially one that is purposeless, fruitless, nonsensical, or certain to fail.
|
footloose and fancy free »
Able to do as one pleases, unconstrained by social ties or responsibilities.
|
for crying out loud »
Expresses frustration, exasperation, or annoyance.
|
for f**'s sake »
An expression of anger or frustration.
|
for goodness' sake »
This interjection expresses frustration, exasperation, annoyance.
|
for heaven's sake »
Expresses frustration, exasperation, or annoyance.
|
for Pete's sake »
Expresses frustration, exasperation, annoyance.
|
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.
|
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
|
gapers' block »
A traffic jam resulting from motorists slowing to look at a motor vehicle collision or other roadside distraction.
|
get a rise out of »
To obtain a reaction from someone, especially one of annoyance.
|
get better »
To recover from an illness.
|
get fresh »
To flirt.
|
get off »
To disembark from mass transportation, such as a bus or train.
|
get off »
To move from being on top of to not being on top of it.
|
get off with »
To befriend someone and snog them, especially in a public place.
|
get one's finger out »
To free one's finger.
|
get over »
To recover from something.
|
get the boot »
To be dismissed from employment.
|
get the chop »
To be dismissed from employment.
|
get the chop »
To be eliminated from a competition in a reality television program.
|
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 somebody the creeps »
To give someone a feeling of uneasiness or mild fright.
|
give somebody the slip »
To evade, escape, or get away from somebody.
|
go back on »
To be treacherous or faithless to; betray; as, to go back on friends.
|
go back to the drawing board »
To start again; to scrap a previous idea or plan and try again from the beginning.
|
go 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 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 out »
1922, Alfred Edward Housman, XXVIII, lines 3-4.
|
go to seed »
To pass from flowering or ripening to the formation of seeds.
|
God works in mysterious ways »
Expressing confidence that a conundrum has a solution despite it not being apparent.Expressing that a seemingly unfortunate or unfavourable situation or change may be beneficial later or in the long run.Person A: It seems that I'm about to be fired from my job.Person B: Well, God works in mysterious ways - maybe it'll be the kick you need to apply to university...
|
golden handcuffs »
Any arrangement or agreement designed to provide extremely favorable benefits or pay, so as to discourage participant from wanting to leave, especially to retain a choice employee.
|
gongoozle »
To leisurely watch the passage of boats, from the bank of a canal, lock or bridge.
|
good egg »
A good person, someone to be trusted; a friend.
|
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.
|
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.
|
green state »
A state that is, or is perceived as, environmentally friendly.
|
greenwash »
A false or misleading picture of environmental friendliness used to conceal or obscure damaging activities.
|
gunshy »
Being afraid to use a gun.
|
hand down »
To transmit in succession, as from father to son, or from predecessor to successor.
|
hang an arse »
To hang back, to be afraid to advance.
|
hang out with »
To spend time with friends, doing nothing in particular.
|
happy go lucky »
carefree
|
haul off »
To alter course so as to get farther away from an object.
|
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 bats in one's belfry »
To be crazy or eccentric.
|
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 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 the run of »
To have permission or freedom to move around throughout an area or to use something at will.
|
have the wind up »
To be frightened or disturbed.
|
head over heels »
At top speed; frantically.
|
head-on »
Of a collision, from the front or in the direction of motion.
|
hear on the grapevine »
To hear rumors; to learn through friends of friends.
|
hear through the grapevine »
To hear rumors; to learn through friends of friends.
|
heart of glass »
A very fragile romantic state.
|
help oneself »
Take freely.
|
here and there »
From time to time.
|
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.
|
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.
|
hit the headlines »
To appear prominently in the news, especially on the front page.
|
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.
|
hold over »
Something left from an earlier time.
|
hold that thought »
Used to acknowledge that one's attention needs to be diverted from what an speaker was saying.
|
home away from home »
A place in which one is as comfortable as one's actual home.
|
hoover up »
Quickly, especially by taking it into the mouth directly from the plate rather than using cutlery.
|
horse sense »
Common sense, especially with a connotation of folk wisdom independent from, and trumping, formal education.
|
hospital pass »
Exempting one from regular activities, to instead visit a hospital.
|
hot cross buns »
good friday cakes
|
hot off the presses »
Freshly printed, minted, written, or created.
|
humble pie »
A pie made from the offal of deer or hog.
|
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.
|
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 you love somebody, set them free »
One should be willing to let go of someone they love if they truly love them.
|
in fact »
Resulting from the actions of parties.
|
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 the fast lane »
In a lifestyle, employment position, or other set of circumstances where the rapid pace is exciting, frantic, or risky.
|
in the light of »
In the illumination from.
|
in the limelight »
In the focus of attention, especially from the media.
|
in vain »
19C, Friedrich Nietzsche.
|
inner circle »
The closest of friends of a person.
|
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.
|
jet setting »
The actions of the jet set; travelling from one fashionable location to another by jet.
|
jet-setting »
The actions of the jet set; travelling from one fashionable location to another by jet.
|
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 about »
To move from side to side, or fidget annoyingly. Usually as a result of being nervous.
|
jump around »
To move from side to side, or fidget annoyingly. Usually as a result of being nervous.
|
jump off »
To move from an elevated place by one jump.
|
jump on the bandwagon »
To profit from a craze; to join a trend.
|
jump ship »
To part from a ship.
|
jump up »
To move from one position to a higher position by one jump.
|
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 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 mouth shut »
To keep a secret; to refrain from speaking indiscreetly or carelessly.
|
keep oneself to oneself »
To be introverted; to stay away from others.
|
keep out »
To refrain from entering a place or condition.
|
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 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 with »
To manage to remain beside or just behind that is moving away from one.
|
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.
|
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.
|
kick off the team »
In sports, to dismiss an athlete from a team, usually for misconduct, poor academic performance or other offenses.
|
kick the habit »
To recover from or quit an addiction or habit. For example, to quit smoking, drinking, burping, or drug addiction.
|
kill the rabbit »
To get a positive test result from an old-fashioned pregnancy test.
|
kneel before »
To kneel in front of someone or something, especially in order to worship or supplicate.
|
knock around »
To spend time with someone as a friend.
|
knock down »
Sold with a blow from the gavel.
|
lay off »
From employment, e.g. at a time of low business volume, often with a severance package.
|
lay rubber »
To accelerate so rapidly from standstill that it leaves a mark of burnt rubber on the road from the tire.
|
lead a charmed life »
To always be lucky and safe from danger.
|
leader of the free world »
The President of the United States.
|
leather working »
The technology of making products from leather.
|
left and right »
All over the place; indiscriminately; frequently or excessively.
|
left, right and center »
All over the place; indiscriminately; frequently or excessively.
|
legal duty »
A duty prescribed by the law, to act or forbear from acting.
|
lemonize »
To damage something and then deny or be aloof from the damage.
|
let go »
To dismiss from employment.
|
let go and let God »
To consciously surrender one's free will to the will of God.
|
lick one's chops »
To use one's tongue to remove moistness from the sides of one's mouth, as when salivating or at the conclusion of a meal.
|
lick one's wounds »
To withdraw temporarily while recovering from a defeat.
|
life of Riley »
An ideal life of carefree prosperity and contentment.
|
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.
|
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's den »
Any dangerous or frightening place.
|
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.
|
loaded for bear »
Mentally prepared for a daunting situation or confrontation.
|
loaded for bear »
Thoroughly equipped, as for a demanding task or confrontation.
|
lock lips »
To kiss on the lips; to engage in a French kiss.
|
lock up »
To cease responding, to freeze.
|
log off »
To depart from conversation; to say goodbye.
|
long goodbye »
Nickname for Alzheimer's disease, especially for the final phase of the disease, during which the patient suffers a progressive decline of cognitive and motor skills and gradually loses the ability to recognize and to communicate with family and friends.[1]; nickname for the relationship between a person suffering from Alzheimer's disease and that person's family or friends.
|
long shot »
Something unlikely; something that has little chance of happening or working. The term arose from the accuracy of early ship guns, which were effective only at close range and unlikely to hit the mark at any great distance.
|
long time no hear »
I haven't heard from you for a long time.
|
long ways, long lies »
Someone who comes back from a far-off country can tell lies without fear of being contradicted.
|
look off »
To mislead by directing one's apparent attention away from one's true object of intent.
|
look out »
To look from within to the outside.
|
look to »
To seek inspiration or advice from someone.
|
look up »
To obtain information about something from a text source.
|
Loose cannon »
An uncontrolled or unpredictable person who causes damage to his own friends, faction, political party, etc.
|
low-hanging fruit »
Easily obtained gains; what can be obtained by readily available means.
|
mad money »
A sum of money, often relatively small in amount, kept in reserve to use for impulsive, frivolous purposes.
|
make someone's skin crawl »
To disturb or bother; to frighten or disgust.
|
make the most of »
To profit as much as possible from.
|
mend fences »
To repair damage to a friendship or relationship after a disagreement or other mishap.
|
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!
|
mint condition »
Used, but still like new, as if freshly minted.
|
money can't buy happiness »
Money can buy external things, but true happiness comes from inside.
|
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.
|
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.
|
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.
|
never mind »
It is not important; do not fret.
|
nice guy »
An adult male who seeks sexual attraction and romantic intimacy, but only finds cordial friendship and platonic love.
|
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 frills »
Basic or simple; providing only what is necessary, without anything extra or fancy.
|
nose test »
An inspection of an object using the sense of smell, as for freshness of food.
|
nose-pick »
To pick boogers from the nose.
|
not a pretty sight »
Something visually unappealing, ranging from mildly unattractive to utterly disgusting in appearance.
|
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 touch something with a ten foot pole »
Francis Lynde, The Quickening.
|
nutty as a fruitcake »
Behaving in an eccentric, foolish, or kooky manner; very nutty.
|
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.
|
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 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 wagon »
No longer maintaining a program of self-improvement or abstinence from an undesirable habit, especially drinking alcohol.
|
old time used to be »
Ex-girlfriend or ex-boyfriend. Often used in songs.
|
on good terms with »
Friendly towards; having good relations with.
|
on the house »
Free, complimentary.
|
on the level »
A discreet reference to freemasonry.
|
on the mend »
Healing or recovering, as from an injury or illness.
|
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 run »
Constantly traveling or moving from place to place.
|
on the square »
A discrete, unassuming reference to freemasonry.
|
on the wagon »
By extension, maintaining a program of self-improvement or abstinence from some other undesirable habit.
|
on the whole »
For the most part; apart from some insignificant details.
|
once in a blue moon »
Very rarely; very infrequently.
|
out of the box »
Immediately, without intervention from the customer.
|
out of the frying pan, into the fire »
From an already bad situation to a worse one.
|
out of the mouths of babes »
The greatest wisdom comes from children, who are not afraid or weary of the world and its pressures.
|
out of thin air »
From non-existent resources.
|
out to lunch »
Away eating lunch or for a midday break; especially, away from work or a job.
|
paper »
A sheet material used for writing on or printing on , usually made by draining cellulose fibres from a suspension in water.
|
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.
|
party animal »
A person known for frequent, enthusiastic attendance at parties, especially one whose partying behavior is exuberant or excessive.
|
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.
|
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.
|
pay the freight »
To bear the cost.
|
pay the freight »
To pay for the cost of transport.
|
peace and quiet »
Tranquility; freedom from stress or interruptions.
|
peanut gallery »
Any source of heckling, unwelcome commentary or criticism, especially from a know-it-all or of an inexpert nature.
|
peel out »
To start abruptly from a standing stop, accelerating rapidly, especially so as to produce skid marks.
|
penalty box »
That is assessed after an infraction.
|
penny pincher »
One who spends little money; one who is very frugal or cautious with money.
|
pick somebody's brain »
To seek information from someone knowledgeable; to ask questions of someone.
|
piffy on a rock bun »
A person ignored or sidelined from an activity.
|
pinchpenny »
One who spends little money; one who is very frugal or cautious with money.
|
pipe down »
To be quiet; to refrain from being noisy.
|
pitched battle »
An intense, rancorous argument or confrontation.
|
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.
|
plead the fifth »
To invoke the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which protects witnesses from being forced to incriminate themselves.
|
poison tree bears poison fruit »
Unethical actions in the service of good intentions will have immoral or unethical consequences.
|
problem child »
Someone or something persistently difficult or vexing; a frequent source of trouble or annoyance.
|
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 remove something from a container.
|
pull out »
To maneuver a vehicle from the side of a road onto the lane.
|
pull the plug »
To cease from production or publication.
|
pump up »
To excite a person or group to a frenzy.
|
punch bowl waterfall »
A plunging waterfall descending from a narrow stream into a pool.
|
put a damper on »
To stop people from enjoying an activity.
|
put by »
To preserve food by canning, freezing, drying, etc.
|
put off »
To offend, repulse, or frighten.
|
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 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 someone down as »
To assume someone has a particular character from very little information.
|
put the bee on »
To beg; to borrow money from.
|
put the wind up »
To frighten or disturb.
|
put up or shut up »
Desist from saying something unless one is able to prove it.
|
quake in one's boots »
To be frightened, scared, or nervous.
|
rags to riches »
In a biographical context, from poverty to exceptional wealth.
|
real job »
A hobby that takes all of a person's free time.
|
redolent »
Fragrant or aromatic; having a sweet scent.
|
ride shotgun »
To ride in the front passenger seat of a vehicle, next to the driver.
|
ring around »
To call a number of people by phone, usually a circle of friends, to organise something.
|
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.
|
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.
|
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.
|
rub up against »
Of pets. To touch a person's body in a friendly manner, seeking attention.
|
rule out »
To reject an option from a list of possibilities.
|
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 somebody ragged »
To exhaust; to demand excessive effort or work from somebody.
|
rush hour »
The times of the day when traffic jams are commonplace, due mainly to people commuting to or from work.
|
sack out »
To fall asleep, usually from implied exhaustion.
|
sacked out »
Sound asleep, usually from a healthy exhaustion.
|
say goodbye »
To separate from someone.
|
scare out of one's wits »
To frighten someone to such an extent that they behave irrationally.
|
scared to death »
Extremely frightened.
|
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.
|
screen out »
To use a screen, grate, sieve or similar means to separate large from small objects or particles.
|
scrimp and save »
To scrimp greatly; to economize; to live very frugally, particularly when saving for something.
|
second childhood »
A childlike state in any adult, resulting from mental illness, trauma, or other conditions.
|
second-guess »
Presumably from trying to guess with second sight.
|
second-guess »
Presumably from trying to improve with a second stab.
|
see red »
To receive a red card, and be dismissed from the playing field.
|
see the forest for the trees »
To discern an overall pattern from a mass of detail; to see the bigger picture, or the broader, more general situation. Generally used in the negative.
|
sell a bargain »
A species of wit, much in vogue about the latter end of the reign of Queen Anne, and frequently alluded to by Dean Swift, who says the maids of honour often amused themselves with it. It consisted in the seller naming his or her hinder parts, in answer to the question, What? which the buyer was artfully led to ask. As a specimen, take the following instance: A lady would come into a room full of company, apparently frightened, crying out "It is white, and follows me!" As soon as someone responded "What?" she sold him the bargain, by saying "Mine arse".
|
send away »
To dismiss from one's presence.
|
separate the wheat from the chaff »
To select only that which is of value.
|
set back »
To remove from or allow distance.
|
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.
|
shift gears »
To change the gear by which motion is transmitted from a powered shaft to another shaft, especially in a motor vehicle.
|
shit one's pants »
To be extremely frightened.
|
shitstorm »
Considerable backlash from the public.
|
shotgun »
A gun which fires loads consisting of small metal balls, called shot, from a cartridge.
|
shotgun »
The front passenger seat in a vehicle, next to the driver.
|
shotgun shack »
A house with no internal barrier between the front and back doors.
|
show somebody the door »
To escort someone to the exit of the premises; to expel someone from a room, gathering, etc.
|
shrouded »
Concealed or hidden from sight, as if by a shroud.
|
sigh of relief »
A reassurance or support, something that reduces stress from an arduous activity.
|
since when »
From what time.
|
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.
|
singing from the same hymnbook »
Present participle of sing from the same hymnbook.
|
sit back »
To recline while still in a seated position, with one's back on the frame of the seat.
|
skin and bones »
Said of one who is emaciated; very skinny, as from lack of nutrition.
|
sleeves from one's vest »
Something non-existent; something of no value or cost.
|
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.
|
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.
|
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.
|
snake oil »
A fraudulent, ineffective potion or nostrum; panacea.
|
snipe hunt »
A prank in which a gullible victim is sent off on a fruitless search for a nonexistent item.
|
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.
|
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.
|
sort out »
To separate from the remainder of a group; often construed with from.
|
speak one's mind »
To state one's thoughts or opinions honestly or frankly.
|
spell out »
From its component letters.
|
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.
|
spit the dummy »
To a situation childishly, in an angry or frustrated manner.
|
split up »
Cease to be together, break apart from the group.
|
spruce up »
To refresh, revamp; to freshen or improve something, especially its appearance.
|
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 from under »
To escape something falling or being thrown from above.
|
stand in someone's shoes »
To see from another's point of view; to feel what another feels.
|
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 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.
|
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.
|
steal somebody's thunder »
To detract from somebody's accomplishments or glory; to undermine.
|
step down »
To resign from office.
|
step in front of a moving train »
To sacrifice one's own life for a noble and loyal cause.
|
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.
|
sticker shock »
Disgust, shock, or fright upon learning the price of an item offered for sale.
|
stock phrase »
A phrase frequently or habitually used by a person or group, and thus associated with them.
|
stop someone in his tracks »
To prevent someone from continuing along a path or way, literal or figurative, he has begun going along.
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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.
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straight from the horse's mouth »
Directly from the source; firsthand.
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straight from the shoulder »
Done in a direct manner; blunt.
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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.
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straighten out »
To eliminate confusion from or concerning.
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strip down »
To remove inessentials from.
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strip off »
To remove anything by stripping, e.g. items of clothing or paint from the side of a ship.
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stuffed like a turkey »
Engorged from overeating.
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suck hind tit »
To feed from an inferior source of food.
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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.
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tail between one's legs »
A reaction to a confrontation, specifically one with excessive shame and hurt pride.
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take against »
To stop liking someone. Become unfriendly.
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take apart »
To move someone away from others to be able to talk to, or give them something in private.
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take away »
To prevent, or limit, someone from being somewhere, or from doing something.
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take away from »
To make something seem not so good or interesting.
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take down »
To remove something from a wall or similar vertical surface to which it is fixed.
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take down »
To remove something from a hanging position.
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take five »
To take a five-minute break from some activity, take a short break from some activity.
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take it from me »
Believe me, rest assured.
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take off »
To absent oneself from work or other responsibility, especially with permission.
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take out the trash »
To forcefully remove people from a place.
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take out the trash »
To remove rubbish from a place.
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take sides »
To ally oneself with a given opinion, agenda or group; to support one side or viewpoint in a competition or confrontation.
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take the bull by the horns »
To confront a difficulty, rather than avoiding it.
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take to the cleaners »
To take a significant quantity of a person's money or valuables, through gambling, unfavorable investing, fraud, litigation, etc.
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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.
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talk turkey »
To talk or negotiate plainly, frankly, or seriously.
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tell the truth »
To speak frankly.
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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".
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that does it »
Expression of annoyance or frustration; indicates that one has reached the limit of one's patience or temper.
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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.
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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..
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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."
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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.
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them's the facts »
That's the truth, that's how it is; frequently used in reference to an unfortunate truth.
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then again »
From another point of view; on the other hand; on second thought.
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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.
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there's no such thing as a free lunch »
Nothing is free; everything has a price.
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throw a sickie »
To take a day off from work, supposedly because of ill health. The illness could be either real or feigned.
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throw enough mud at the wall and some of it will stick »
Try the same thing (or similar things) often enough, and, even if the general standard is poor, sometimes one will be successful.2005, Mike Busson (poster on UKScreen forum) Re: Voiceovers!, read at [1] on 02 Nov 06,In terms of places to send your URL or CD's, there's no easy answer. It really is a case of throw enough mud at the wall and some of it will stick.2005, "forwardone" (administrator posting on the HYIPForum), re: Alertpay phishing email, read at [2] on 02 Nov 06,I also think that sometimes they send out phishing e-mails in the hope that it`ll hit people who do have an account with a particular organization. You know, throw enough mud at the wall and some of it will stick theory.2006, Rob Manuel, How to be funny, read in Comedy Soup on the BBC website at [3] on 02 Nov 06,Throw enough mud at the wall and some of it will stick. Be prolific and don't be afraid to make stuff that's rubbish. If you keep trying eventually you'll get there.2006, Rex Pierce, Re: [303rd-Talk] D Day read on 303rd Bomb Group Talk Forum at [4] on 02 Nov 06,Believe the planners worked on the principle of "throw enough mud at the wall, and some of it will stick".If enough (perhaps false or reckless) accusations are made against someone, his reputation will suffer, whether or not this is deserved2006, "money" (poster on eTalk Money), Some thoughts about compact surfing, read at [5] on 02 Nov 06,Word of advice NVUS time to distance yourself from LuukH as quickly as possible and dish some dirt, otherwise well the saying goes - throw enough mud at the wall and some of it will stick.
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throw out »
To dismiss or expel someone from any longer performing duty or attending somewhere.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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to be honest »
Frankly, honestly.
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to beat the band »
Very vigorously; at a frantic pace; to a high degree; in large quantities.
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to go »
Served in a package or takeout container so as to be taken away from a restaurant rather than eaten on the premises.
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to tell the truth »
An attestation to the truthfulness and frankness of an associated statement.
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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
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touch of the tar brush »
Of South Asian or Afro-Caribbean in their background and/or in their appearance.
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toy with »
Handling something in a careless or frivolous manner.
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trailer trash »
Deleted from the movie trailer. Not included in theatrical run.
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trick of the trade »
A shortcut or other quick, or very effective way of doing things, that professional workers learn from experience.
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tube steak »
A frankfurter.
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tune out »
To change the channel or frequency away from.
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turf war »
A fight or confrontation between two divisions or parties for access to resources or capital.
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turn a hair »
To become afraid or visibly upset.
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turn away »
To bend or turn from a fixed course.
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turn loose »
To roam freely or to act freely.
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turn the page »
To move on to new involvements or activities; to make a fresh start.
|
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.
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under one's nose »
Directly in front of one; clearly visible.
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under the weather »
Somewhat intoxicated or suffering from a hangover.
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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.
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up front »
Open, honest; tending to disclose information; truthful.
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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.
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valley of death »
Lord Alfred Tennyson, The Charge of the Light Brigade.
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walk away from »
To abandon or leave; to shun.
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walk the plank »
To be forced to resign from a position in an organization.
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wash down »
To wash something completely from top to bottom.
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washed out »
Of clothes. When they lose some of their original colour from being washed so often.
|
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.
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weed out »
To remove unwanted elements from a group.
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weekend warrior »
A person who indulges in a sport or pastime on an infrequent basis, usually on weekends when work commitments are not present.
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what it says on the tin »
Exactly what is described or what one would expect from the name.
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when Hell freezes over »
Never; not in this lifetime; not a chance.
|
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.
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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 goods »
fridges, washing machines, etc
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wild-goose chase »
A futile search, a fruitless errand; a useless and often lengthy pursuit.
|
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.
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wipe the slate clean »
To forget about previous differences and disagreements, and make a fresh start.
|
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.
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wooden spoon »
A spoon made from wood.
|
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.
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worm's-eye view »
A view of an object from below, from the ground.
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wouldn't shout if a shark bit him »
Frugal, miserly.
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wrap up »
To wear more clothes as protection from the weather; to bundle up.
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written all over someone's face »
Very obvious, from someone's facial expression.
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year dot »
A very long time ago, from the beginning or as far back as one can remember.
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yellowbelly »
Someone from Lincolnshire.
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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.
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you never know what you've got till it's gone »
Good friends and acquaintances shouldn't be taken for granted.
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