We've found 1425 phrases for ge (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 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 fool and his money are soon parted »    It is easy to get money from foolish people, especially rich ones.

a gentleman and a scholar »    An admirable person.

a into g »    Ass into gear.

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 lie has no legs »    You can't get away with a lie, the truth will always come out.

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 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 scholar and a gentleman »    An admirable person.

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.

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

according to »    Our zeal should be according to knowledge. - Thomas Sprat.

ace in the hole »    A hidden or secret strength, or unrevealed advantage.

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

acknowledge the corn »    To cop a plea; to admit to a small error but not a larger one.

act one's age »    To be mature and not childish.

age before beauty »    A phrase said to allow older people to go before younger ones.

agree to disagree »    To tolerate each other's opinion and stop arguing; to acknowledge that an agreement will not be reached.

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.

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 »    All at the same time; all together.

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

all it's cracked up to be »    As good as claims or reputation would suggest.

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

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

all the way to Egery and back »    The long way; a roundabout route; a long distance to travel.

along the lines »    In a general direction or manner.

amber nectar »    Lager beer.

an apple a day keeps the doctor away »    Apples are healthy and stave off illness.Eat healthy and you won't get sick.

and change »    And some quantity, but less than the increment to the next round number.

angel's advocate »    Someone who sees what's good about an idea and supports it.

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

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

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

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.

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

as a rule »    In general; most often.

as all get-out »    Extremely; to a superlative degree; very much.

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

as if »    As though; in a manner suggesting.

ass into gear »    Get going; get moving; start producing.

at a pinch »    in an emergency

at large »    In full, fully.

at large »    In general; as a whole.

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

at loggerheads »    Unable to agree; opposing.

at once »    At the same time; simultaneously; together.

at one's fingertips »    Readily available.

at stake »    In danger; hazarded; pledged; at risk.

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 high port »    Or in a charge.

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

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

back to our muttons »    To get back to the business at hand.

back-burner »    Having low urgency; not currently important.

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.

backseat driver »    A passenger in a car who insists on giving the driver directions.

bad blood »    A serious feud or grudge.

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 penny »    A counterfeit or damaged penny.

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

bag and baggage »    All one's possessions.

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.

baggage »    Luggage; traveling equipment.

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

balloon goes up »    Something exciting or dangerous begins.

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

banged up »    Physically injured or wounded.

banged up »    Spending time in prison or jail.

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.

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.

barge in »    To intrude; to enter or interrupt suddenly and without invitation.

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

bash about »    To physically damage something or assault someone.

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

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

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

be on the edge of one's seat »    To be in suspense; to wait eagerly or anxiously for some resolution.

be there or be square »    Used to encourage someone to go somewhere.

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

beat up »    Repeatedly bomb a military target or targets.

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

beaver away »    To busily undertake a large task.

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

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

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 somebody's back »    Without somebody's knowledge; secretly.

behind the eight ball »    At a disadvantage.

below par »    Not up to the average or normal standard.

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

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 one's elbow »    To drink alcoholic beverages, especially at a public house or bar.

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.

bet dollars to donuts »    To suggest that something is very likely to be true or that one has a strong hunch about something.

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

big boy »    A large object or person.

big gun »    A large-caliber artillery piece.

big mouth »    The mouth of someone who talks too much, especially by making exaggerated claims or by inappropriately revealing information.

big up »    To proclaim or exaggerate the importance of.

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

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.

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.

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!

blot one's copy book »    To damage one's own reputation through bad behavior.

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

blow chunks »    To vomit chunks of undigested food.

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 up »    To enlarge or zoom in.

blow up »    To suddenly get very angry.

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

blue whale »    largest mammal

bogged down »    Stuck, as if in a bog.

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

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

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

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.

born with a silver spoon in one's mouth »    Note. The original nautical expression is just born with a silver spoon and describes those young gentlemen who were able to enter the Royal Navy without examination and whose promotion was assured. the converse was born with a wooden ladle.

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

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

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 and their toys »    Used to evoke the idea that adult men sometimes dote excessively on machines, automobiles, and gadgets in a childish manner.

brain surgeon »    Someone very intelligent.

brain surgeon »    Someone who does brain surgery.

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

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

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

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 sweat »    ' , Karon Karter - The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Pilates Method page 119.

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

break out »    To begin suddenly; to emerge in a certain condition.

break rank »    To march or charge out of the designated order in a military unit.

break the ice »    To start to get to know people, by avoiding awkwardness.

break wind »    To flatulate; fart; to expel gases generated during digestion through the anus.

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

bridge »    A device which connects two or more computer buses, typically in a transparent manner.

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

bridge »    A prosthesis replacing one or several adjacent teeth.

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 system which connects two or more local area networks at layer 2.

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 »    An unintended solder connection between two or more components or pins.

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-eyed and bushy-tailed »    Alert and in an eager, frisky, or playful mood; full of life.

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

bring it on »    Used to indicate one's willingness to accept a challenge, confront a threat, etc.

bring to the table »    To provide a suggestion.

buck up »    Cheer up; take courage; take heart.

bug out »    To cause to bulge.

bugger all »    Nothing.

bugger off »    Go away.

bugger off »    An expression of disagreement or disbelief.

bugger up »    To break or spoil something, or make it inoperative, useless etc.

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 and grind »    A sexually suggestive dance involving exaggerated hip movements, especially a striptease dance.

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

burn one's bridges »    To destroy one's path, connections, reputation, opportunities, etc.

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

burn up »    To anger; to annoy.

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.

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

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

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

by far »    To a considerably large extent, easily.

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

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

call out »    To challenge.

call the shots »    To make the decisions;to be in charge;to give orders.

calling card »    A prepaid card or credit card, usually electronically readable, used to pay the charges when making a telephone call.

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

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 off »    Knowledge, confidence, or familiarity.

carry on »    To take baggage or luggage onto an airplane, rather than check it.

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.

carved in stone »    Unchangeable.

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.

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 meal-tub »    Something concealed; a hidden danger.

cat that ate the canary »    A person whose appearance and behavior suggest guilt mixed with other qualities, such as satisfaction or feigned nonchalance.

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

catch a tan »    To get a suntan.

catch up »    To get news.

catch up »    get level with

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.

chain reaction »    A nuclear reaction in which particles produced by the fission of one atom trigger fissions of other atoms.

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.

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 change one's story.

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

charge up »    To recharge, to give electrical power to something.

charge up »    To motivate, to instill someone with determination.

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.

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

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

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 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.

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

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.

circuit slugger »    A talented baseball batter that hits home runs.

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.

clear cut »    Having had all vegetation removed.

clear the decks »    To remove, or fasten, all loose material, or partitions prior to a naval engagement.

clock up »    To accumulate a large amount of time.

clock up »    To accumulate a large distance.

clogs to clogs in three generations »    (UK) Wealth earned in one generation seldom lasts through the third (grandchild

close shave »    A near accident or mishap; a dangerous or risky encounter or incident.

close up »    To move people closer together.

clothes don't make the man »    An aphorism meaning that you cannot judge a person solely by his appearance. Usually pertains to men.

cock a snook »    To spread one hand, place the thumb on the nose and wriggle some of the fingers as a gesture of disrespect.

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 give an appearance or impression; to project a certain image.

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

come by »    To obtain; to get, now especially by chance or involuntarily.

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

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

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 on »    To get one's period, start menstruating.

come on »    An expression of encouragement.

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

come round »    To change one's opinion.

come round »    To cease anger or hostility.

come the acid »    To exaggerate.

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.

company »    Nickname for an intelligence service.

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

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

coon's age »    A very long time.

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

could not get elected dogcatcher »    Is unpopular.

couple up »    To get into pairs.

crack down »    To enforce more stringently or more thoroughly.

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.

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

criss-cross applesauce »    Cross-legged.

cross that bridge when one comes to it »    To deal with a problem or situation only when it arises.

crown jewels »    The male genitalia.

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

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

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.

curiosity killed the cat »    One should not be curious about things that can be dangerous.

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

cut a wide swath »    To clear a broad track through a grassland, woodland, geographical region, or other area, either by natural means or by human action.

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

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

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 to the chase »    To get to the point; to get on with it; to state something directly.

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

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

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

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

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

dead »    No longer living.

dead »    No longer used or required.

dead duck »    One who is in serious danger or trouble.

dead men tell no tales »    Once someone is dead, they can no longer communicate, hence killing someone is the best way to keep him/her quiet.

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 wood »    Personnel no longer contributing to an organization.

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.

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.

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-six »    To get rid of something unwanted.

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 »    Programmers are consistently dehumanized because so many do indeed deliver the message to Garcia only to be at best ignored.

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.

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.

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.

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

die »    Followed by of. General use.

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

dirty old man »    An adult male - usually middle-aged or elderly - who acts in a lecherous or lewd manner.

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

divide and conquer »    A combination of political, military and economic strategies that aim to gain and maintain power by breaking up larger concentrations of power into chunks that individually have less power than the one implementing the strategy.(computing) Applied to various algorithms, such as quicksort, that solve a problem by splitting it recursively into smaller problems until all of the remaining problems are trivial.(as imperative, proverb) In order to rule securely, don't allow alliances of your enemies.

do a »    To emulate the behavior/behaviour that is generally attributed to the individual named.

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

do the nasty »    To engage in sexual intercourse.

do without »    To manage despite the lack of something.

dodge a bullet »    To have a narrow escape; to avoid injury or disaster.

dog around »    To follow diligently.

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 cry over spilt milk »    It is no use worrying about unfortunate events which have already happened and which cannot be changed.

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

don't get me started »    About the subject currently being discussed.

don't hold your breath »    "Don't wait." Said cynically to suggest that what has just been mentioned to is unlikely to happen soon or at all.

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.

double Dutch »    A language game akin to pig Latin.

double Dutch »    Incomprehensible language.

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

down in the dumps »    Sad; lacking engagement or enthusiasm.

down in the mouth »    Sad or discouraged, especially as indicated by one's facial appearance.

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.

drama queen »    Any exaggeratedly dramatic person.

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

drive home »    To push to or into a target.

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 out of warp »    Dis-engage the cruise control on the car

drop the gloves »    To remove a prior impediment to action; to prepare for or engage in a dispute.

drum up »    To generate or encourage; to campaign for.

due course »    A. 1399, Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales.

due course »    A. 1803, Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey.

due course »    Regular or appropriate passage or occurrence.

dumb down »    To convey some subject matter in simple terms, avoiding technical or academic language, especially in a way that is considered condescending.

dusty miller »    A formulaic phrase for a miller, related to the dust generated in the milling process.

e mail »    electronic message

eager beaver »    Who is very excited or enthusiastic to begin a task.

early bird catches the worm »    Alternative form of early bird gets the worm.

easy does it »    Relax; do something gently, lightly or carefully; slow down; calm down.

eat one's young »    To betray a constituent or charge out of self-serving interests or desperation; savaging.

eat someone's dust »    To get one to be on a losing end.

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.

egg on »    To encourage or coax a person to do something, especially something foolhardy or reckless.

egg somebody on »    To tease, provoke or encourage.

emperor's new clothes »    Something obvious and embarrassing that is politely ignored or that goes unacknowledged.

end of the world »    Any change that seems catastrophic or devastating.

enough to make the angels weep »    Something so distressing that it causes one to lose hope and faith.

estate agent »    property seller

esthetically challenged »    Of a person, ugly.

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,

everybody and his cousin »    Everybody; a huge crowd; too many people.

everybody and their brother »    A large number of people; most people.

everyone and their brother »    A large number of people; most people.

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

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**ing hell »    An exclamation of anger.

factotum »    A general servant.

fair weather friend »    Only when it is advantageous or easy.

fall behind »    To be progressively below average in performance.

fall in »    Of a soldier, to get into position in a rank.

fall in with »    To accept a set of generally agreed rules, or a suggestion.

fall together »    To contract.

false friend »    A word in a foreign language bearing a deceptive resemblance to a word in one's own language.

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 »    Pewtey in Marriage Guidance Counselor from And Now For Something Completely Different.

fear »    A strong, uncontrollable, unpleasant emotion caused by actual or perceived danger or threat.

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.

federal case »    Any over-exaggerated ordeal.

feel one's oats »    To feel energetic or frisky; to behave in a vigorous or bold manner.

fend and prove »    To engage in argument.

fifth wheel »    A very large trailer that is towed with a pickup truck.

fifth wheel »    A very large truck trailer; an 18-wheeler.

fight a losing battle »    To continue to wage war when it is clear that one is not going to win.

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.

film out »    To transfer images or animation from videotape or digital files to a traditional celluloid film print.

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.

fine words butter no parsnips »    Talking about doing something does not get it done.

fire escape »    emergency exit

first port of call »    The first port that a vessel calls in at after the start of a voyage.

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

fit to be tied »    Very agitated or distressed; enraged.

fits and starts »    Activity which is intermittent, variable in intensity, and prolonged by interruptions.

five will get you ten »    I strongly believe.

five-finger discount »    Theft or pilferage, typically of a small item; shoplifting.

flag down »    Use a flag or some kind of signal to get the attention of someone.

flat-earther »    A person who believes or advocates an outlandish, discredited theory; a person who refuses to acknowledge the truth despite overwhelming evidence.

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.

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.

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 off the handle »    To become very angry or enraged; to throw a fit or go crazy.

fold one's tent »    To withdraw, especially in a discreet manner; to disengage; to quit.

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.

for f**'s sake »    An expression of anger or frustration.

for the most part »    Mostly; in general; usually.

for the nonce »    For the time being, with the expectation that the situation may change.

forbidden fruit »    Illicit pleasure; something that one should not take or get involved with, such as an another person's spouse.

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."

four-leaf clover »    A bringer of good luck.

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.

free range »    not intensively farmed

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.

from A to Z »    Covering a complete range; comprehensively.

from cover to cover »    All the way to the last page.

from scratch »    From the beginning; starting with no advantage or prior preparation; starting from raw ingredients.

from the get-go »    From the very beginning; from the outset; immediately upon starting.

front and center »    A command to come to the center of attention of an assemblage, as of military personnel or students.

fruit of the union »    A child, especially from a marriage or similar union.

fudge the issue »    Adopt a solution to a specific problem which does not address the larger, more general problem of which the specific problem is an instance.

full of beans »    Energetic and enthusiastic.

full of beans »    Incorrect; uninformed; exaggerating or expressing falsehood.

full of it »    Speaking nonsense; lying, exaggerating, or boasting.

full-fledged »    Having all its feathers; able to fly.

full-fledged »    Having full qualification, credentials or preparation; entire; real.

gang up »    To join together, as a gang.

gang up on »    To join together in a gang in order to overpower someone else.

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 »    Lineage.

get »    Offspring.

get a grip »    To relax; to calm down; to stop being angry; to come to one's senses or become more rational.

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 gain some advantage; to get a head start.

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 move on »    To hurry up, to get moving.

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 along »    To be together or coexist well, without arguments or trouble.

get along »    To survive; to do well enough.

get at »    gain access to

get at »    intend

get at »    mean, intend

get at »    reach

get away »    escape

get away »    make an escape

get away with »    To do something which is prohibited, forbidden or generally not allowed, and not be punished for the action.

get away with murder »    To do something bad or illegal and not be punished.

get back at »    To retaliate; to take revenge.

get bent out of shape »    To take offense; to become angry, agitated or upset.

get better »    To improve.

get better »    To recover from an illness.

get busy »    Have sex.

get busy »    Start working, usually in opposition to idleness.

get by »    To subsist; to succeed, survive, or manage, at least at a minimum level.

get by »    to pass

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 cracking »    To get started; to get busy.

get down to brass tacks »    Deal with the important details.

get down to business »    To become involved with something work-related.

get even »    To get revenge.

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 enter a place; to gain access.

get in »    To get into or inside something, literally or figuratively.

get in »    To secure membership at a selective school.

get in someone's hair »    To annoy someone.

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 someone's pants »    To have sex with.

get into trouble »    To become pregnant.

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 get, retrieve, or receive something.

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 »    To understand, comprehend, or grasp.

get it into one's head »    imagine

get it on »    To have sex.

get it over with »    To do or finish, especially said of something unpleasant.

get moving »    To start hurrying to undertake a task.

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 on somebody's nerves »    To annoy or irritate; to bother.

get on someone's wick »    To annoy or upset someone, usually by repeated disagreeable actions.

get one's act together »    To become serious, organized, worthwhile, etc.

get one's back up »    To become angry, defensive, or irritable.

get one's butt somewhere »    Go somewhere, especially quickly.

get one's claws into »    Have a controlling influence over.

get one's end away »    To have sex.

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 hands on »    To get; to obtain; to secure.

get one's knickers in a twist »    To become overwrought or unnecessarily upset over a trivial matter.

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 overcome something.

get over »    To recover from something.

get over »    surmount

get over »    cross, surmount

get ready »    prepare oneself

get somebody's goat »    To annoy, infuriate, bother, or incense.

get someone's back up »    To annoy a person either deliberately or inadvertently.

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 »    To be unable to make progress.

get stuck in »    To dedicate a large amount of effort towards.

get stuck into »    Get busy with; become occupied with; become immersed in.

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 bacon bad »    To be morbidly obese.

get the ball rolling »    To begin; to start some action; to set in motion.

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

get up »    arise

gets down »    dismounts

getting even »    retaliating

ginger beer »    soft drink

ginger snap »    biscuit

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 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 somebody the slip »    To evade, escape, or get away from somebody.

give the devil his due »    To acknowledge the positive qualities of a person who is unpleasant or disliked.

give the time of day »    To acknowledge somebody; to give somebody any respect or attention.

go back on »    To fail to keep; to renege on; as, to go back on one's promises.

go down »    To decrease; to change from a greater value to a lesser one.

go down the pan »    To fail or degenerate rapidly.

go down the tubes »    To fail or degenerate rapidly.

go downhill »    To worsen or degenerate.

go for »    To go somewhere in order to get something.

go for broke »    To wager everything.

go for it »    A cry of encouragement.

go from strength to strength »    To continue to get stronger[1].

go from zero to hero »    To change from negative outcome to positive outcome. To improve one's fortunes significantly.

go in for »    To engage or take part in something.

go in the out door »    To engage in anal sex.

go large »    To enjoy oneself to the maximum.

go large »    To have the wind at such an angle to the sail that the vessel gains its highest speed.

go large »    To supersize.

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 off the boil »    Cease to boil when heat is no longer applied.

go off the boil »    To become of diminished intensity or urgency.

go on the rampage »    To behave violently or to riot.

go the distance »    To have the endurance to see a difficult sustained challenge to its natural end without faltering.

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 up against »    To challenge someone.

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...

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 handshake »    A generous severance payment, especially as an inducement to leave employment.

gongoozle »    To leisurely watch the passage of boats, from the bank of a canal, lock or bridge.

good fences make good neighbors »    It is better to mind one's own business than get involved with other people's affairs.

good on you »    An exclamation of encouragement or congratulation; well done.

goof off »    To dawdle; to engage in idle activity or inactivity.

grab and go »    To get something quickly.

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 storage facility for grain or sometimes animal feed.

grate »    A horizontal metal grille through which water, ash, or small objects can fall, while larger objects cannot.

gravy train »    An occupation or any lucrative endeavor that generates considerable income whilst requiring little effort and carrying little risk.

green fingers »    A seemingly natural gardening ability.

grind one's gears »    To annoy or irritate.

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 out of »    To become too physically large for something, especially clothes.

guilt trip »    A feeling of shame or embarrassment, especially if self-indulgent, unwarranted, exaggerated or felt over a significant period of time.

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.

hand in hand »    Naturally, ordinarily or predictably together; commonly having a correlation or relationship.

hang about »    To stay, linger or loiter.

hang around »    To stay, linger or loiter.

hang by a thread »    To be in danger, calling for precise caution. To be in a precarious situation.

hang out to dry »    To abandon someone who is in need or in danger.

hard feelings »    Resentment, anger.

hardwired »    In humans and animals, genetically determined, instinctive behavior, as opposed to learned behavior.

hardwired »    Not changeable.

harsh one's mellow »    To get on one's nerves.

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.

haul off »    To alter course so as to get farther away from an object.

haul somebody over the coals »    To express anger with someone in no uncertain terms when they do something wrong.

have a cow »    To get angry; have a fit.

have a fit »    To become suddenly enraged.

have an axe to grind »    To have a dispute, resentment, or grudge, sometimes with a disposition to act on that resentment covertly; to have a bias; to take issue with something.

have ants in one's pants »    To be agitated and constantly fidgeting.

have at »    To attack; to engage in combat with.

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 got »    To be obliged.

have it in for »    To be very angry at; to have a grudge against.

have it large »    To engage intensely in pleasure-seeking activities.

have it off »    To engage in sexual intercourse.

have one's ears lowered »    To get a haircut.

have one's work cut out for one »    To face a large task or project.

have second thoughts »    To change one's opinion, or be uneasy about a previous decision.

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 for the hills »    To go to a safe place; to seek refuge; to flee.

head honcho »    The person in charge; the highest-ranking person in an organization.

head up »    To lead or take the lead; to direct; to take charge.

heaven helps those who help themselves »    A maxim encouraging people to get involved in their own problems.

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.

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..

hiding to nothing »    A situation in which victory has little or no value, but defeat has a huge cost.

high ground »    A position of advantage or superiority in a conflict or competition.

historical figure »    A fictional or fabricated person who was was given historical importance in legends and myth.

hit one's stride »    To reach a full level of efficiency, competence, comfort, etc.; to get going.

hit paydirt »    To strike it rich; to get lucky or have a big break.

hit the bricks »    To leave or depart; to get out.

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 pavement »    To get moving in an automobile or other road vehicle.

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 a grudge »    Far longer than is reasonable.

hold all the aces »    To be in a strong position when one is competing with someone else, having all the advantages.

hold down »    To continue, to hold and to manage well.

hold that thought »    Used to acknowledge that one's attention needs to be diverted from what an speaker was saying.

hold with the hare and run with the hounds »    To oppose an action or behavior and yet engage in the same action or behavior; to be a hypocrite.

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.

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-to-goodness »    Real; genuine.

hopped up »    Drugged; intoxicated.

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.

hot dog »    sausage in a roll

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 on »    Knowledgeable about.

hot spot »    dangerous place; accident place

hot to trot »    Eager for sexual activity.

hot to trot »    Eager to begin; anxious to get going.

hotheaded »    Easily excited or angered.

hothouse »    An environment in which growth or development is encouraged; a hotbed.

household name »    A genericized trademark or anepronym.

how do I get to Carnegie Hall »    A set phrase, spoken as a rhetorical question, which is answered "Practice, practice, practice!" or sometimes with the humorous literal directions to Seventh Avenue between 56th and 57th.

how's the weather »    Indicating a change of subject to unimportant topics.

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.

hunger is the best spice »    When one is hungry, anything will taste good.

hustle and bustle »    A large amount of activity and work, usually in a noisy surrounding.

ice up »    To become clogged with ice, usually of a mechanical device.

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 the mountain won't come to Muhammad »    "If one cannot get one's own way, one must bow to the inevitable.".

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.

ignorance is bliss »    Lack of knowledge results in happinessSometime you are more comfortable if you dont know something.

in a pinch »    In an urgent or difficult situation; when no other solution is available.

in Abraham's bosom »    No longer living. Dead.

in business »    Engaged in business activity.

in Dutch »    Written or spoken in the dutch language.

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 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 one's stockinged feet »    Wearing socks, stockings or other hosiery on one's feet but no shoes.

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 tandem »    together

in the altogether »    Naked.

in the doghouse »    In trouble; the subject of somebody's anger or disapproval.

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 long run »    After a very long time; eventually; over a long period of time; more generally.

in this day and age »    In the current time period of years.

index finger »    digit

inside track »    Any advantage.

it pays to advertise »    Good qualities do not get rewarded automatically.

it's a long road that has no turning »    encouragement when things are not going well. Just as a long road eventually has a turning, problems also eventually have a solution, even though one might have to wait.

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 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

itchy trigger finger »    A tendency to act in haste or without consideration.

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.

jive turkey »    Someone who is jiving, as in behaving in a glib and disingenuous fashion.

jolly someone along »    To make someone happy or compliant, as by encouragement or flattery.

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 the queue »    To move into a queue ahead of others who have been waiting longer or that have a higher priority; push in.

jumped-up »    We're doomed if this wee jumped-up monkey gets Gordon Smith's blessing.

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 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 the wolf from the door »    To ward off poverty or hunger.

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.

kid around »    To engage in playful fun.

kill the messenger »    To blame a problem on whoever reported it; to hold somebody accountable a problem because he/she brought attention to it.

kill the rabbit »    To get a positive test result from an old-fashioned pregnancy test.

kind »    Mild, gentle, forgiving.

king »    A playing card with the image of a king on it.

kiss up »    To pay false flattery to another, particularly a superior at work, in order to get special attention.

knight in shining armor »    A person who will rescue a dangerous situation; a hero.

knock back »    To drink an alcoholic beverage swiftly or often.

knock over »    To rob; to stage a heist.

knock together »    To assemble something quickly; to knock up.

knock up »    To put together, fabricate, or assemble, particularly if done hastily or temporarily. See also knock together.

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.

knocked up »    "pregnant", typically outside of marriage.

know like the back of one's hand »    To be intimately knowledgeable about something, especially a place.

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 dragger »    A large, strong, and rather dimwitted person.

ladies and gentlemen »    Used to address an audience.

ladies first »    A phrase encouraging polite gentlemanliness, allowing the ladies to go before the men.

lady or tiger »    A pure gamble with highly divergent outcomes.

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.

last trump »    The moment of God's final judgement on Earth.

latch onto »    To obtain, acquire or get and keep hold of something.

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 off »    From employment, e.g. at a time of low business volume, often with a severance package.

lay out »    To arrange in a certain way.

lead a charmed life »    To always be lucky and safe from danger.

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 go »    To no longer hold on.

let on »    To reveal, disclose, or divulge.

let rip »    To get angry.

let slip »    To divulge a secret, as by accident or mistake.

let somebody in on »    To disclose; to tell somebody a secret or share privileged information.

let's roll »    Used to suggest that an action should begin.

licence to print money »    A means of generating a large income with little effort.

lick one's chops »    To anticipate something eagerly.

life and limb »    Existence together with bodily faculties.

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.

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.

link whore »    Someone who goes to great lengths to get other people to link to his/her website or blog.

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 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 »    An individual who shows strength and courage, attributes associated with the lion.

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 share »    The majority; a large or generous portion.

liquid courage »    Alcohol drunk to induce a feeling of courage in the drinker.

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).

live down »    To get used to something shameful.

live large »    To have a lavish or overly-extravagant lifestyle.

live one »    A person, thing, or situation which is particularly interesting, noteworthy, or urgent.

live wire »    An especially energetic, alert, or vivacious person.

lock lips »    To kiss on the lips; to engage in a French kiss.

long finger »    A state of postponement or procrastination.

long finger »    Middle finger.

long finger »    [hire purchase]] or credit.

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.

longpig »    Human flesh when cooked in cannabalistic rituals in certain Pacific Islands, due to the allegeded similarity to cooked pork.

look daggers »    To stare sharply at someone to indicate disapproval without actually speaking.

look out for number one »    To act in one's own interests; to act in a manner advantageous primarily to oneself.

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.

loom large »    be prominent

Loose cannon »    A cannon that breaks loose during battle or a storm and causes serious damage to the ship and its crew.

Loose cannon »    An uncontrolled or unpredictable person who causes damage to his own friends, faction, political party, etc.

lose one's temper »    To be explosively angry. To get very cross.

lose out »    To be at a disadvantage.

lucky dip »    A game in which prizes are covered up and mixed together in a container, so that contestants can dip their hand into the container and randomly pull out a prize.

lump together »    To put different items or groups together and treat them, or think of them as one single group.

made in the shade »    In a condition characterized by comfort, success, easy living, or general well-being.

make a killing »    To win or earn a large amount of money.

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 virtue of necessity »    C. 1595, William Shakespeare, Two Gentlemen of Verona, act 4, sc.1.

make do with »    To get along with whatever is available.

make hay »    To take advantage of an opportunity.

make out like a bandit »    To profit greatly; to get an excessively good deal.

make someone's teeth itch »    To bother or unsettle a person; to put someone on edge.

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.

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.

marry in haste, repent at leisure »    Getting married too soon will lead to a bad marriage.

marry in haste, repent at leisure »    Two things together too soon will lead to problems.

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 hell »    A marriage that is likely to be unhappy or abusive and unsuccessful because the two people are very incompatible with each other.

meal ticket »    A ticket or voucher that can be exchanged for food.

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

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.

meet up »    To meet somebody, by arrangement.

melting pot »    Come together and are homogenized.

mend fences »    To repair damage to a friendship or relationship after a disagreement or other mishap.

mess of pottage »    Something of trivial value, especially of immediate value.

mess up »    To damage; injure.

might makes right »    The stronger and more powerful rule others, control the situation or determine right and wrong.

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.

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.

mix apples and oranges »    To mix two totally different things.

mixed bag »    Something tending to have both good and bad results or characteristics; something having a mixture of advantages and disadvantages.

mixed message »    Any communication that is contradictory, inconsistent, or unclear, especially in its motive or intent.

money for old rope »    Money exchanged for goods of low value.

monkey business »    Do your homework and forget about all this monkey business.

more equal »    Ostensibly equal, but in reality more privileged.

mouth of a sailor »    The characteristic of regularly using vulgar language, especially strong profanities; a person having this characteristic.

move house »    To change 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.

mum's the word »    The accompanying facts are a secret, not to be divulged.

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.

nail biter »    An engaging or exciting cliffhanger.

nail biter »    One who bites or chews his or her fingernails.

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 invention »    A person who is in great need of something will find a way to get it.

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.

never change a running system »    Don't change something that is working

nightcap »    A beverage drunk before bed that is usually alcoholic.

nine day wonder »    Something that generates interest for a limited time and is then abandoned.

nine lives »    Durability; near immunity to damage.

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 stop something at an early stage.

no cover »    Without a cover charge.

no news is good news »    A lack of information about a situation suggests that nothing bad has happened.

no spring chicken »    Said of a person who is no longer particularly young.

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

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.

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 be able to get a word in edgeways »    To be unable to say a single word because of someone else's talkativeness.

not in Kansas anymore »    No longer in quiet and comfortable surroundings; in the big city.

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.

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.

of course »    Acknowledges the validity of the associated phrase.

off the rails »    In an abnormal manner, especially in a manner that causes damage or malfunctioning.

off the wagon »    No longer maintaining a program of self-improvement or abstinence from an undesirable habit, especially drinking alcohol.

old college try »    A vigorous, committed attempt or effort.

old fogey »    Old person.

old habits die hard »    Existing habits are hard to change.

old money »    Families that have been wealthy for generations or members of such families.

on a shoestring »    On a very tight budget; with few resources or little money.

on acid »    Exaggerated, bizarre or unpredictable.

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 edge »    Tense, nervous or irritable.

on steroids »    To a greater degree, exaggerating the characteristics of the previously named object.

on the clock »    Displayed numerically on the mileage or kilometric gauge.

on the clock »    Of a taxicab, engaged for hire; displayed numerically as time or fare on the meter of a taxicab.

on the make »    Actively seeking an opportunity for self-advancement; eager to ingratiate oneself to others in order to secure some advantage.

on the outs »    On unfriendly terms; estranged.

on the right track »    Using the correct general approach to a particular task or problem; pursuing something in a promising way.

on the verge »    Very near or close.

on thin ice »    In a dangerous, hazardous, or delicate situation; at risk.

on wheels »    To a large degree, excessive.

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 card shy of a full deck »    Mentally deranged; demented; insane.

one of his majesty's bad bargains »    A worthless soldier, a malingeror.

one side »    You should move to one side and allow me to go through the passageway you are blocking.

one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind »    A cliché used to exaggerate an accomplishment or milestone..

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-note »    Having only one opinion, outlook, tone, etc., especially as expressed repetitively; without variety or range.

onesie-twosie »    Individually or in very small groups, rather in larger batches.

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.

orange up »    To make more orange.

orange up »    To make more prominent by making orange or adding orange colour.

orange up »    To become more orange.

out of house and home »    Gail White, Partying with the Intelligentsia.

out of place »    Not in the proper situation or arrangement, or inappropriate for the circumstances.

out of the running »    No longer in competition.

out of touch »    No longer conversant with facts; not aware or realistic.

out of touch »    No longer maintaining contact or communications.

out the door »    The exact image, a lookalike.

out the window »    Made obsolete; altered drastically as a result of situational change.

outshout »    To shout louder or for longer than another.

over a barrel »    In a disadvantageous or helpless situation, in which one may be controlled or victimized.

over the top »    Bold; beyond normal, expected, or reasonable limits; excessive; outrageous.

own up »    To acknowledge, confess, or admit guilt. Often used with to.

pack away »    To store away, place out of the way, or stash, especially for the longer term.

pack up »    To put back together.

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.

palm off »    To attempt to pass off a counterfeit or inferior product as genuine.

paper »    A written document, generally shorter than a book , in particular one written for the Government.

pardon me »    Polite expression to get someone to repeat.

pardon my French »    Please excuse my swearing or bad language.

parking lot »    An open area, generally paved, where automobiles may be left when not in use.

party to »    Privy to; having knowledge of.

patriotism is the last refuge of scoundrels »    The appeal to patriotism is often used to distract the public from real issues.

pay for »    To exchange for, especially money for goods or services.

pay out »    To repay, take revenge.

payback's a bitch »    Usually a complete sentence as an interjection: I am amused that someone got their revenge on you...but you certainly had it coming.

payback's a bitch »    Usually a complete sentence: I will get revenge when you least expect it.

penny wise and pound foolish »    Prudent and thrifty with small amounts of money, but wasteful and profligate with large amounts.

pep up »    To make stronger or more interesting.

perfect storm »    A situation where a calamity is caused by the convergence and amplifying interaction of a number of factors.

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 collect a passenger.

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 »    Any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish.

pig out »    To eat voraciously or ravenously; to gorge oneself.

pig out »    They watched the game and pigged out on chips and pizza.

pin down »    To corner somebody in order to get a firm answer.

piss off »    To annoy, anger.

piss up a rope »    To engage in futile or impossible activity.

pitched battle »    A hostile engagement involving sustained, full-scale fighting between opposing forces in close combat.

play around »    To engage in sexual practices outside of marriage.

play ball »    To work together; to cooperate.

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 on words »    A pun, or similar humorous use of language such as a double entendre.

play silly buggers »    To act in a stupid or reckless manner.

play with fire »    To put oneself in a precarious situation with a high risk of getting harmed, particularly emotionally or financially.

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.

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 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 pen »    A usually intentionally rude, spiteful, and/or condescending piece of writing directed at a person, group, lifestyle, way of thought, or other target.

pop the question »    To propose marriage.

pork sausages »    bangers

potter about »    To potter, to be gently active doing various things in an almost aimless manner.

potter around »    To potter, to be gently active doing various things in an almost aimless manner.

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 sand »    To engage in a futile activity.

pound the pavement »    To campaign diligently; to seek something, such as business, employment, or answers.

pour out »    To leave a place quickly, and in large numbers.

pretty pictures »    Image supplements in a presentation: graphs, charts, etc.

price out of the market »    To charge an exorbitant price for a service or product so that no one will purchase it.

private branch exchange »    Telephone lines.

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 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.

pull a »    To emulate a behaviour generally attributed to the individual named.

pull an all-nighter »    Work diligently throughout the night.

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 one's finger out »    To stop wasting time in preliminaries, and concentrate on the important task.

pull oneself together »    To become mentally focused after a period of being unfocused.

pull teeth »    To remove teeth, usually because they are diseased or damaged.

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 »    Retrieve; get.

pump iron »    To lift weights; to engage in weight or strength training.

put about »    To change direction.

put aside »    To ignore or intentionally forget something, temporarily or permanently, so that more important things can have one's attention.

put away »    To take a large lead in a game.

put back »    To postpone an arranged event or appointment.

put back »    To change the time in a time zone to an earlier time.

put down »    To pay an initial amount of money on a large purchase.

put forward »    To change the time in a time zone to a later time.

put hair on somebody's chest »    To make a person stronger or more masculine.

put one's hands together »    To clap; to applaud.

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 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 someone in mind of »    To remind someone of; to inspire a mental image or awareness of; to cause thoughts concerning.

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 cat among the pigeons »    To cause alarm.

put the clock back »    To change the time in a time zone to an earlier time.

put the clock forward »    To change the time in a time zone to a later time.

put through its paces »    To test completely; to exercise the full range of abilities or functions.

put through the wringer »    To interrogate or scrutinize closely; to subject to some trial or ordeal.

put together »    To assemble, construct, or build.

put two and two together »    To figure out; to deduce or discern.

put your hands together »    Clap; applaud.

quarter of »    "I need twenty minutes to get to the shop." "You'll be late. It's already a quarter of.".

quick on the uptake »    Able to readily understand things; intelligent.

quicumque vult »    A forward girl, ready to oblige every man that shall ask her.

quote unquote »    Emphasizes the following word or phrase for irony, as used almost exclusively in spoken language.

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 bagger »    A sailor who tends to sail on messy cruising vessels.

rag-chewing »    A phrase used by morse code operators for a longer than usual conversation, generally a conversation extending about 30 minutes.

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 on someone's parade »    To disappoint or discourage someone.

raise the flag and see who salutes »    It generates, usually as a preliminary step.

rake »    The sloped edge of a roof at or adjacent to the first or last rafter.

raring to go »    Extremely eager or anxious to begin.

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.

rattle someone's cage »    To demand attention; to nag, nudge, or remind.

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.

real deal »    A thing or person which is genuine, authentic, or worthy of serious regard.

real job »    A job that can't be replaced advantageously by a machine or a procedure.

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 Macoy »    The genuine thing, neither a substitute nor an imitation.

real McCoy »    The genuine thing, neither a substitute nor an imitation.

real McKoy »    The genuine thing, neither a substitute nor an imitation.

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.

red mist »    Anger sufficient to cloud judgement, to stop clear thinking.

red mist »    Uncontrollable rage.

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

redolent »    Suggestive or reminiscent.

revenge is a dish best served cold »    An expression that emotional detachment is ideal when taking revenge, as one is righting the wrongs that have been done to the doer.

ride shotgun »    To ride in the front passenger seat of a vehicle, next to the driver.

right on »    An expression of enthusiasm or encouragement.

ring out »    To make a phone call from an internal phone system to a general telephone network number.

ringside seat »    Any vantage point providing an excellent view.

rip off »    To charge an exorbitant or unfair rate.

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.

rob the cradle »    To marry or become romantically involved with a much younger person.

rob the cradle »    To use a young person for a purpose inappropriate to his or her age.

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 the house »    To jam at a concert, get down.

rocket scientist »    Someone qualified to understand or handle that which is overly complex, detailed or confusing; a genius.

roses are red »    The start of a generic poem about love.

rough around the edges »    In need of refinement; unsophisticated.

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 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 up »    Together.

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.

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.

rules OK »    To be popularly accepted, or supported by the general majority of people.

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.

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 for one's money »    A difficult challenge for the person indicated, especially one involving a competitive situation.

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 into »    To reach a large figure.

run into the ground »    To mismanage to the point of ruin.

run oneself ragged »    To work or exert oneself to the point of exhaustion.

run roughshod over »    To treat roughly or without care, respect, or moderation; to act without control; to damage.

run somebody ragged »    To exhaust; to demand excessive effort or work from somebody.

run the gamut »    To encompass the full range or variety possible.

safe and sound »    Having come to no harm, especially after being exposed to danger.

save face »    To take an action or make a gesture intended to preserve one's reputation or honour.

scissorbill »    And railroad term for someone who refused to join the union or who openly colluded with management to thwart the union.

scrape through »    To marginally manage to progress.

scrape together »    To collect, assemble or gather small amounts , from various sources, with some difficulty.

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 »    An entertaingly outrageous person.

screen out »    To use a screen, grate, sieve or similar means to separate large from small objects or particles.

scrounge up »    To seek or find despite a lack of apparent resources or availability.

sea change »    A profound transformation.

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.

secret agent »    spy

see a man »    To go have a drink or to meet one's bootlegger.

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 eye to eye »    To agree with someone; to concur; to get along.

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 »    To agree to transfer goods or provide services in exchange for money.

sell out »    To abandon one's supporters or principles to seek profit or other personal advantage.

set one's cap at »    . Or, more generally, to choose something as a goal.

set the stage »    To prepare; to establish the basis or required conditions.

set up shop »    To physically arrange a shop or workplace.

settle in »    To get comfortable or established, as in a new place.

sex up »    To make more palatable or acceptable to the general public; to improve the image or perception.

shack up »    To live together, especially of an unmarried couple.

shake a leg »    To get busy; to get going; to be productive.

sharp as a tack »    Very intelligent.

sharp cookie »    One who is intelligent, bright, or sharp; especially, one who can identify attempts to deceive or mislead.

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 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.

shoo-in »    A candidate or contestant generally agreed upon as the presumptive winner; somebody who is well-liked or widely agreed upon.

shoot off at the mouth »    Don't let [presidential press secretary Ron] Ziegler shoot off at the mouth without our knowledge.

shoot one's mouth off »    To make reckless or exaggerated statements.

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 breeze »    To chat idly or generally waste time talking.

shoot the messenger »    To blame a problem on whoever reported it; to hold somebody accountable a problem because he/she brought attention to it.

short fuse »    The personality trait of being quick to anger.

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.

shot in the dark »    A guess, attempt, or choice made with little or no evidence or knowledge.

shotgun »    A gun which fires loads consisting of small metal balls, called shot, from a cartridge.

shotgun »    A one-story dwelling with no hallways or corridors, with the rooms arranged in a straight line. Mostly heard in the southern United States.

shotgun »    The front passenger seat in a vehicle, next to the driver.

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.

shroud »    The branching top of a tree; foliage.

shuffle »    To get lost in the shuffle: to lack attention when you deserve it.

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

sign in »    In order to get into the office after hours, you'll have to sign in at the security desk.

sign in »    To take some action to access a secured program or web page on a computer; to log in.

sign of the times »    A symbol of an era; a zeitgeist.

simmer down »    To decrease in intensity of anger, agitation, or excitement.

sing along »    A gathering or event where participants are encouraged to add their voices in song.

sitting duck »    An obvious or unconcealed target.

sitting pretty »    In a favorable situation, especially a situation in which one possesses an advantage.

skate on thin ice »    In a risky, potentially dangerous or delicate situation.

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.

sleep together »    To be intimate with another person in the same bed.

sleep together »    To have sex with.

slow burn »    A gradually increasing feeling of anger or frustration.

small change »    A minor or insignificant amount of money.

smear campaign »    An effort to damage or call into question someone's reputation, by propounding negative propaganda.

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 »    An indirect message or indication, especially concerning a future event.

snake oil »    Any product with exaggerated marketing but questionable or unverifiable quality.

snow in »    By a large snowfall.

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 much as »    Even; suggests a minimum, especially regarding what might be expected.

so so »    average

so-and-so »    A placeholder name, used when a name is not known; a generic name.

so-and-so »    Anything generic.

soapbox »    Especially when only tangentially relevant to an ongoing discussion.

socialized medicine »    A politically charged term used to contrast such systems with free market alternatives and emphasize the perceived link to socialism.

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.

some days you get the bear, other days the bear gets you »    One cannot always overcome a powerful adversary.

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.

spanner »    A stupid or unintelligent person; one prone to making mistakes, especially in language.

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.

spill one's guts »    To confess, or to divulge secrets, typically speaking freely and at length after a change of motive or an incentive.

spin doctor »    news manager

spin one's wheels »    To make no progress despite making an effort; to get nowhere.

spit it out »    To overcome reluctance to say something particular or to speak in general.

split up »    Cease to be together, break apart from the group.

spruce up »    To dress or arrange smartly, elegantly, and neatly.

square off »    To get ready for a fight.

square off »    To get in the fighting position.

square up »    To get ready for a fight.

square up »    To get in the fighting position.

squeaky wheel gets the grease »    The person who complains or speaks up most loudly receives the redress or attention which he or she seeks.

stage of the game »    A point in the progress of an ongoing dispute or process.

stamp out »    To get rid of, eradicate.

stand corrected »    Said to acknowledge someone who corrects something that one says or writes that was not correct.

stand up against »    To defy or challenge someone.

steal a march on »    To get ahead of someone or something by starting earlier.

steer clear »    To avoid; to dodge; to sidestep.

stepping razor »    A dangerous person, who is not to be messed with.

stick around »    To stay; to linger; to remain.

stick in the mud »    More generally, one who is slow, old-fashioned, or unprogressive; an old fogey.

sticky fingers »    A petty thief or petty thieves.

sticky fingers »    An inclination to steal.

stir-crazy »    Of a prisoner, mentally unbalanced due to prolonged incarceration.

stop up »    To fill a hole or cavity, or block an opening or passage, as with a plug.

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.

stretch one's legs »    To walk about, especially after prolonged time sitting or lying down.

stretch the truth »    To exaggerate, often to the point where the truth is obscured or lost.

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.

stupid is as stupid does »    A person's intelligence may be judged by the wisdom of his or her actions.

such-and-such »    A placeholder or generic thing.

suck face »    To kiss, especially deeply and for a prolonged time.

suck hind tit »    To be the youngest or most neglected child.

suck up »    To adulate or flatter somebody excessively, generally to obtain some personal benefit or favour.

sweeten the pot »    To increase a wager.

swim with sharks »    To operate among dangerous people.

swim with sharks »    To take a huge risk.

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.

swing state »    A state which may vote Democratic or Republican, in a given election or generally; a purple state.

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..

take a bath »    To lose a large amount of money in an investment.

take a picture »    To photographically capture an image.

take a shot in the dark »    To try on something without having any knowledge about the subject.

take away »    To remove something, either material or abstract, so that a person no longer has it.

take heart »    Be courageous; regain one's courage.

take it or leave it »    It is said when a situation has to be accepted without change.

take it out on »    To unleash one's anger on [a person or thing other than the one that caused it].

take its toll »    To affect, especially negatively; to damage or degrade; to cause destruction.

take sides »    To ally oneself with a given opinion, agenda or group; to support one side or viewpoint in a competition or confrontation.

take something in stride »    To cope with something without much effort; to accept or manage something well.

take the heat »    To take the blame; to be the focus of anger or scrutiny; to take the consequences.

take the piss »    Are you takin' the piss? You'll get yer 'ead bashed in.

take the plunge »    To get engaged.

take the reins »    To assume charge over.

take the wind out of someone's sails »    To discourage someone greatly; to cause someone to lose hope or the will to continue.

take up the cudgel for »    To make a defense for in lieu of another person.

take up the gauntlet »    To accept a challenge.

take upon »    To take charge of an item of business, or an obligation, as a personal initiative.

talk dirty »    To use profane language, especially sexual vulgarities for the purpose of arousal.

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 out one's ass »    To speak authoritatively on a subject which one actually knows little about; to exaggerate.

talk the talk »    Speak like an expert, claim to be knowledgeable about something.

talk through one's hat »    To speak lacking expertise, authority, or knowledge; to invent or fabricate facts.

tall order »    A big job; a difficult challenge.

tall tale »    A greatly exaggerated, fantastic story.

tart up »    To modify or repackage a product, service, or idea to make it more attractive or easier to sell.

tear up »    To damage.

tear up the pea patch »    To put on a notable performance, especially in sports; to go on a rampage.

that which doesn't kill you makes you stronger »    Used to express the sentiment that hardship or difficult experiences build moral character.

that's the way life is »    That is the way things happenCertain things cannot be changed, helped or improved; struggle and objection are pointless.1935, Louis Bromfield, The Man Who Had Everything [1], page 279:That's the way life is, and there's no use trying to go against it.1979, Jay Edward Abrams, A Theology of Christian Counseling: More Than Redemption [2], ISBN 0310511011, page 45:There are no standards, no values; that's the way life is. Learn to accept it and slide with it. Stop fighting it.2002, B. Eugene Ellison, Rings of the Templars, ISBN 059524050X, page 337:Shit happens; that's the way life is. In fact, I want you to take an additional thousand for your efforts.

the beast with two backs »    Two people engaged in sexual intercourse.

the bigger they are, the harder they fall »    The larger something is, the more disastrous and spectacular its downfall

the company »    Nickname for an intelligence service.

the early bird catches the worm »    the early bird gets the worm

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 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 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 long and short of it »    The gist; the essence or substance; the most important or salient features; said of a summary or digest.

the man »    The man gets you down.

the man in the street »    average person

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 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 upper hand »    An advantage or lead.

the whole world and his dog »    Everybody; too many people; a huge crowd.

there are two sides to every question »    One should not make a judgement until one hears the other side.

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's more than one way to skin a cat »    A problem generally has more than one solution.

there's no fool like an old fool »    Age does not bring wisdom.

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.

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.

think better of it »    To change one's mind; especially to decide against.

think twice »    To reconsider, use judgement; to proceed with caution or thought.

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.

three-on-the-tree »    On an automobile, describing the gearshift lever of a steering column-mounted three-speed manual transmission.

throw a fit »    To become angry, enraged, or upset; to act or react with an outburst, as by shouting, swearing, etc.

throw down the gauntlet »    To issue a challenge.

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 out »    To dismiss or expel someone from any longer performing duty or attending somewhere.

thumb a ride »    To flag or signal a passing vehicle in hopes of securing passage.

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 so »    A generic thing; a placeholder name.

thus and such »    A placeholder or generic name for something.

tie the knot »    To marry, wed, get married.

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-lipped »    Having the lips pressed together.

tight-lipped »    Unwilling to divulge information.

tilt at windmills »    To go on a wild goose chase; to persistently engage in a futile activity.

time out of mind »    A lengthy duration of time, longer than is readily remembered.

timeserver »    A person who conforms to current opinions, especially for reasons of personal advantage; an opportunist.

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 one's hand »    To inadvertently reveal any secret, particularly a secret that puts one at an advantage or disadvantage.

tip one's hat »    To acknowledge or show respect; to honor.

tip one's hat »    To briefly remove or tap one's hat as a gesture of greeting, deference, or respect.

tit for tat »    Equivalent retribution, an eye for an eye, returning exactly what you get.

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 go »    Served in a package or takeout container so as to be taken away from a restaurant rather than eaten on the premises.

to say the least »    Used to suggest that what was previously stated was an understatement.

today we are all »    August 12, 2008:, Robert Barnes, "McCain to Georgian President: "Today, We Are All Georgians"", Washington Post.

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

too big for one's britches »    Too large to fit into one's pants.

too many cooks spoil the broth »    If too many people try to take charge at a task, the end product might be ruined.

top of the morning »    A generic greeting said to someone in the morning.

torque off »    To annoy, distress, or anger.

touch judge »    rugby official

touch with a barge pole »    Get romantically involved with.

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-and-go »    Precarious, delicate, dangerous, risky, sensitive or of uncertain outcome.

tough love »    The compassionate use of stringent disciplinary measures, to attempt to improve someone's behavior.

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.

trigger-happy »    Having a tendency or desire to shoot a firearm irresponsibly before adequately identifying the target.

trigger-happy »    Inclined to behave recklessly, especially with machinery.

trigger-happy »    Inclined to react excessively or violently at the slightest provocation.

trip out »    To have a fit, to become enraged.

trip out »    To have as an image in one's mind.

tune out »    To change the channel or frequency away from.

turn off »    To repulse, disgust, or discourage.

turn on »    To attract, give pleasure, or encourage.

turn on its head »    To completely change.

turn over a new leaf »    To engage in self-improvement; to begin a good habit or shed a bad habit.

turn the air blue »    To speak a stream of bad language; to curse and swear.

turn the other cheek »    To accept a punishment or an injury and not act out revenge or retaliate.

turn the page »    To move on to new involvements or activities; to make a fresh start.

turn the page »    To proceed to the next page in a book.

turn the tables »    To reverse a situation, such that the advantage has shifted to the party which was previously disadvantaged.

turn-on »    Something that attracts, gives pleasure, or encourages, especially sexually.

twiddle one's thumbs »    To circle one's thumbs around one another, usually with the fingers interlaced, usually done idly while waiting or bored.

two heads are better than one »    Some problems may be solved more easily by two (or more) people working together than by one working alone.

two thumbs up »    A hand gesture indicating strong approval.

under one's wing »    Under one's protection, sponsorship, or tutelage.

underwater basket weaving »    "Sure, somewhere out there, college slackers were taking broom ball and underwater basket weaving." — The Columbus Dispatch, September 15, 2005.

underwater basket weaving »    An easy and useless college or high school class.

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.

uphill battle »    A challenge with the odds of success stacked strongly against.

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.

valley of death »    Lord Alfred Tennyson, The Charge of the Light Brigade.

variable tandem repeat locus »    Any DNA sequence that exists in multiple copies strung together in various tandem lengths.

verge on »    To approach or come close to something; to border or be on the edge of something.

vertically challenged »    Of a person, short.

wack out »    To become deranged.

wage war »    A figurative allusion to pay discrepancies.

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 stage a walkout or strike.

warm down »    Gentle excercise at the end of a training session before cooling off.

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 over »    Of open water. To surge over the banks, or other retaining structure.

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.

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.

way to go »    An expression of congratulations, encouragement, or approval.

wear out »    To cause to become damaged, useless, or ineffective through continued use, especially hard, heavy, or careless use.

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.

weekend warrior »    A person who indulges in a sport or pastime on an infrequent basis, usually on weekends when work commitments are not present.

what do I know »    Implies that a statement is based on a guess or assumption rather than on knowledge or evidence.

what doesn't kill you makes you stronger »    Used to express the sentiment that hardship or difficult experiences build moral character.

what you see is what you get »    The image corresponds to the reality.

what you see is what you get »    The screen image resembles the printed output.

what's the good of »    What is the purpose or advantage of.

what's up »    A casual greeting with usage similar to "How are you?" or "Nice to meet you".

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 chips are down »    When the pressure is on; when the situation is urgent or critical.

when the going gets tough, the tough get going »    in difficult times, it is the strong-willed who take action.

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.

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 Dixie »    To engage in a pointless or unproductive activity; to do something without resolve, seriousness or commitment.

whistle in the dark »    To speak of something despite having little knowledge of it.

white goods »    fridges, washing machines, etc

white marriage »    An unconsummated marriage.

whomp up »    To incite or generate.

wide of the mark »    Missing the target.

wild horses »    A force not subject to human control and normally stronger than a man.

wind down »    Relax; get rid of stress.

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 the slate clean »    To forget about previous differences and disagreements, and make a fresh start.

with a vengeance »    Intensely motivated; resolute; forceful.

with bated breath »    Eagerly; with great anticipation.

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.

work one's fingers to the bone »    Work especially hard, usually for an extended period.

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.

world »    Human collective existence; existence in general.

wrap around one's fingers »    To make one susceptible to desire, in that their behavior or actions are influenced.

wreak havoc »    To cause damage, disruption, or destruction.

wrestling with a pig »    To engage in a pointless task that leaves one worse off for having made an honest attempt.

wring out »    To squeeze a wet material, either by twisting with one's hands, or by passing it through a wringer, to remove the water.

write one's own ticket »    To be empowered to choose whatever job, financial arrangement, or course of action one desires.

yak shaving »    Any apparently useless activity which, by allowing you to overcome intermediate difficulties, allows you to solve a larger problem.

yellow-bellied »    Uncourageous.

yoke together »    To unite, or join, or combine.

you can't always get what you want »    It is not always possible to get what is wanted.

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 judge a book by its cover »    It is not possible to make reliable judgments about things or people by considering external appearances alone.

you can't teach an old dog new tricks »    It is impossible, or almost impossible, to change people's habits or traits or mindset.

you can't tell a book by its cover »    Alternative form of you can't judge a book by its cover.

you get more with a kind word and a gun than you do with a kind word alone »    It is advantageous not to rely solely on being nice.

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 it »    Indicates agreement, approval, encouragement.

you know what »    A phrase used to get someone's attention before announcing something.

you knows it »    Indicates agreement, approval, encouragement.

you only get what you give »    There is a positive correlation between the effort one puts in and the benefits one receives.

you shouldn't have »    Used to express gratitude at unnecessary generosity, especially when receiving a gift.

you're never too old to learn »    It is possible to learn new things, at any age; (implying) follow your desires and dreams

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".

zero in on »    To aim precisely at a target.

zero in on »    To converge on something.

zip up »    To convert a computer file into a smaller package.

zoom in »    To focus a zoom lens in order to obtain a larger image, or a closer view.

zoom in »    So as to make it larger and possibly more detailed.

zoom out »    To focus a zoom lens in order to obtain a smaller image, or a more distant view.

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