a gentleman and a scholar »
An admirable person.
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a pull of the hair for being unfair »
The general response to "A kick and a flick for being so quick", which is in turn a response in itself to "A pinch and a punch for the first day of the month".
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a scholar and a gentleman »
An admirable person.
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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.
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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.
|
all in all »
Generally; for the most part; mostly.
|
along the lines »
In a general direction or manner.
|
as a rule »
In general; most often.
|
at a pinch »
in an emergency
|
at large »
In general; as a whole.
|
back burner »
A state of low urgency; a state of low current importance.
|
back-burner »
Having low urgency; not currently important.
|
be in for »
To be able to expect or anticipate; to be about to suffer, generally said of something unpleasant.
|
behind its time »
Showing characteristics of the past; present in one's work after later advances in the field; coming later than could be generally accepted.
|
below the belt »
Unfair; dirty; not according to the generally accepted rules.
|
bend the truth »
To change or leave out certain facts of a story or situation, generally in order to elicit a specific response in the audience.
|
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.
|
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.
|
blue state »
A state of the United States voting Democratic in a given election, or tending to vote Democratic in general.
|
boot camp »
A short, intensive, quasi-military program generally aimed at young offenders as an alternative to a jail term.
|
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.
|
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.
|
brain surgeon »
Someone very intelligent.
|
break wind »
To flatulate; fart; to expel gases generated during digestion through the anus.
|
bring forth »
To create, generate, bring into existence.
|
by and large »
Mostly, generally; with few exceptions.
|
carry a torch for »
[2] To harbor feelings of love despite not being in a relationship; generally unrequited or after a relationship has ended, and sometimes implying secret feelings. There is the implication of keeping hope alive.
|
cash cow »
A product, service, or enterprise that generates ongoing, high net free cash flows.
|
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 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.
|
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.
|
chew the fat »
To chat idly or generally waste time talking.
|
clogs to clogs in three generations »
(UK) Wealth earned in one generation seldom lasts through the third (grandchild
|
company »
Nickname for an intelligence service.
|
cop out »
To avoid or shirk, either by failing to perform, or by performing in a grossly insufficient, negligent, or superficial manner.
|
crack down »
To enforce more stringently or more thoroughly.
|
crown jewels »
The male genitalia.
|
cry out for »
To say that a situation needs a thing, or a solution urgently.
|
cut of one's jib »
Someone’s general appearance or the implications thereof, especially in relation to making an impression or one’s style..
|
devil is in the details »
The specific provisions of, or particular steps for implementing, a general plan, policy, or contract may be complicated, controversial, or unworkable.
|
die »
Followed by from. General use, though somewhat more common in medical or scientific contexts.
|
die »
Followed by of. General use.
|
dishpan hands »
Hands which are rough, reddish, and dry, as from irritation and chafing caused by immersion in hot water mixed with detergent.
|
do a »
To emulate the behavior/behaviour that is generally attributed to the individual named.
|
do one »
To depart from a place, often with a sense of urgency.
|
dog around »
To follow diligently.
|
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.
|
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.
|
drum up »
To generate or encourage; to campaign for.
|
dusty miller »
A formulaic phrase for a miller, related to the dust generated in the milling process.
|
easy does it »
Relax; do something gently, lightly or carefully; slow down; calm down.
|
estate agent »
property seller
|
every cloud has a silver lining »
In every bad situation there is an element of good1881, National Academy of Code Administration (U.S.), Folio, page 417:Every cloud has a silver lining; but in the old-fashioned meeting-houses every cloud of hymnal melody generally had a nasal lining before the congregation...1887, Shakers, Religion, page 36:that "a little reserve and thou'lt fail surely," will prove to be true in our experience. Every cloud has a silver lining and so has every sorrow,1918, George Jean Nathan, Performing Arts, page 222:But the most popular attitude toward what we may call "sad" plays is the peculiar one of believing that, since every cloud has a silver lining,
|
factotum »
A general servant.
|
fall in with »
To accept a set of generally agreed rules, or a suggestion.
|
fight fires »
To deal with urgent matters and minor emergencies rather than longer-term work.
|
fire escape »
emergency exit
|
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.
|
for the most part »
Mostly; in general; usually.
|
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."
|
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.
|
gentleman of the back door »
A sodomite.
|
get away with »
To do something which is prohibited, forbidden or generally not allowed, and not be punished for the action.
|
get the drift »
To understand, at least at some basic or general level.
|
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 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 »
To become of diminished intensity or urgency.
|
God helps those who help themselves »
Fortune comes to those who make a genuine effort to accomplish things.
|
golden handshake »
A generous severance payment, especially as an inducement to leave employment.
|
grain of salt »
A bit of common sense and skepticism. Generally used in some form of to take with a grain of salt.
|
gravy train »
An occupation or any lucrative endeavor that generates considerable income whilst requiring little effort and carrying little risk.
|
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.
|
hardwired »
In humans and animals, genetically determined, instinctive behavior, as opposed to learned behavior.
|
heebie-jeebies »
A general feeling of anxiety, fear, uneasiness, or nausea.
|
historical figure »
A fictional or fabricated person who was was given historical importance in legends and myth.
|
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.
|
household name »
A genericized trademark or anepronym.
|
idiot mittens »
Mittens connected by yarn or string running through one sleeve, along the back and out the other sleeve of a coat, to prevent the mittens becoming lost. Generally worn by small children.
|
in a pinch »
In an urgent or difficult situation; when no other solution is available.
|
in the long run »
After a very long time; eventually; over a long period of time; more generally.
|
jive turkey »
Someone who is jiving, as in behaving in a glib and disingenuous fashion.
|
kind »
Mild, gentle, forgiving.
|
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.
|
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.
|
licence to print money »
A means of generating a large income with little effort.
|
life's not all skittles and beer »
Skittles and Beer refers to the carefree, indulgent bar life; skittles being a British pub game. Thus, life's not all skittles and beer means that not everything is about pleasure.
|
lion »
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 share »
The majority; a large or generous portion.
|
live one »
A person, thing, or situation which is particularly interesting, noteworthy, or urgent.
|
made in the shade »
In a condition characterized by comfort, success, easy living, or general well-being.
|
make a virtue of necessity »
C. 1595, William Shakespeare, Two Gentlemen of Verona, act 4, sc.1.
|
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.
|
melting pot »
Come together and are homogenized.
|
nervous hit »
A production which receives generally favorably notice, but is not assured of success.
|
nine day wonder »
Something that generates interest for a limited time and is then abandoned.
|
nugget of truth »
A small amount of truth in a generally untrue statement.
|
odd and curious »
On the Isle of Man, the common or general man.
|
old money »
Families that have been wealthy for generations or members of such families.
|
on the right track »
Using the correct general approach to a particular task or problem; pursuing something in a promising way.
|
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.
|
out of house and home »
Gail White, Partying with the Intelligentsia.
|
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.
|
parking lot »
An open area, generally paved, where automobiles may be left when not in use.
|
perfect storm »
A situation where a calamity is caused by the convergence and amplifying interaction of a number of factors.
|
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.
|
pound the pavement »
To campaign diligently; to seek something, such as business, employment, or answers.
|
pull a »
To emulate a behaviour generally attributed to the individual named.
|
pull an all-nighter »
Work diligently throughout the night.
|
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.
|
quick on the uptake »
Able to readily understand things; intelligent.
|
rag-chewing »
A phrase used by morse code operators for a longer than usual conversation, generally a conversation extending about 30 minutes.
|
raise the flag and see who salutes »
It generates, usually as a preliminary step.
|
real deal »
A thing or person which is genuine, authentic, or worthy of serious regard.
|
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.
|
red state »
A state of the United States voting Republican in a given election, or tending to vote Republican in general.
|
ring out »
To make a phone call from an internal phone system to a general telephone network number.
|
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.
|
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.
|
secret agent »
spy
|
see a man »
To take one's leave for some urgent purpose, especially to go to the bathroom.
|
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.
|
set one's cap at »
. Or, more generally, to choose something as a goal.
|
sex up »
To make more palatable or acceptable to the general public; to improve the image or perception.
|
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.
|
shoo-in »
A candidate or contestant generally agreed upon as the presumptive winner; somebody who is well-liked or widely agreed upon.
|
shoot the breeze »
To chat idly or generally waste time talking.
|
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.
|
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.
|
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.
|
spit it out »
To overcome reluctance to say something particular or to speak in general.
|
stick in the mud »
More generally, one who is slow, old-fashioned, or unprogressive; an old fogey.
|
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 up »
To adulate or flatter somebody excessively, generally to obtain some personal benefit or favour.
|
swing for the fences »
To act in a way that might generate a very good result, but which also has a large chance of failing.
|
swing state »
A state which may vote Democratic or Republican, in a given election or generally; a purple state.
|
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 sides »
To ally oneself with a given opinion, agenda or group; to support one side or viewpoint in a competition or confrontation.
|
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.
|
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 company »
Nickname for an intelligence service.
|
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.
|
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
|
thus and so »
A generic thing; a placeholder name.
|
thus and such »
A placeholder or generic name for something.
|
to be the cat's whiskers »
To perform better than was generally supposed possible.
|
top of the morning »
A generic greeting said to someone in the morning.
|
tough love »
The compassionate use of stringent disciplinary measures, to attempt to improve someone's behavior.
|
warm down »
Gentle excercise at the end of a training session before cooling off.
|
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 chips are down »
When the pressure is on; when the situation is urgent or critical.
|
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.
|
whomp up »
To incite or generate.
|
world »
Human collective existence; existence in general.
|
you shouldn't have »
Used to express gratitude at unnecessary generosity, especially when receiving a gift.
|
| New: We also know Zip Codes FYI! |
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