a gentleman and a scholar »
An admirable person.
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a scholar and a gentleman »
An admirable person.
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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.
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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.
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brain surgeon »
Someone very intelligent.
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cop out »
To avoid or shirk, either by failing to perform, or by performing in a grossly insufficient, negligent, or superficial manner.
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crack down »
To enforce more stringently or more thoroughly.
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cry out for »
To say that a situation needs a thing, or a solution urgently.
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dishpan hands »
Hands which are rough, reddish, and dry, as from irritation and chafing caused by immersion in hot water mixed with detergent.
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dog around »
To follow diligently.
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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.
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easy does it »
Relax; do something gently, lightly or carefully; slow down; calm down.
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estate agent »
property seller
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fight fires »
To deal with urgent matters and minor emergencies rather than longer-term work.
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force someone's hand »
Bring about a situation which necessitates an agent to act, often causing a plan to be executed prematurely.
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forewarned is forearmed »
Advance awareness of a situation, especially a risky one, prepares one to deal with it.1863, Charles Reade, Hard Cash, ch. 4:[W]hatever a young gentleman of that age says to you, he says to many other ladies; but your experience is not equal to your sense; so profit by mine . . . forewarned is forearmed.1885, G. A. Henty, Saint George for England, ch. 4:Sometimes, they say, it is wiser to remain in ignorance; at other times forewarned is forearmed.circa 1903, Lucy Maud Montgomery, "Why Mr. Cropper Changed His Mind":"Well, Miss Maxwell, I think it only fair to tell you that you may have trouble with those boys when they do come. Forewarned is forearmed, you know."
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gentleman of the back door »
A sodomite.
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guilt trip »
A feeling of shame or embarrassment, especially if self-indulgent, unwarranted, exaggerated or felt over a significant period of time.
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in a pinch »
In an urgent or difficult situation; when no other solution is available.
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kind »
Mild, gentle, forgiving.
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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.
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ladies and gentlemen »
Used to address an audience.
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ladies first »
A phrase encouraging polite gentlemanliness, allowing the ladies to go before the men.
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lady or tiger »
A pure gamble with highly divergent outcomes.
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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.
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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.
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live one »
A person, thing, or situation which is particularly interesting, noteworthy, or urgent.
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make a virtue of necessity »
C. 1595, William Shakespeare, Two Gentlemen of Verona, act 4, sc.1.
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out of house and home »
Gail White, Partying with the Intelligentsia.
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potter about »
To potter, to be gently active doing various things in an almost aimless manner.
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potter around »
To potter, to be gently active doing various things in an almost aimless manner.
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pound the pavement »
To campaign diligently; to seek something, such as business, employment, or answers.
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pull an all-nighter »
Work diligently throughout the night.
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quick on the uptake »
Able to readily understand things; intelligent.
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secret agent »
spy
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see a man »
To take one's leave for some urgent purpose, especially to go to the bathroom.
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sharp as a tack »
Very intelligent.
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sharp cookie »
One who is intelligent, bright, or sharp; especially, one who can identify attempts to deceive or mislead.
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soapbox »
Especially when only tangentially relevant to an ongoing discussion.
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spanner »
A stupid or unintelligent person; one prone to making mistakes, especially in language.
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talk like an apothecary »
To use hard or gallipot words: from the assumed gravity and affectation of knowledge generally put on by the gentlemen of this profession, who are commonly as superficial in their learning as they are pedantic in their language.
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tough love »
The compassionate use of stringent disciplinary measures, to attempt to improve someone's behavior.
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warm down »
Gentle excercise at the end of a training session before cooling off.
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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.
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when the chips are down »
When the pressure is on; when the situation is urgent or critical.
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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.
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