a bad workman always blames his tools »
It is not the tools we use which make us good, but rather how we employ them.
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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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absence makes the heart grow fonder »
When someone or something is faraway, you realise how much you love (or miss) them or it.
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April showers bring May flowers »
April, traditionally a rainy period, gives way to May, when flowers will bloom because of the water provided to them by the April rains.By extension, that a period of discomfort can provide the basis for a period of happiness.
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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.
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barking dogs seldom bite »
People who make big threats never usually carry them out.
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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.
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bleep out »
To censor inappropriate spoken words by obscuring them with the sound of a bleep.
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boss about »
To act in a bossy manner with another person, ordering them to do things, whether or not one is actually their superior.
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boss around »
To act in a bossy manner with another person, ordering them to do things, whether or not one is actually their superior.
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breathe down someone's neck »
To follow someone too closely, making it uncomfortable for them.
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bug off »
Used to tell somebody to leave them alone.
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cast off »
To finish the last row of knitted stitches and remove them securely from the needle.
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castle in the air »
A visionary project or scheme; a day-dream; an idle fancy; a pipe dream; any plan, desire, or idea that is unlikely to be ever realized; a near impossibility.
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chickens coming home to roost »
Consequences visited upon someone who originally had appeared to escape them.
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cut-and-thrust »
A vehement argument.
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do drugs »
To abuse an illegal drug or drugs, especially as a result of chemical addiction.
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facts on the ground »
A euphemism, similar to fait accompli, used as an oblique way of saying that discussions over the possession of a given piece of territory has been rendered moot by the presence of military forces.
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gandy dancer »
A railway laborer, especially a member of a crew which carries rails and affixes them to ties.
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get off with »
To befriend someone and snog them, especially in a public place.
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give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime »
It is more worthwhile to teach someone to do something, than to do something for them.
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give a sneck posset »
To give someone a cold reception; to close the door on someone; to reject them.
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give him enough rope and he'll hang himself »
If one gives someone enough freedom of action, they may destroy themselves by foolish actions.
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go away »
Command asking someone to leave them alone.
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God helps those who help themselves »
Fortune comes to those who make a genuine effort to accomplish things.
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golden rule »
The principle that one should treat other people in the manner in which one would want to be treated by them.
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has-been »
A formerly popular or influential person whose popularity or effectiveness has peaked and is now in decline. Typically said of professionals or celebrities whose primary success is behind them.
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haul his ashes »
A euphemism for sexual intercourse.
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heaven helps those who help themselves »
A maxim encouraging people to get involved in their own problems.
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hem and haw »
To discuss, deliberate, or contemplate rather than taking action.
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hem in »
enclose, confine
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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..
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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.
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hot potato »
A child's game in which players pass a ball or other item between them, with the object of avoiding being left holding the item when time expires.
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how do you like them apples »
Directed jestingly or mockingly at someone who has received surprising information, ridiculing the situation.
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if all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail »
With limited tools, single-minded people apply them inappropriately or indiscriminatelyIf a person is familiar with a certain, single subject/has with them a certain, single instrument, they may have a confirmation bias to believe that it is the answer to/involved in everything.
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if you can't beat them, join them »
If your adversaries are stronger than yourself, it is better to join the adversaries.
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if you love somebody, set them free »
One should be willing to let go of someone they love if they truly love them.
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jack of all trades »
One competent in many endeavors, especially one who excels in none of them.
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jump on »
To attack someone verbally, or criticise them over strongly for small errors.
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keep one's eye on the ball »
To maintain one's concentration fixed on one important theme.
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knock around »
To hit someone, or behave violently towards them.
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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.
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lump together »
To put different items or groups together and treat them, or think of them as one single group.
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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.
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meals on wheels »
Food delivered to the homes of those unable to cook for themselves.
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mend one's ways »
To recognise one's failings and attempt to remedy them.
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mercury »
A silvery-colored metallic chemical element, liquid at room temperature, with atomic number 80 and symbol Hg.
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mince words »
To restrain oneself in a conversation by withholding some comments or using euphemisms.
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much of a muchness »
Of two or more things, having little difference of any significance between them.
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name and shame »
So as to single them out for individual blame and censure.
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not touch something with a ten foot pole »
Ambrose Bierce , The Fiend's Delight In conclusion, his respect for letter-writing ladies is so great that he would not touch one of them with a ten-foot pole.
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nudge nudge wink wink »
A phrase added at the end of the sentence to hint that the speaker is referring to something else, euphemistically.
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one thousand »
Used in a common chronometric counting scheme, in which each iteration is sequentially numbered and supposed to be approximately one second in length.
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one-night stand »
An occasion when a performer or team of them expects to perform at a theater for a single evening.
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pay the piper »
To pay a monetary debt or experience unfavorable consequences, especially when the payment or consequences are inevitable in spite of attempts to avoid them.
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pee off »
Euphemistic variant of piss off.
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plead the fifth »
To invoke the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which protects witnesses from being forced to incriminate themselves.
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put down »
To drop someone off, or let them out of a vehicle.
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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.
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rebrousser chemin »
To retrace one's steps, to turn back.
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red face test »
A hypothetical test of a person's embarrassment, that is either passed or failed. Saying one passes the red face test means one would not blush and thus would not be embarrassed by disclosing something to others or doing something, and saying one fails the red face test means a situation would cause them discernible embarrassment.
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red ink »
A euphemism for financial loss.
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run around after »
To spend a lot of time doing things for another person or group of people. Often used when that person could reasonably do the things for themselves.
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run down »
To hit someone with a car or other vehicle and injure or kill them.
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run off with »
To leave with someone with the intention of living with them or marrying them. Usually in secret because other people think it is wrong.
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see a man »
A bland euphemism to conceal one's true purpose.
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see you next Tuesday »
A euphemism for cunt.
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sell a bargain »
A species of wit, much in vogue about the latter end of the reign of Queen Anne, and frequently alluded to by Dean Swift, who says the maids of honour often amused themselves with it. It consisted in the seller naming his or her hinder parts, in answer to the question, What? which the buyer was artfully led to ask. As a specimen, take the following instance: A lady would come into a room full of company, apparently frightened, crying out "It is white, and follows me!" As soon as someone responded "What?" she sold him the bargain, by saying "Mine arse".
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space out »
To plant seedlings etc at regular intervals with a calculated space between them.
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stock phrase »
A phrase frequently or habitually used by a person or group, and thus associated with them.
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sweet dreams »
Phrase said to someone before they fall asleep, wishing them a good sleep.
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take apart »
To move someone away from others to be able to talk to, or give them something in private.
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take care of the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves »
If you take care of little things one at a time, they can add up to big things.1750, Chesterfield, letter 5 Feb. (1932) IV. 1500:Old Mr. Lowndes, the famous Secretary of the Treasury, ?used to say?Take care of the pence, and the pounds will take care of themselves.1912, G. B. Shaw, Pygmalion ii. 132:Take care of the pence and the pounds will take care of themselves is as true of personal habits as of money.1979, R. Cassilis, Arrow of God, iv. xvii.:Little things, Master Mally. Look after the pennies, Master Mally, and the pounds will look after themselves.1999,
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them's the breaks »
(idiomatic) That is the way things happen; that's life.
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them's the facts »
That's the truth, that's how it is; frequently used in reference to an unfortunate truth.
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throw dirt enough, and some will stick »
If enough allegations are made about someone or something, then even if they are all untrue, people's opinion of the person or thing will be diminished.1759, John Wesley, letter to John Downes, Rector of St. Michael's, Wood Street, read at Wesley Center Online at [1] on 14 Oct 06.I hope...that you are ignorant of the whole affair, and are so bold only because you are blind...And blind enough; so that you blunder on through thick and thin, bespattering all that come in your way, according to the old, laudable maxim, 'Throw dirt enough, and some will stick.'1857, Thomas Hughes, Tom Brown's Schooldays, read at fullbooks.com on 14 Oct 06,But whatever harm a spiteful tongue could do them, he took care should be done. Only throw dirt enough, and some will stick.1864, John Henry Newman, Apologia Pro Vita Sua, Penguin Classics (1994), p. 10,Archbishop Whately used to say
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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
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throw shapes »
To act tough or put up a front. For example, to threaten a person by making "karate chops" at them, without actually doing harm or knowing karate.
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treat them mean, keep them keen »
A woman will be more interested in a man if he is not kind to her.
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up to something »
Doing something mischievous or scheming.
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what the dickens »
Euphemism for what the Devil, used to add emphasis to "what" when beginning a question.
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why the dickens »
Euphemism for why the Devil, used to add emphasis to "why" when beginning a question.
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work over »
To physically attack someone to cause them injury.
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work the room »
To interact enthusiastically with the attendees at an event, by moving among them, greeting them, and engaging them in conversation.
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you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink »
You can show someone how to do something, but you can't make them do it.
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you made your bed, now sleep in it »
A moralizing rejection said to someone looking for an easy out, especially of a situation they put themselves into.
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