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!
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all thumbs »
Clumsy; awkward; not dextrous.
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because you touch yourself at night »
Used to humourously deflect a request for a reason.
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bluewash »
To tout a business or organization's commitment to social responsibility, and to use this perception for public relations and economic gain; to present a humanitarian front in this manner.
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born in a barn »
Of humble birth, especially when referring to Jesus Christ.
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bridge »
The upper bony ridge of the human nose.
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bring owls to Athens »
Forgive me, then, for bringing owls to Athens as a thanks-offering. — Goethe, in a letter to Wilhelm von Humboldt.
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brown thumb »
Lack of skill at growing plants; something possessed by a poor gardener.
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bum chum »
A male’s homosexual partner..
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but seriously folks »
Directs attention to immediately preceding failed attempt at humor.
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chump change »
A sum of money considered to be insignificant.
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chump change »
An amount of remuneration, reward, or other monetary recompense considered to be insultingly small.
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chump-change »
Of or pertaining to something of little monetary value.
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clay »
The material of the human body.
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cock a snook »
To spread one hand, place the thumb on the nose and wriggle some of the fingers as a gesture of disrespect.
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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.
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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.
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double talk »
Speaking in a mixture of real English and English-sounding gibberish, for humorous effect.
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eat crow »
To recognize that one has been shown to be mistaken or outdone, especially by admitting that one has made a humiliating error.
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eat humble pie »
To admit one's faults; to make a humiliating apology.
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end of the world »
End of humanity.
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fire hose »
The human penis.
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gallows humor »
Comedy that makes light of death or other very serious matters.
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good old boy »
A male friend or chum, especially a schoolmate; a man with an established network of friends who assist one another in social and business situations; a decent, dependable fellow.
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green thumb »
A natural skill for gardening.
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green thumb »
A person with this skill.
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hardwired »
In humans and animals, genetically determined, instinctive behavior, as opposed to learned behavior.
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hat in hand »
With humility; in an apologetic or self-effacing fashion.
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have a green thumb »
A person with a green thumb, a natural skill for gardening.
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have egg on one's face »
To suffer embarrassment or humiliation; to damage one's reputation.
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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.
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hum and haw »
Procrastinate and take a long time before doing something or taking a decision.
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humble pie »
A pie made from the offal of deer or hog.
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humble pie »
Humility, being humble.
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if my aunt had balls, she'd be my uncle »
(colloquial, vulgar, humorous) It is fruitless to speculate about counterfactual situations."We would have won the match if we'd had a decent goalkeeper.""And if my aunt had balls, she'd be my uncle!"
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knacker's yard »
That area of a slaughterhouse where carcasses unfit for human consumption are rendered down to produce useful materials such as glue.
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lame joke »
An attempt at humor which is perceived to have been used previously to the point of being cliche, or was never funny to begin with.
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long pork »
Human flesh.
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longpig »
Human flesh when cooked in cannabalistic rituals in certain Pacific Islands, due to the allegeded similarity to cooked pork.
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lose face »
To lose the respect of others, to be humiliated or experience public disgrace.
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main verte »
Green thumb.
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man is man to man »
The human is a human for itself
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mop the floor with somebody »
To trounce or defeat thoroughly or in a humiliating manner.
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naked ape »
A human being.
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no rest for the wicked »
(humorous) People who are wicked must work harder than normal people.
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open a can of whoop ass »
A good-humored threat of physical harm.
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outside world »
The world external to the human mind.
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play on words »
A pun, or similar humorous use of language such as a double entendre.
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put somebody in his place »
To bring somebody down; to humble or insult.
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real men don't eat quiche »
(aphorism, humorous) The stereotypical man does not do things that are considered effeminate, as to do so would imply they are effeminate.
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rediscover fire »
To relearn fundamental concepts, principles or practices that had been previously well known and widely practiced at a prior time in human society.
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rule of thumb »
A general guideline, rather than a strict rule; an approximate measure or means of reckoning based on experience or common knowledge.
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send up »
To imitate someone or something for the purpose of satirical humour.
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stop the lights »
An interjection expressing exasperation or incredulity. or to illustrate the humour in a situation.
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swallow one's pride »
To set aside one's feelings of pride and adopt a more humble or appropriate stance.
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the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak »
(proverbs) For much as one wishes to achieve something, the frailties of the human body often make it impossible.
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the world is one's lobster »
(UK, humorous) intentional misrendering of the proverb "the world is one's oyster"
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thumb a ride »
To flag or signal a passing vehicle in hopes of securing passage.
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thumb a ride »
To secure a ride by flagging down a vehicle.
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thumb one's nose »
To act disrespectfully, especially by flouting the object of disrespect.
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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.
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thumbs up »
A gesture signifying approval or okay; a thumb pointing up out of a fist.
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thumbs up »
An approval or okay.
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to err is human »
Everyone makes mistakes.
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tomorrow is another day »
Tomorrow will bring new opportunities and a fresh start for one's endeavors.1600, author unknown, "Phillidaes Love-call to her Coridon, and his replying" (song), in England's Helicon, printed at London by I.R. for John Flasket:Phil. Yonder comes my Mother, Coridon,whether shall I flie?Cor. Under yonder Beech my lovely one,while she passeth by.Say to her thy true-Love was not heere,remember, remember,to morrow is another day:1896, Amelia E. Barr, A Knight of the Nets, ch. 8:"Well, well, my dear lass, to-night we cannot work, but we may sleep. . . . Keep a still heart tonight, and tomorrow is another day."1936, Margaret Mitchell, Gone with the Wind, ch. 63:"Tomorrow, I'll think of some way to get him back. After all, tomorrow is another day."2005, Fran Schumer, "JERSEY: In Princeton, Taking On Harvard's Fuss About Women," New York Times, 19 June (retrieved 18 Aug. 2009):"Half of me is depressed
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tongue-in-cheek »
Not intended seriously; jocular or humorous.
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twiddle one's thumbs »
To circle one's thumbs around one another, usually with the fingers interlaced, usually done idly while waiting or bored.
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twiddle one's thumbs »
To wait or dawdle; to accomplish nothing useful or lack a useful occupation.
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two thumbs up »
A hand gesture indicating strong approval.
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two thumbs up »
The strong approval itself.
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two-second rule »
A rule of thumb for safe driving by which a driver must maintain a two-second distance from the vehicle in front.
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under one's thumb »
Completely controlled by someone; at someone’s command..
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valley of the shadow of death »
Valleys on earth one must walk through, that is, part of the human experience.
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wild horses »
A force not subject to human control and normally stronger than a man.
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wipe somebody's eye »
To defeat; to humiliate.
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world »
Human collective existence; existence in general.
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