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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apple does not fall far from the tree »
A child grows up to be very similar to its parents, both in behavior and in physical characteristics.1842, E. A. Freidlaender (translator), Frederika Bremer (author), The Neighbours, ch. 10:It is impossible to look at Madam Rhen, without at once making the conclusion that she is pleasantness, hospitality, and loquacity itself; nor can one look upon her daughter Renetta without thinking, "the apple does not fall far from the tree!"1978, Dr. Isador Rosenfeld, "Doctor Asks Patient
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backassward »
Alternative form of bass-ackwards.
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backasswards »
Alternative form of bass-ackwards.
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beat Banaghan »
An Irish saying of one who tells wonderful stories, or of something which is amazing and remarkable.
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big kahuna »
A boss, leader, chieftain, or top-ranking person in an organization.
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blood mary »
Vodka and tomato juice
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bog standard »
Especially plain, ordinary, or unremarkable; having no special, excess or unusual features; plain vanilla.
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brass monkey »
A cocktail of vodka, rum and orange juice, sometimes with the addition of galliano.
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break a sweat »
' , Karon Karter - The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Pilates Method page 119.
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bulletproof »
Unbreakable, very tough.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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diamond in the rough »
A person whose goodness or other positive qualities are hidden by a harsh or unremarkable surface appearance.
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draw out »
To use means to entice or force to be more open or talkative.
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eureka moment »
The moment of a sudden unexpected discovery.
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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
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feed a cold, starve a fever »
Eating more will cure the common cold, and eating less will cure a fever.1887, J. H. Whelan, "The Treatment of Colds.", The Practitioner, vol. 38, pg. 180:"Feed a cold, starve a fever." There is a deal of wisdom in the first part of this advice. A person with a catarrh should take an abundance of light nutritious food, and some light wine, but avoid spirits, and above all tobacco.1968, Katinka Loeser, The Archers at Home, publ. Atheneum, New York, pg. 60:I have a cold. 'Feed a cold, starve a fever.' You certainly know that.2009, Shelly Reuben, Tabula Rasa, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, ISBN 015101079X, pg. 60:They say feed a cold, starve a fever, but they don't tell you what to do when you got both, so I figured scrambled eggs, tea, and toast.
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fruit of one's loins »
C. 1950, Kay Boyle, "Adam's Death" in Fifty Stories , ISBN 9780811212069, p. 541.
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goodbye cruel world »
A call said before taking a stiff drink, especially a shot of vodka.
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hole in one »
Any rare, wonderful, or remarkable accomplishment.
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horse's ass »
A jerk; an unpleasant, unlikable person; an asshole.
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it's all grist to the mill »
Everything referred to in the present context has some sort of use.1999, Simon Blackburn, Think: A Compelling Introduction to Philosophy (Oxford University Press paperback, ISBN 0199690871), ch. 7 section 6: "Kant
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kangaroo court »
A judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding, or a group which conducts such proceedings, which is without proper authority, abusive, or otherwise unjust.
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kit and kaboodle »
Everything; the lot.
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lay off »
From employment, e.g. at a time of low business volume, often with a severance package.
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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.
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not be able to get a word in edgeways »
To be unable to say a single word because of someone else's talkativeness.
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not half bad »
Pretty good; okay; decent.
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not in Kansas anymore »
No longer in quiet and comfortable surroundings; in the big city.
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on end »
Remarkably long; continuously.
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on ice »
Performed by ice skaters as an ice show.
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out the door »
The exact image, a lookalike.
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rag the puck »
To retain possession of the puck by skillful skating and stickhandling without attempting to score, as a deliberate tactic intended to use up time.
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skate on thin ice »
In a risky, potentially dangerous or delicate situation.
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tart up »
To modify or repackage a product, service, or idea to make it more attractive or easier to sell.
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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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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 go »
Served in a package or takeout container so as to be taken away from a restaurant rather than eaten on the premises.
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zip up »
To convert a computer file into a smaller package.
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