We've found 1545 phrases for la (0.1 seconds):

a bad workman always blames his tools »    It is not the tools we use which make us good, but rather how we employ them.

a chain is only as strong as its weakest link »    An organization (especially a process or a business) is only as strong or powerful as its weakest person. A group of associates is only as strong as its laziest member.

a day late and a dollar short »    Action that was taken too late and too feeble to be of any use.

a different ballpark »    Something totally unrelated or of a vastly different scale or scope.

a gentleman and a scholar »    An admirable person.

a man is known by the company he keeps »    People are similar in character to their friends.

a nod is as good as a wink »    The hint, suggestion etc can be understood without further explaining.

a penny saved is a penny earned »    A maxim for thrift that says that money not spent may be spent later, or may earn interest in the meantime

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!

a rolling stone gathers no moss »    A person who never settles in one place will never be successful.A person who does not keep active will grow mouldy.

a scholar and a gentleman »    An admirable person.

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.

abide by »    To accept a decision or law and act in accordance with it; to conform to; to acquiesce; as, to abide by an award.

above the law »    Exempt from the laws that apply to everyone else.

according to »    According to him, every person was to be bought. - Thomas Babington Macaulay.

account for »    To explain by relating circumstances; to show that some one, thing or members of a group are present or have been processed.

ace of spades »    The playing card belonging to the spades suit and featuring one pip.

acknowledge the corn »    To cop a plea; to admit to a small error but not a larger one.

across the board »    A racing bet where one bets that the same competitor will place in first, second and third.

across the pond »    On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.

act out »    To go through the process of a scene from a play, a charade or a pointless exercise.

add fuel to fire »    To inflame a situation, to make a situation worse.

add fuel to the fire »    To worsen a conflict between people; to inflame an already tense situation.

add up »    To accumulate; to amount to.

add up to »    To have a particular effect.

Adds up »    To enhance. " lawofattraction.com">Law of attraction adds up to the success in life."

admiral of the blue »    A landlord or publican wearing a blue apron, as was formerly the custom among men of that vocation.

after the fact »    Too late; after something is finished or final.

against the collar »    In a tight spot.

against the grain »    To sand or plane a piece of wood parallel or nearly parallel to the fibers such that splinters forming ahead of the tool originate below the cutting surface.

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.

aim at »    To design for a particular audience.

air bed »    inflatable mattress

albatross »    Any of various large seabirds of the family Diomedeidae ranging widely in the Southern Ocean and the North Pacific and having a hooked beak and long narrow wings.

all bark and no bite »    Full of big talk but lacking action, power, or substance; pretentious.

all ears »    Awaiting an explanation.

all good things come to an end »    Nothing lasts forever.

all hat and no cattle »    Full of big talk but lacking action, power, or substance; pretentious.

all hell breaks loose »    Vi A place or state of fury, turmoil, destruction, or chaos.

all in a day's work »    A nonchalant dismissal of a significant accomplishment.

all it's cracked up to be »    As good as claims or reputation would suggest.

all kidding aside »    Used to attempt to make a serious point in a jocular conversation.

all over hell's half acre »    All over the place; everywhere.

all over the board »    Showing a wide range of values with no particular pattern.

all over the place »    Everywhere, especially chaotically or in such a way as to make a mess.

all over the place »    Inconsistent; lacking a clear pattern.

all that jazz »    Everything else related to something; other similar things.

all the rage »    Very fashionable and popular, like a craze.

all walks of life »    All professions, lifestyles or social classes.

all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy »    Too much focus on one's career is often viewed unfavorably.Too much hard work and not enough leisure time can be unhealthy.

allow for »    To take into account when making plans.

almighty dollar »    The dollar, satirically characterized as a being a god.

also ran »    unplaced horse

am I right or am I right »    Rhetorical question from somebody who has stated what they consider to be an unassailable truth.

amateur hour »    A situation or activity in which the participants show a lack of skill, sound judgment, or professionalism.

amber nectar »    Lager beer.

and shit »    Used after a noun or list of nouns in place of "etc".

and so forth »    Indicates that a list continues in a similar manner.

and so on »    Indicates that a list continues in a similar manner.

answer back »    To reply to a question at a later time.

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

apple of somebody's eye »    A favourite, a particular preference, or a loved one; the object of somebody's affections.

Après-ski »    A place "after skiing". Typically a bar or pub where people go after a day on the slopes to ease off and meet other people.

arm and a leg »    A relatively high price for an item or service; an exorbitant price.

arm's length »    Independent, but related.

around Robin Hood's barn »    All over the place.

arse about face »    Something that is placed or arranged the opposite way to the way it should be.

arse end of nowhere »    A very remote place.

arse over tit »    Tumbling; falling; upside-down; unstable or unbalanced.

as all get-out »    Extremely; to a superlative degree; very much.

as far as »    With respect to; as relates to.

as the crow flies »    In a straight line distance between two locations, as opposed to the road distance or over land distance.

ask for the moon »    To claim or desire something that one cannot have.

asphalt jungle »    A city or urban area, where the landscape is covered by pavement and the environment is alienating and unsafe.

at a glance »    Upon cursory examination; an abbreviated review.

at all hours »    Late into the night or early morning; when people ought to be sleeping.

at arm's length »    Avoiding a close relationship.

at cross-purposes »    Mutually misunderstanding each other's plans, intentions or meanings.

at hand »    Readily available; within easy reach; nearby.

at home »    In one's place of residence.

at large »    In full, fully.

at large »    In general; as a whole.

at large »    On the loose; roaming freely; not confined.

at last »    After a long time; eventually.

at last »    In the end; finally; ultimately.

at latter Lammas »    Never.

at one's fingertips »    Readily available.

at work »    At one's workplace.

avant la lettre »    An example of a term before the term was coined. Describing a term used anachronistically.

avoir du pois lay »    Stealing brass weights off the counters of shops.

back down »    To take a less aggressive position in a conflict than one previously has or has planned to.

back gammon player »    A sodomite.

back of beyond »    A very remote place.

back off »    To become less aggressive, particularly when one had appeared committed to act.

back-to-back »    Identical or similar and sequential.

backfoot »    To put on the defensive; to put off balance.

bad joke »    A situation that is badly planned, or illogical.

bad money drives out good »    Debased coinage (with low levels of precious metals) replaces purer coinage (with higher levels of precious metals).(metaphorically) Mediocre talent drives away real talent.

balance out »    To counteract one another so as to be balanced.

balance the books »    To add up all the debits and credits.

balance the books »    To put or keep any closed or conservative system or its analysis in balance.

balancing act »    A performance that involves balancing things precariously and suspensefully.

balancing act »    An effort to manage many conflicting or competing items or interests.

balls up »    Third-person singular simple present indicative form of ball up.

bar star »    A female who frequents bars or lounges, usually late at night.

barrel »    A round vessel or cask, of greater length than breadth, and bulging in the middle, made of staves bound with hoops, and having flat ends or heads. Sometimes applied to a similar cylindrical container made of metal, usually called a drum.

barrel »    The quantity which constitutes a full barrel. This varies for different articles and also in different places for the same article, being regulated by custom or by law. A barrel of wine is 31 1/2 gallons; a barrel of flour is 196 pounds; of beer 31 gallons; of ale 32 gallons; of crude oil 42 gallons.

barrel of laughs »    A toy in the shape of a barrel that emits sounds of laughter.

barrel of laughs »    That which is enjoyable or entertaining.

barrel of laughs »    That which is immature, embarrassing, or disgraceful.

bat an eyelash »    To react in any slight way; to respond.

bawdy basket »    The twenty-third rank of canters, who carry pins, tape, ballads, and obscene books to sell, but live mostly by stealing.

be glad to see the back of »    To be glad to get rid of someone; to be glad someone has left.

be there for »    To be available to provide comfort and support for someone, especially in a period of difficulty.

beam up »    To be teleported over a long distance by means of a specific imaginary technology, specifically from the surface of a planet to an orbiting starship.

beat around the bush »    To delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant.

beat up »    To alarm by a sudden attack.

beaver away »    To busily undertake a large task.

bee in one's bonnet »    Something of particular interest or concern; an obsession.

beef to the hoof »    Fat, chubby, particularly with fat legs.

beefed out »    Muscular, often in an exaggerated way.

been there, done that »    An assertion that the speaker has personal experience or knowledge of a particular place or topic and is now bored.

been to the rodeo »    N.d., Alan Neff, Precious Tribes, Vicious Lies, page 72.

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 »    Of a punch, landing illegally, below the opponent's waist.

bench jockey »    A baseball term for a player, coach or manager who is annoying and distracts opposition players and umpires from his team's dugout bench with verbal repartee.

best bet »    The best proposal or plan.

best laid plans »    A proverbial expression used to signify the futility of making detailed plans when the outcome is uncertain.

bet dollars to donuts »    To suggest that something is very likely to be true or that one has a strong hunch about something.

better an egg today than a hen tomorrow »    It is better to have a sure thing now than a possibility of more later.

better than sex »    Superlative; wonderful.

better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness »    In the face of bad times or hopelessness, it is more worthwhile to do some good, however small, in response than to complain about the situation.

between a rock and a hard place »    Having the choice between two unpleasant or distasteful options; in a predicament or quandary.

between Scylla and Charybdis »    Similar in meaning to between a rock and a hard place.

beyond the black stump »    Extremely remote, outside the populated area.

big boy »    A large object or person.

big enchilada »    A very important person, especially the highest-ranking individual in an organization.

big enchilada »    Some item of high value, especially a top prize or reward.

big fish in a small pond »    One who has achieved a high rank or is highly esteemed, but only in a small, relatively unimportant, or little known location or organization.

big gun »    A large-caliber artillery piece.

big mouth »    The mouth of someone who talks too much, especially by making exaggerated claims or by inappropriately revealing information.

big up »    To proclaim or exaggerate the importance of.

bill of goods »    A set of misleading or deceptive claims; misinformation.

birds of a feather »    People having similar characters, backgrounds, interests, or beliefs.

birds of a feather flock together »    People of similar character, background, or taste tend to congregate or associate with one another.

birthday suit »    Nakedness; a lack of clothing.

black »    Absorbing all light and reflecting none; dark and colourless.

black »    Bad; evil.

black »    Illegitimate, illegal or disgraced.

black »    Lacking cream, milk, and creamer.

black »    Overcrowded.

black »    Without light.

black and blue »    Covered in bruises.

black babies »    Third world charities, the missions.

black magic »    Magic derived from evil forces, as distinct from good or benign forces; or magic performed with the intention of doing harm.

black sheep »    A disliked person; one who is disfavored.

black sheep »    A nonconformist; an unusual or unconventional person.

black sheep »    A sheep that is black.

black-on-black »    A description of the colors of an automobile .

black-on-black »    A reference to interactions between black people .

black-on-black »    Something that is invisible or intentionally obfuscated, such as warnings or fine print.

blame Canada »    A catch phrase for shifting attention away from a serious social issue by laying responsibility with Canada.

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.

blaze a trail »    To set precedent or do something novel; to break new ground.

blaze a trail »    To show the way or proceed rapidly.

bleeding edge »    Something very current, or modern where there may actually be a hazard or risk in using it, such as with potentially unstable software. The term relates to a sword.

blessed event »    An occurrence or occasion which is particularly noteworthy and enjoyable.

blind »    A covering for a window to keep out light. The covering may be made of cloth or of narrow slats that can block light or allow it to pass.

blind »    A player who is or was forced to make a bet.

blood is thicker than water »    Family relations and loyalties are stronger than relationships with people who are not family members.1866, Anthony Trollope, The Belton Estate, ch. 30,Blood is thicker than water, is it not? If cousins are not friends, who can be?circa 1915, Lucy Fitch Perkins, The Scotch Twins, ch. 5,The old clans are scattered now, but blood is thicker than water still, and you're welcome to the fireside of your kinsman!

blow away »    Flabbergast; scintillate; impress greatly.

blow hot and cold »    To behave inconsistently; to vacillate or to waver, as between extremes of opinion or emotion.

blow smoke »    To speak with a lack of credibility, sense, purpose, or truth; to speak nonsense.

blow someone's mind »    To astonish someone, to flabbergast someone.

blow up »    To inflate or fill with air.

blow up »    To enlarge or zoom in.

blow up »    To become popular very quickly.

blue note »    Notes added to the major scale for expressive quality in jazz and blues music, particularly the flatted third, fifth and seventh.

blue whale »    largest mammal

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.

bluewash »    To use a blue paint or glaze.

bog standard »    Especially plain, ordinary, or unremarkable; having no special, excess or unusual features; plain vanilla.

bogged down »    Stuck; mired, as in detail, difficulty; delayed or made slower.

bone idle »    lazy

boot camp »    Indoctrination, physical fitness training and basic instruction in service-related subjects for recruits in the Navy and Marine Corps.

born in a barn »    Lacking a sense of etiquette; ill-mannered.

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.

bottle out »    To fail to perform a promised or planned action due to lack of courage.

bottom line »    The final balance; the amount of money or profit left after everything has been tallied.

bottom of the line »    The worst, the most lackluster, or lowest quality currently on the market, especially among selections in a product line.

bottom of the ninth »    By extension, any last chance or final opportunity.

bowl over »    To overwhelm with astonishment or wonder; to flabbergast.

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.

boys will be boys »    It is hard, often fruitless, to attempt to curb the natural playfulness and tendency to mischief of most growing boys.1922, James Joyce, Ulysses Chapter 13But just then there was a slight altercation between Master Tommy and Master Jacky. Boys will be boys and our two twins were no exception to this golden rule.Even grown men usually remain somewhat boyish in heart"Boys will be boys", grinned grandpa while he joined his adult son playing with the fancy train-set he gave his grandson for Christmas while the kid was in school.

brain fart »    A lapse in the thought process; an inability to think or remember something clearly.

branch out »    To attempt something new or different, but related.

break a sweat »    ' , Karon Karter - The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Pilates Method page 119.

break a sweat »    January 2008, The Age - Walkovers blaze a trail for women's equal-pay theory.

break the bank »    To win more money than is available to be paid.

break the buck »    Fall below the value of one dollar per share.[1].

break up »    To end a relationship.

break wind »    To flatulate; fart; to expel gases generated during digestion through the anus.

breakfast of champions »    An ironic appellation for beer, junk food, or other foods implied to be unhealthy.

breathe easy »    To relax or feel secure about something.

brick up »    To block by masonry, particularly using bricks.

brickbat »    A piece of brick used as a weapon, especially if thrown, or placed in something like a sock and used as a club.

bridge »    A particular form of one hand placed on the table to support the cue when making a shot in cue sports.

bridge »    A prosthesis replacing one or several adjacent teeth.

bridge »    A system which connects two or more local area networks at layer 2.

bridge »    An elevated platform above the upper deck of a mechanically propelled ship from which it is navigated and from which all activities on deck can be seen and controlled by the captain, etc; smaller ships have a wheelhouse, and sailing ships were controlled from a quarterdeck.

bridge »    Any of several electrical devices that measure characteristics such as impedance and inductance by balancing different parts of a circuit.

bright-eyed and bushy-tailed »    Alert and in an eager, frisky, or playful mood; full of life.

bring about »    To cause to take place.

bring back »    To reenact an old rule or law.

bring down the house »    To garner enthusiastic or wild applause.

bring forth »    To display, produce, bring out for display.

bring forward »    To make something happen earlier than originally planned.

bring in »    To introduce a new rule, law, or system of organisation.

bring in »    To return a verdict in a court of law.

bring out »    To elicit, evoke, or emphasize a particular quality.

broken vessel »    A person who is destroyed or forgotten, or who feels flawed or broken.

brown thumb »    Lack of skill at growing plants; something possessed by a poor gardener.

bug out »    Miss school, play truant, play hooky.

build up »    To accumulate, to pile up.

built like a tank »    Broad shouldered and of solid, muscular build.

bump up »    To give a more prominent place to; to advance position in queue.

bumper crop »    A large yield; an excess of something.

bunk off »    To play truant.

buried treasure »    Something, having been concealed for a long time, which later is found and is profitable.

burn out »    To extinguish due to lack of fuel.

burn the midnight oil »    To work studiously, especially late into the night.

bush telegraph »    A system used by undeveloped societies in remote regions for communication over long distances, such as drum sounds, word-of-mouth relay, or smoke signals.

business as usual »    The normal course of an activity, particularly in circumstances that are out of the ordinary.

business end »    The part of a tool or other similar item, that is physically used for its operation, rather than the part which is held.

butter up »    To flatter, especially with the intent of personal gain.

button up »    To fasten all the buttons on a coat, or similar item of clothing, to keep warm.

button-down »    Of a collar, able to be buttoned down to the shirt, as over a necktie.

buy time »    Purposefully cause a delay to something, in order to achieve something else.

by and large »    Mostly, generally; with few exceptions.

by far »    To a considerably large extent, easily.

by the numbers »    To do something exactly, precisely, or in a formulaic way.

by the same token »    For a similar reason; in a similar manner; similarly; likewise; along the same lines.

by-the-numbers »    Done in a predictable manner; formulaic.

call in »    To withdraw something from sale or circulation.

call it even »    To declare debts resolved or favors or other exchange equitable.

call on »    In a classroom, to select a student.

camel's nose »    A metaphor for a situation where the permitting of some small act will lead consequently to a larger undesirable act or circumstance.

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.

carry on »    To take baggage or luggage onto an airplane, rather than check it.

cast off »    To finish the last row of knitted stitches and remove them securely from the needle.

cast the first stone »    To act self-righteously in accusing another person, believing that one is blameless.

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.

cat that ate the canary »    A person whose appearance and behavior suggest guilt mixed with other qualities, such as satisfaction or feigned nonchalance.

catch big air »    Superlative of catch air; make a big jump high off the ground.

catch fire »    Become engulfed with flames.

catch on »    To become popular; to become commonplace; to become the standard.

cattle call »    An audition which is open to the public and thus draws a large number of applicants, many of whom are inexperienced.

cave in »    The act of something collapsing or caving in.

center field »    The defensive position in the outfield in the middle, typically played by a player that can run fast.

center field »    The part of a baseball field which is beyond the infield and straight ahead left if you stand on home plate and face the pitcher.

ceterum censeo »    A formulaic expression used to end a speech by reinforcing one, often unrelated, major view.

chalk up »    To attribute, credit, or blame.

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.

champ at the bit »    To show impatience or frustration when delayed.

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.

chat up »    In a friendly, open, or casual manner, sometimes also in a charming or affected manner, usually to curry favor, and sometimes flirtatiously with the intention of establishing a romantic or sexual encounter or relationship with that person.

che sera sera »    Used to express a personal philosophy of fatalism1604, Christopher Marlowe, Doctor Faustus:Why then belike we must sin, / And so consequently die. / Aye, we must die an everlasting death. / What doctrine call you this ? Che, sera, sera: / What will be*, shall be; Divinity adieu. / These Metaphysics of Magicians, / And necromantic books, are heavenly.

check out »    Used to draw attention to something and stimulate excitement about it.

chew the scenery »    To display excessive emotion or to act in an exaggerated manner while performing; to be melodramatic; to be flamboyant.

child's play »    Something particularly simple or easy.

chill out »    Relax, take it easy.

chomp at the bit »    To show impatience or frustration when delayed.

circular firing squad »    A political party or other group experiencing considerable disarray because the members are engaging in internal disputes and mutual recrimination.

claim to fame »    That for which one has bragging rights; one's reason for being well-known or famous.

clam up »    To become silent; to stop talking, to shut up.

clamp down on »    To take measures to stop something; to put an end to.

class clown »    A student who frequently makes jokes or pokes fun; a wiseacre.

clay »    A mineral substance made up of small crystals of silica and alumina, that is ductile when moist; the material of pre-fired ceramics.

clay »    A tennis court surface.

clay »    An earth material with ductile qualities.

clay »    The material of the human body.

clean up »    To make a large profit; to win by a large margin, or to win a large amount, especially in gambling. Also clean house.

clear up »    To clarify, to correct a misconception.

clock up »    To accumulate a large amount of time.

clock up »    To accumulate a large distance.

clogs to clogs in three generations »    (UK) Wealth earned in one generation seldom lasts through the third (grandchild

close in on »    To enclose around; to tighten or shrink; to collapse.

cloud nine »    A state of happiness, elation or bliss; often used in the phrase on cloud nine.

clout list »    A usually secret list containing the names of people who are to be given special access, benefits, or influence in a political or social situation, especially as a result of having personal, professional, or financial relationships with those in authority.

coals to Newcastle »    A pointless venture, in the sense of sending something to a place where it's made, or where they already have an abundance.

cock a hoop »    elated

cock a snook »    To spread one hand, place the thumb on the nose and wriggle some of the fingers as a gesture of disrespect.

cold comfort »    Much less reassurance, consolation, aid, or pleasure than one needs or desires.

cold fish »    A heartless individual; a person lacking empathy and emotion.

Cold hands, warm heart; Dirty feet, no sweetheart! »    A few old timer's "fun" way to compliment a lady & to find out if she could be courted.

come about »    To come to pass; to develop; to occur; to take place; to happen.

come back »    To return to a place.

come in »    To join or enter; to begin playing with a group.

come on »    A statement or sometimes action reflecting sexual or relational interest.

come out of the woodwork »    To appear or emerge as though out of nowhere, frequently in large numbers or quantity.

come round »    To make a regular circuit.

come to a head »    To suddenly reveal that which has lain latent for a time.

comfort girl »    A sex slave; prostitute.

company »    A military unit, typically consisting of two or three platoons.

concrete jungle »    An urban or other populated area containing a high density of buildings constructed of concrete or similar materials, especially one which lacks greenery and which seems unattractive, harsh, or unsafe.

consume mass quantities »    To use large amounts of any resource.

cook the books »    To manipulate accounting information, esp. illegally, by a corporation.

cook up »    To manufacture; to falsify; to devise an elaborate lie.

cool it »    Calm down, relax, take a time out.

coop up »    To confine in a restricted place or situation.

correlation does not imply causation »    (statistics) The observed correlation between two parameters, say, the growth of a market and the growth of a neighbor's child may, in fact, have nothing to do with each other's causation.

could not get elected dogcatcher »    Is unpopular.

covenant of salt »    A long-lasting agreement.

cover one's ass »    To make preparations or take precautions to ensure that one is not blamed or punished for one's conduct.

crack down on »    To enforce laws or punish more vigilantly.

crack up »    To laugh heartily.

crack up »    To cause to laugh heartily.

crank out »    To produce in large volumes mechanically or as if by machine.

crashpad »    Any place used for temporary lodging.

crashpad »    In the aviation industry, used for a place of temporary lodging for airline flight crews.

cream in one's jeans »    To ejaculate while wearing one's trousers.

creature feature »    A horror film in which one or more monsters plays a prominent role.

crème de la crème »    Best of the best; something that's superlative. The very best.

crocodile tear »    A tear shed insincerely, in a false display of sorrow or some other emotion.

crocodile tears »    A display of tears that is forced or false.

cross my heart »    A declaration that the speaker is telling the truth.

cross paths »    To be, by chance, in the same physical place at the same time, as a result of two completely separate journeys.

cross the aisle »    Of a member of a parliament, to resign from one's political party and join another party, resulting in moving from one's currently assigned desk or seat in the legislative chamber to a new desk or seat physically located with the other members of one's new party.

cross the floor »    Of a member of a parliament, to resign from one's political party and join another party, resulting in moving from one's currently assigned desk or seat in the legislative chamber to a new desk or seat physically located with the other members of one's new party.

cry for help »    Acting out as a means of displaying a subconscious desire for attention or help.

cry out against »    To complain strongly, usually as a group.

cry someone a river »    To try to obtain the sympathy of another person by complaining or sniveling.

cry the blues »    To complain, especially in order to obtain sympathy for one's own purportedly sad situation.

cry wolf »    To raise a false alarm; to constantly warn others about an imagined threat, thereby failing to get assistance when a real threat appears.

curry favor »    To seek to gain favor by flattery or attention.

cut a wide swath »    To behave in an expansive, flagrantly showy, or pushy manner, especially in public venues; to exert sweeping influence.

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.

cut in »    Especially, to dance with someone who is already dancing by replacing his or her partner.

cut in »    When painting, to paint edges, corners, or trim in preparation for rolling larger areas.

cut it fine »    To achieve something at the last possible moment, or with no margin for error.

cut of one's jib »    Someone’s general appearance or the implications thereof, especially in relation to making an impression or one’s style..

cut off »    To isolate or remove from contact.

cut out »    Well suited; appropriate; fit for a particular activity or purpose.

cut short »    Interrupt and curtail before the planned end time.

cut somebody some slack »    To be patient or lenient with somebody; to relax standards or expectations.

cut the cheese »    To flatulate.

cutting edge »    The sharp edge of the blade of a knife.

dash off »    To leave a place quickly or briefly.

dead »    Figuratively, not alive; lacking life.

dead »    Not in play.

dead »    Without interest to one of the senses; dull; flat.

dead air »    An unintended interruption in a radio broadcast during which there is no sound; a similar interruption of a television broadcast in which there is neither sound nor a video signal.

dead last »    The standings, often by a considerable margin to the next-to-last-place finisher or after an exceptionally poor showing or season.

deadstick landing »    When a pilot lands a plane after the engine has died; a landing lacking any propulsion control.

deadweight »    The largest weight of cargo a ship is able to carry; i.e, the weight of a ship when fully loaded minus its weight when empty.

deafening silence »    A silence, or a lack of any response, that signifies disapproval or lack of any enthusiasm.

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.

deep end »    The part of a swimming pool with relatively deep water.

deer in the headlights »    A mental state of high arousal caused by anxiety fear, panic, surpriseand/or confusion, or substance abuse. The behavioral signs are like a deer subjected to a car's headlights, such as widely opened eyes and a lack of motor reactions.

den of iniquity »    A place of immoral behavior, usually of a sexual type.

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.

devil's advocate »    A canon lawyer appointed by the Church to argue against the canonization of the proposed candidate.

diamonds are a girl's best friend »    A statement that suggests, while love is a luxury, material wealth (particularly jewellery) is more valuable in the long run.

dirty laundry »    A clothes hamper or other container used to place unclean or soiled laundry.

dirty laundry »    Laundry that is unclean or soiled.

dirty laundry »    Unflattering facts or questionable activities that one wants to remain secret, but which some other may use to blackmail with.

divide and conquer »    A combination of political, military and economic strategies that aim to gain and maintain power by breaking up larger concentrations of power into chunks that individually have less power than the one implementing the strategy.(computing) Applied to various algorithms, such as quicksort, that solve a problem by splitting it recursively into smaller problems until all of the remaining problems are trivial.(as imperative, proverb) In order to rule securely, don't allow alliances of your enemies.

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.

do something with mirrors »    To jokingly pretend that one did something using magic mirrors, that one is a magician; a joking explanation of the fantastic or the unexplained.

do the math »    You can do the calculation yourself, with the implication that you don't have to trust someone else's assertions.

do without »    To manage despite the lack of something.

dog and pony show »    Any presentation or display that is overly contrived or intricate.

dog it »    To underperform; to lag behind; to fail to exert effort.

don't be penny wise and pound foolish »    Don't be careful when it comes to spending small amounts of money, but careless when spending much larger amounts.Don't focus on minutiae and lose sight of the big picture; don't obsess over tiny inconsequential efficiencies while glaring inefficiencies are going on elsewhere.

don't give up your day job »    Implying that they could not earn a living from it without other regular employment.

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.

double Dutch »    A language game akin to pig Latin.

double Dutch »    Incomprehensible language.

down in the dumps »    Sad; lacking engagement or enthusiasm.

down the tubes »    Into a state of collapse or failure.

down to the short strokes »    In the final steps or decisive phase of an undertaking, especially one which has been lengthy or laborious.

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.

draw a blank »    To be unable to produce a required piece of information.

draw out »    To make something last for more time than is necessary; prolong; extend.

draw stumps »    To declare an end to the days play, and remove the bails and sometimes the stumps.

drive the porcelain bus »    To vomit, especially while drunk or hung over.

drive-by media »    Media professionals who "spray" a bunch of repetitive misstatements, mistaken and misinterpreted news reports to cause excitement and confusion. They then figuratively "drive off" leaving the cleanup of their mess and hysteria to others, to correct and properly explain and interpret.

drop a bomb »    To announce surprising or alarming information suddenly and without warning.

drop back »    Of a quarterback or other player in the backfield, to take a number of steps back from the line of scrimmage immediately after the snap or hike of the ball, to avoid defenders.

drug of choice »    The best-choice medication to treat a particular medical problem.

due course »    Regular or appropriate passage or occurrence.

dumb down »    To convey some subject matter in simple terms, avoiding technical or academic language, especially in a way that is considered condescending.

dusty miller »    A formulaic phrase for a miller, related to the dust generated in the milling process.

dusty miller »    One of several species of plants with leaves of a dusty appearance: Centaurea cineraria, Senecio cineraria, and Lychnis coronaria.

early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise »    platitude from Benjamin Franklin under the pseudonym Poor Richard.

earn one's keep »    To perform satisfactory physical labor or to provide other worthy services in return for remuneration, lodging, or other benefits; to support oneself financially.

ears are burning »    Being the topic of discussion in another place; or sensing that this is happening.

easy does it »    Relax; do something gently, lightly or carefully; slow down; calm down.

eat one's hat »    Used in a result clause to express disbelief in the conditional clause proposition.

eat out »    To dine at a restaurant or such public place.

eleventh hour »    Nearly too late; the last minute.

end of the line »    The termination point of a railway or similar transportation system.

end of the world »    End of the planet Earth.

even Homer nods »    Not even the most vigilant and expert are immune from erring.

even keel »    A situation in which the boat is level and balanced for a smooth ride.

even keel »    A state of having one's emotions under control and balanced.

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,

every Jack has his Jill »    everybody will find someone to have a romantic relationship with at some point in their life

every last »    Every; without exception; used for emphasis.

everybody and their brother »    A large number of people; most people.

everyone and their brother »    A large number of people; most people.

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

experience is the best teacher »    Lessons learned from experience are the most lasting.

f** it »    An expression of great indifference or nonchalance.

f**ing hell »    An exclamation of anger.

f**ing hell »    An exclamation of great surprise.

face off »    The starting point, in a match of ice hockey. Two players face each other, for snatching the puck.

faceplant »    Death or defeat in popular multiplayer online games.

faceplant »    The act of landing face first, often associated with bailing during extreme sports.

factor space »    A space obtained from another by identification of points that are equivalent to one another in some equivalence relation.

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.

facts on the ground »    Some aspects of the situation in a particular location.

fade out »    A type of transition used in movies usually at the end of a scene, in which the transition fades to black from the cut.

fall apart »    To break into pieces through being in a dilapidated state.

fall by the wayside »    To fail to be completed, particularly for lack of interest; to be left out.

fall down »    To collapse.

fall in »    To collapse inwards.

fall into »    Without having planned it.

fall into »    To be classified as; to fall under.

fall off the wagon »    To cease or fail at a regimen of self-improvement or reform; to lapse back into an old habit or addiction.

fall on deaf ears »    Of a request, complaint, etc, to be ignored.

fall on one's face »    To fail, especially in a dramatic or particularly decisive manner.

fall on one's sword »    To voluntarily take the blame for a situation.

false friend »    A word in a foreign language bearing a deceptive resemblance to a word in one's own language.

far and away »    By a large degree or margin; greatly.

far and wide »    Over a great distance, or large area; nearly everywhere.

far be it »    A disclaimer stating that the person speaking will not do something.

far cry »    Something very dissimilar or different.

fashion plate »    A person who dresses in especially stylish fashions.

fashion plate »    A picture, usually an advertisement, showing the latest fashion in clothing.

fat of the land »    The greatest part of anything; the finest and most abundant share of resources; the cream of the crop.

fear »    A strong, uncontrollable, unpleasant emotion caused by actual or perceived danger or threat.

feather in one's cap »    An accomplishment; particularly one that is flaunted or boasted of.

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.

feed the dragon »    To buy or sell products labeled as "Made in China.".

feet of clay »    To say that someone, who appears strong or invincible, in fact has a hidden weak point which could cause their fall.

field day »    A day of class taken away from school for a field trip.

fifth wheel »    A type of trailer hitch, which consists of a horseshoe-shaped plate on a multi-directional pivot, with a locking pin to couple with the kingpin of a truck trailer.

fifth wheel »    A very large trailer that is towed with a pickup truck.

fifth wheel »    A very large truck trailer; an 18-wheeler.

fight fire with fire »    To respond to an attack with a similar or identical method.

fight off »    To resist, particularly an infection or an emotion.

fill in »    To fill; to replace material that is absent or has been removed.

filter down »    Of information, or resources; to move slowly down to lower levels of an organisation, or population.

fire-breathing »    That emits flame from the mouth or nostrils.

firm up »    To make tentative plans more definite.

first among equals »    In the British and other parliamentary systems, a term used to describe the relationship of the prime minister to the other members of the cabinet.

first class »    excellent

first loser »    Second place.

first loser »    The second place finisher in auto racing competition.

first port of call »    The first place to go to start a process.

first things first »    Deal with matters of highest priority first; deal with matters in logical sequence.1922, H. G. Wells, The Secret Places of the Heart, ch.4,"First things first," said Sir Richmond. If we set about getting fuel sanely, if we do it as the deliberate, co-operative act of the whole species, then it follows that we shall look very closely into the use that is being made of it.1999, Frank Pellegrini, "House Republicans Quell Mutiny Over Tax Bounty," Time, 23 Jul.,Judging by the polls

fit into »    To be of the right size and shape to be placed in a location.

fit into »    To be of similar cultural or social status as the members of a group of people.

flag down »    Use a flag or some kind of signal to get the attention of someone.

flap one's gums »    To speak idly; to talk without effect.

flash in the pan »    A career notable for early success not followed by significant accomplishment.

flash in the pan »    A transient occurrence with no long-term effect.

flat chat »    At maximum capability or speed.

flat chat »    Extremely busy.

flat out »    At top speed.

flat out »    Bluntly, no holds barred.

flat-chested »    Having a flat chest; having small breasts.

flat-earther »    A person who believes or advocates an outlandish, discredited theory; a person who refuses to acknowledge the truth despite overwhelming evidence.

flat-earther »    A person who believes or advocates the theory that the earth is flat.

flat-footed »    Having feet which are flat.

flat-footed »    Having the specific physical condition of flat feet.

flat-footed »    To firmly hold and maintain a decision; to stand one's ground.

flat-footed »    Unprepared to act.

flick the bean »    To masturbate by stimulating the clitoris.

flight of fancy »    An idea, narrative, suggestion, etc. which is extremely imaginative and which appears to be entirely unrealistic, untrue, or impractical; thinking which is very speculative.

flipside »    Later or tomorrow.

flipside »    A necessary consequence or corollary of something; especially one seen as opposite, or as pro versus con.

flogging the land »    Damaging agricultural land through excessive grazing or clearing.

flower »    A plant that bears flowers.

flower »    Of plants, a state of bearing blooms.

flower »    The vulva, especially the labia majora.

fly the coop »    To escape from a pen or similar enclosure.

fly the freak flag »    To behave in a unconventional or unrestrained manner; to exhibit the uninhibited side of one's personality.

fly-by-night »    One who departs or flees at night in order to avoid creditors, law enforcement etc. .

follow suit »    To play a card of the same suit as the previous or leading card.

food chain »    The feeding relationships between species in a biotic community.

fools rush in where angels fear to tread »    A person who does not plan ahead and think matters through becomes involved in risky or unfavorable situations which prudent people avoid.

for the heck of it »    For no particular reason, just because it is fun, entertaining; for to relieve boredom.

for the hell of it »    For no particular reason, just because it is fun, entertaining; for to relieve boredom.

for the sake of it »    For no particular reason, just because it is fun, entertaining; for to relieve boredom.

for the time being »    Temporarily; until later.

for XYZ reasons »    For reasons unknown and not worth speculating on.

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."

four score and seven years ago »    As an opener, a sometimes sarcastic indicator to indicate a past event being mentioned is particularly important.

four-on-the-floor »    Relating to a vehicle with a four-speed manual transmission mounted beside the driver on the floor of the vehicle.

fourth estate »    Which governed legislation.

fourth wall »    The imaginary invisible wall at the front of the stage in a proscenium theatre, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play.

fox in the henhouse »    A relationships wherein a predator is granted free reign within the prey's home confinement, often used in the political sense.

freak flag »    Unconventional or unrestrained behavior; extreme, nonconformist views; the side of one's personality which harbors a tendency toward such behavior or such views.

free-for-all »    Chaos; a chaotic situation lacking rules or control.

fresh legs »    Somebody who has yet to play in a match, and therefore has plenty of energy.

fresh off the boat »    Newly arrived from a foreign place, especially as an immigrant who is still unfamiliar with the customs and language of his or her new environment.

friend with benefits »    A friend with whom one has such a relationship.

frig it »    An expression of frustration similar to, but not as coarse as f** it.

from cover to cover »    All the way to the last page.

from here to Sunday »    Everywhere; all over the place.

from pillar to post »    To another; hither and thither, to and fro.

from soup to nuts »    From the first course of a meal to the last.

front and center »    A command to come to the center of attention of an assemblage, as of military personnel or students.

fruit of the union »    A child, especially from a marriage or similar union.

fruit salad »    dessert dish

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.

full blast »    Maximum capacity or effort.

full marks »    To exclaim complete satisfaction with someone's efforts.

full speed ahead »    Maximum effort without reservations or delay.

funny money »    A highly inflated currency.

funny money »    Play money.

funny stuff »    Irregular, often illegal, activities.

game plan »    Any strategy devised to reach a given objective.

gandy dancer »    A railway laborer, especially a member of a crew which carries rails and affixes them to ties.

garbage in, garbage out »    (computing, information technology) If input data is not complete, accurate, and timely, then the resulting output is unreliable and of no useful value.1963, Raymond Crowley, "Robot Tax Collector Seeks Indications of 'Fudging'," Times Daily (Alabama, USA), 1 April (retrieved 26 July 2010):Officials explained that the quality of the computer's work depends on the quality of the data fed into it. Neil Hoke, administrative assistant to Stewart, quoted an adage of computer men: "Garbage in, garbage out."2008, Roger K. Lewis, "'In Architectural Design, Brains and Talent Trump the Best Software," Washington Post, 19 July (retrieved 26 July 2010):The old caveat "GIGO"

get a grip »    To relax; to calm down; to stop being angry; to come to one's senses or become more rational.

get a room »    A jocular or sarcastic expression commanding a couple to stop displaying affection in public, and to rent a hotel or motel room to continue amorous activities in private.

get down to business »    To become involved with something work-related.

get in »    To enter a place; to gain access.

get off with »    To befriend someone and snog them, especially in a public place.

get on somebody's case »    To lecture, berate, or complain to somebody, especially to find fault or criticize.

get one's claws into »    Have a controlling influence over.

get one's foot in the door »    To initiate contact or a relationship; to gain access, especially to an entry-level job.

get out of Dodge »    To leave; in particular to leave a difficult or dangerous environment with all possible haste.

get out of here »    To leave or exit a place.

get out of here! »    An exclamation of disbelief.

get something straight »    To understand; to clarify.

get stuck in »    To dedicate a large amount of effort towards.

give a sneck posset »    To fasten the door latch.

give hostage to fortune »    To take an action or make a statement that is risky because it could cause you trouble later.

give in »    To collapse or fall.

give me liberty or give me death »    A set-phrase indicating enormous displeasure at any over-authoritarian policy or law.

give over »    To devote oneself to a particular activity.

give over »    Usually as an imperative. To tell someone to stop molesting, fooling around, or saying silly things. Or sometimes to stop saying flattering things.

give some skin »    To greet or congratulate someone by slapping his or her palm; see slap me five.

glad rags »    best clothes

glimmer »    A flash of light.

go back »    To return to a place.

go back to the drawing board »    To start again; to scrap a previous idea or plan and try again from the beginning.

go down »    To descend; to move from a higher place to a lower one.

go down »    To take place, happen.

go down that road »    To settle a way of doing something; do decide to do something in a particular way.

go down the road »    A way of doing something; to do something in a particular way.

go for broke »    To try everything possible or do last thing possible in a final attempt.

go from zero to hero »    To become very popular after being unpopular.

go jump in the lake »    Used to tell a person that to go away, or that their request will not be met.

go large »    To enjoy oneself to the maximum.

go large »    To have the wind at such an angle to the sail that the vessel gains its highest speed.

go large »    To supersize.

go off »    To begin clanging or making noise.

go out »    To leave one's abode to go to public places.

go out the window »    To vanish or cease, especially due to lack of care, attention, etc.; to be discarded, disregarded, or ignored.

go out with »    Often in hopes that the relationship will become more longterm as in definition 1.

go out with »    Date, be involved in a romantic relationship with.

go places »    To make progress or achieve success.

go the extra mile »    To make an extra effort; to do a particularly good job.

God works in mysterious ways »    Expressing confidence that a conundrum has a solution despite it not being apparent.Expressing that a seemingly unfortunate or unfavourable situation or change may be beneficial later or in the long run.Person A: It seems that I'm about to be fired from my job.Person B: Well, God works in mysterious ways - maybe it'll be the kick you need to apply to university...

going rate »    The current standard or usual price, rate, or salary for something.

gold standard »    A monetary system where the value of circulating money is linked to the value of gold.

golf widow »    A woman who is deprived of her husband's time and attention due to his regular absence in order to play golf.

good job »    Well done; congratulations!.

good old boy »    A friendly, unambitious, relatively uneducated, sometimes racially biased white man who embodies the stereotype of the folksy culture of the rural southern USA.

good on you »    An exclamation of encouragement or congratulation; well done.

goodbye cruel world »    An exclamation made before commiting suicide, or in a suicide note.

grasp at straws »    To guess randomly at or pursue any apparent option, as due to lack of options or information.

grate »    A horizontal metal grille through which water, ash, or small objects can fall, while larger objects cannot.

grease payment »    A bribe or extorted money, usually relatively small in amount, provided to a low-level government official or business person, in order to expedite a business decision, shipment, or other transaction, especially in a country where such payments are not unusual.

great unwashed »    A contemptuous term for the populace, particularly the working class.

greatest thing since sliced bread »    A relatively recent invention likely to significantly improve people's lives.

greener pastures »    Any place or condition that is more favorable or beneficial.

groaning »    That is heavily laden.

grow out of »    To become too physically large for something, especially clothes.

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.

gunboat diplomacy »    The pursuit of foreign policy objectives with the aid of conspicuous displays of military power.

hack into »    To gain unauthorized entry to, particularly by exploiting little-known weaknesses.

hand in hand »    Holding or clasping hands.

hand in hand »    Naturally, ordinarily or predictably together; commonly having a correlation or relationship.

hand waving »    Discussion or argumentation involving approximation, vagueness, educated guessing, or the attempt to explain or excuse vagaries.

hang in the balance »    To be in a precarious situation, unsure of the future.

hang out »    To spend time doing nothing in particular.

hang out with »    To spend time with friends, doing nothing in particular.

happy medium »    A balanced position between two opposite extremes.

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.

have a blast »    To thoroughly enjoy; to be excited or have lots of fun.

have a bone to pick »    To have a complaint or grievance with somebody.

have a flat »    To be the owner of an apartment.

have a flat »    To have a flat tyre.

have a scream »    To have a good time, to have a blast.

have eyes bigger than one's belly »    To take more food on one's plate than one can eat; to be greedy.

have eyes bigger than one's stomach »    To take more food on one's plate than one can eat; to be greedy.

have eyes in the back of one's head »    To be particularly, especially uncannily, observant; a perceived ability to see in all directions at once.

have in mind »    To consider, to contemplate, to intend.

have it large »    To engage intensely in pleasure-seeking activities.

have one's work cut out for one »    To face a large task or project.

have other fish to fry »    C. 1710, Jonathan Swift, The Journal to Stella, ch. 2, Letter 15.

have to do »    To relate; to be relevant.

have to do with the price of tea in China »    To have any relation or bearing whatsoever on the topic at hand, usually used to emphasize the lack of relationship of a non sequitur.

he who laughs last laughs best »    success is better after having previously endured ridicule.

he who laughs last laughs hardest »    Alternative form of he who laughs last laughs best.

he who smelt it dealt it »    (colloquial, originally) A person who calls attention to or complains about a fart is likely trying to pretend it wasn't his or her own.(colloquial, by extension) Used to suggest that a person calling attention to or complaining about a given problem may in fact be the source of the problem.

head and shoulders »    "He was head and shoulders above the others in the law firm.".

head for the hills »    To go to a safe place; to seek refuge; to flee.

head scratcher »    A particularly puzzling or confusing event.

heads or tails »    A game to bet upon a which side of a coin lays face up after it is thrown.

hear, hear »    Let us hear and applaud the previous speaker; I endorse the previous statement; Expression of support, agreement, or enthusiasm for what has just been said.

heart of glass »    A very fragile romantic state.

heavy-hearted »    Sad, melancholy.

hedge one's bets »    To place bets with a third party in order to offset potential losses.

hell and half of Georgia »    A very large region; everywhere.

hell on earth »    A very unpleasant situation; torment, particularly when widespread.

hem and haw »    To discuss, deliberate, or contemplate rather than taking action.

here and there »    In one place and another.

here goes nothing »    Indicates a lack of confidence or certainty about the activity about to be tried.

high ground »    A location which is at a relatively high elevation, especially in comparison to the immediate surrounding area.

hit a snag »    To encounter an unexpected problem or delay.

hit home »    To do something particularly great.

hit one out of the ballpark »    To hit a fair ball so well that the ball flies over all of the spectators' seats and lands outside the stadium.

hit one out of the ballpark »    To produce a spectacular achievement.

hit the books »    To study, especially with particular intensity.

hit the bottle »    To continually drink alcohol to excess, particularly in response to a setback.

hit the bricks »    To participate in a workplace strike or other job action; to participate in a public protest, especially one involving picketing.

hit the road »    To leave a place; to go away.

hit the spot »    To be particularly pleasing or appropriate; to be just right.

hold back »    To delay, especially in school.

hold off »    To delay someone or something temporarily; to keep at bay.

hold off »    To delay commencing an action (until some specified time or event has passed).

hold out »    To set something aside or save it for later.

hold up »    To wait or delay.

hold with the hare and run with the hounds »    To remain neutral by attempting to placate two factions or both sides of a controversy.

hold your fire »    Do not discharge your weapon. Used originally for weapons needing a spark or lighting of a fuse to ignite gunpowder, now sometimes used to mean any weapon launching a projectile.

holding pattern »    A path taken by an aircraft waiting to land.

home away from home »    A place in which one is as comfortable as one's actual home.

home is where you hang your hat »    Rather than feeling nostalgic or sentimental, one should simply accept any place where one happens to reside as one's home.1948, Ruth L. Yorck, "D.P.

home run »    A success; especially, a popular success.

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.

hoover up »    Quickly, especially by taking it into the mouth directly from the plate rather than using cutlery.

horse around »    To play or fiddle; to clown; to do nothing of importance or consequence.

horse of a different color »    An unrelated or only incidentally related matter with distinctly different significance.

horses for courses »    The practice of choosing the best person for a particular job.

hospital pass »    Exempting one from regular activities, to instead visit a hospital.

hot chocolate »    warm drink

hot lunch »    A sexual act in which a pouch of clingfilm or similar material filled with faeces is placed in one of the participants' mouth and subsequently penetrated by the second participant.

hot mess »    A warm meal, usually cooked in a large pot, often similar to a stew or porridge; or, service of such a heated meal to soldiers.

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.

hot spot »    dangerous place; accident place

hot spot »    lively place

hot under the collar »    Worried.

house cooling party »    A party to celebrate when a person decides to leave a house or flat, and sometimes to help prepare the space for the incoming residents.

house of cards »    A structure made by laying cards perpendicularly on top of each other.

hunger is a good sauce »    (dated) Being hungry makes one less concerned about the taste of one's food.1854, Mark Lemon, Henry Mayhew, Tom Taylor, Shirley Brooks, Francis Cowley Burnand, Owen Seaman, Punch, Vol. XXVI, Punch Publications Ltd., page 74:His bread and cheese were somewhat dry, to be sure; his ale had become flat, and considerably warmer than was desirable; but hunger is a good sauce, and thirst is not particular.

hustle and bustle »    A large amount of activity and work, usually in a noisy surrounding.

if looks could kill »    A phrase said upon catching sight of someone's giving you a particularly nasty look of discontent or disapproval.

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!"

ignorance is bliss »    Lack of knowledge results in happinessSometime you are more comfortable if you dont know something.

in a flash »    Very quickly.

in a pinch »    In an urgent or difficult situation; when no other solution is available.

in bed with »    Engaging in a close mutually beneficial relationship, especially secretly and illicitly.

in black and white »    Explicitly, in writing, clearly and without doubt or misunderstanding, without any grey areas.

in black and white »    Having it displayed using shades of gray/gray rather than colour/color .

in black and white »    Using shades of grey/gray rather than colour/color.

in broad daylight »    In a blatant and publicly visible manner.

in Dutch »    Written or spoken in the dutch language.

in for a dime, in for a dollar »    Americanised form of in for a penny, in for a pound.1983, Allen Drury, Decision, p. 356:In for a dime, in for a dollar, he thought crazily, and said what he had to say in a voice he forced to stay level and calm.1998, Ellen Miller, Like Being Killed, p. 47:In for a dime, in for a dollar. I whispered to Gerry,

in front of one's nose »    Plain; clearly apparent; obvious.

in layman's terms »    Explaining something in simple words.

in laymen's terms »    In layman's terms.

in no uncertain terms »    With great clarity, emphasis, or exactness; without any ambiguity.

in other words »    Stated or interpreted another way; introduces an explanation.

in particular »    specially

in the black »    Having positive net income; having greater income than expenses; making a profit.

in the fast lane »    In a lifestyle, employment position, or other set of circumstances where the rapid pace is exciting, frantic, or risky.

in the first place »    To begin with; earlier; first; at the start.

in the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king »    Among others with a disadvantage or disability, the one with the mildest disadvantage or disability is regarded as the greatest.Even someone without much talent or ability is considered special by those with no talent or ability at all.

in the nick of time »    At the last possible moment; at the last minute.

in the short run »    Lasting only a short time, shortsightedly.

in the works »    Being planned or worked upon.

in touch »    The ball, or a player, is in touch when it, or he, is outside the playing area or touching the touchlines of the playing area.

in two shakes »    Very quickly; without delay.

in your face »    An exclamation of derision or contempt.

inside track »    The lane or track nearest to the interior.

it ain't over 'til the fat lady sings »    There are more developments yet to come.

it takes two to tango »    Some things need the active cooperation of two parties; blame is to be laid on both parties in a conflict.

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

it's better to ask forgiveness than permission »    The value of acting promptly and making a mistake requiring forgiveness is greater than value of delaying to get permission.

it's never too late to mend »    You

ivory tower »    A sheltered, overly-academic existence or perspective, implying a disconnection or lack of awareness of reality or practical considerations.

jack in »    To stop doing a regular activity. Often a job or studies.

jack up »    To raise, hoist, or lift a thing using a jack, or similar means.

jolly someone along »    To make someone happy or compliant, as by encouragement or flattery.

jug ears »    Ears whose plane is markedly not parallel to the plane of the head.

jump for joy »    Exalt, [rejoice]], feel elation.

jump off »    To move from an elevated place by one jump.

jumped-up »    Describes a person who thinks he is superior in some way that the speaker disagrees with. For instance, of a higher class, or has more authority than they have in reality.

jungle telegraph »    A system used by primitive cultures in remote tropical regions for communication over long distances, such as drum sounds or a relay of runners.

just for fun »    For no particular reason, just because it is fun, entertaining; for to relieve boredom.

keel over »    To collapse in a faint; to black out; to die.

keep an eye open »    To maintain vigilance for a possibly dangerous situation.

keep an eye open »    To maintain vigilance for someone or something.

keep one's cards close to one's chest »    To avoid revealing one's thoughts, circumstances, or plans.

keep one's options open »    To not commit to a decision, to keep various options available.

keep out »    To refrain from entering a place or condition.

keep out »    To restrain someone or something from entering a place or condition.

keep out of »    To stay away from a place or condition.

keep out of »    To restrain someone or something from entering a place or condition.

keep somebody in stitches »    To keep somebody laughing hard or amused.

keep the wolf from the door »    To delay sexual ejaculation.

kernel of truth »    A core accuracy at the heart of a claim or narrative which also contains dubious or fictitious elements.

kick back »    To relax.

kick in »    To kick or strike so as to cause the object struck to collapse or fall inwards.

kick off »    To start; to launch.

kick up a fuss »    To show annoyance, or to complain loudly about something, often when it is of little importance in reality.

kid around »    To engage in playful fun.

kill the goose that lays the golden eggs »    To seek short term gain at the sacrifice of long term profit.

kill the messenger »    To blame a problem on whoever reported it; to hold somebody accountable a problem because he/she brought attention to it.

king »    A playing card with the image of a king on it.

kiss of death »    Something that may seem good and favourable but that actually brings ruin to hopes, plans, etc.

kiss up »    To pay false flattery to another, particularly a superior at work, in order to get special attention.

kiss up »    To pay false flattery.

kiss up to »    To pay false flattery to; to flatter in excess.

knacker's yard »    A place to send a person or object that is spent beyond all reasonable use.

knacker's yard »    That area of a slaughterhouse where carcasses unfit for human consumption are rendered down to produce useful materials such as glue.

knee high to a grasshopper »    Short; especially relating to when the subject was a small child.

knock around »    To do a relaxing activity.

knock around »    To be in an unknown place.

knock out of the box »    To cause a pitcher to be replaced by heavy hitting.

knock out of the box »    To cause something to be replaced by something else.

knock up »    To put together, fabricate, or assemble, particularly if done hastily or temporarily. See also knock together.

knock up »    To become exhausted or worn out; to fail of strength; to become wearied, as with labor; to give out.

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.

know like the back of one's hand »    To be intimately knowledgeable about something, especially a place.

knuckle dragger »    A large, strong, and rather dimwitted person.

la goutte d'eau qui fait d%C3%A9border le vase »    The drop of water that makes the vase overflow.

la goutte d'eau qui fait d%C3%A9border le vase »    The final thing that is too much and forces a reaction; the straw that broke the camel's back.

labor of love »    A task performed voluntarily without expectation of reimbursement; an altruistic work or undertaking.

laced-up »    Fastened with a lace.

laced-up »    Fixed in the sprockets of the projector.

laced-up »    Restrained; uptight.

ladies and gentlemen »    Used to address an audience.

ladies first »    A phrase encouraging polite gentlemanliness, allowing the ladies to go before the men.

ladies man »    Alternative spelling of lady's man.

ladies' man »    Alternative spelling of lady's man.

lady abbess »    A bawd, the mistress of a brothel.

lady of the night »    Prostitute.

lady or tiger »    A pure gamble with highly divergent outcomes.

lady's man »    A man who attracts women and enjoys their company.

lady's man »    A womanizer.

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.

land of opportunity »    A nickname for the United States.

land on one's feet »    To be lucky, or successful, often in difficult situations.

landing strip »    A cultivated pubic hair pattern in which much of the pubic hair is removed, leaving only a central vertical line or rectangle.

landing strip »    A runway for aircraft, especially one which is auxiliary or temporary.

lap of luxury »    A position or situation in which one is spoiled and indulged.

lap up »    To consume by lapping.

lap up »    To revel in, to overtly enjoy.

lapsed academic »    A person formerly employed as a professor or researcher in a university or other institution of higher education, especially one who no longer attempts to remain current in his or her former academic field.

larger-than-life »    Of greater size or magnitude than is naturally or normally the case.

larger-than-life »    Very imposing, renowned, or impressively influential.

lash out »    To make a sudden blow.

lash out »    To make a fierce verbal attack.

last burst of fire »    A final effort or warning.

last burst of fire »    A state of exertion where one gives one's all; expending all of one's remaining energy in a final effort to achieve one's goal.

last minute »    Point in time, too close to a deadline to reasonably begin a critical task.

last of the big spenders »    Someone who doesn't spend much money.

last post »    military bugle call

last resort »    The only remaining, unwanted, option or choice.

last trump »    Forever.

last trump »    The moment of God's final judgement on Earth.

last word »    A final decision, or the right to make such a decision.

last word »    The final statement uttered by a person before death.

last word »    The finest, highest, or ultimate representative of some class of objects.

last-ditch »    Final, as a last resort; done in desperation.

latch onto »    To obtain, acquire or get and keep hold of something.

late bloomer »    A person who lives a child's life comparatively later than their peers.

late bloomer »    A person who reaches puberty comparatively later than their peers.

late model »    Recently designed or fabricated; new.

latter day »    modern

laugh all the way to the bank »    To be happy due to the receipt of money.

laughing stock »    An object of ridicule, someone who is publicly ridiculed; a butt of sport.

laughing stock »    C. 1598, William Shakespeare, Merry Wives of Windsor, act 3, sc. 1.

laughter is the best medicine »    It is healthy to laugh.

laundry list »    Hence, a long list of items, especially an exhaustive one.

laundry list »    Originally, a list of articles of clothing that had been sent to be laundered.

law of the jungle »    The survival of the fittest, strongest or most cunning.

lay a finger on »    If you lay a finger on my little brother, I'll have your guts for garters.

lay a finger on »    To merely touch.

lay about »    To strike blows in all directions.

lay about »    To set about, with infinitive or gerund.

lay an egg »    To produce a failure or flop; to do something which is unsuccessful.

lay an egg »    To produce an egg.

lay down »    To give up, surrender, or yield , usually by placing it on the ground.

lay down »    To specify, institute, enact, assert firmly, state authoritatively, establish or formulate .

lay down »    To stock, store for the future. See also lay by.

lay down »    To sacrifice, especially in the phrase "to lay down one's life.".

lay down »    To lie down; to place oneself in a reclined or horizontal position, on a bed or similar, for the purpose of resting.

lay down the law »    To authoritatively or dogmatically assert what is permitted or not permitted.

lay down the law »    To present the law that applies to a given case.

lay down the law »    To promulgate law.

lay hands on »    To find, obtain or procure.

lay it on the line »    To state something, for example an ultimatum, strongly and clearly.

lay low »    To remain hidden or to hide oneself.

lay low »    To knock out; to cause to fall.

lay off »    From employment, e.g. at a time of low business volume, often with a severance package.

lay off »    To place all or part of a bet with another bookmaker in order to reduce risk.

lay off »    Alone.

lay off »    made redundant

lay on »    provide;

lay open »    In Japan and South Korea, to publish a patent for initial public review, prior to the formal application for registration.

lay open »    to disclose

lay open »    reveal

lay out »    To arrange in a certain way.

lay out »    expend money

lay rubber »    To accelerate so rapidly from standstill that it leaves a mark of burnt rubber on the road from the tire.

lay the groundwork »    To create a foundation; to provide the basics or fundamentals.

lay to rest »    To bury one who has died.

lay up »    To store; to put by.

lay up »    To disable.

lay up »    To take out of active service.

lay up »    To go out of active service.

lead »    A roof covered with lead sheets or terne plates.

lead »    Sheets or plates of lead used as a covering for roofs.

leading lady »    starring actress

leave no stone unturned »    To search thoroughly for something, looking in every conceivable place.

leave somebody holding the bag »    To abandon somebody, leaving the responsibility or blame.

left and right »    All over the place; indiscriminately; frequently or excessively.

left field »    The part of a baseball field which is beyond the infield and to your left if you stand on home plate and face the pitcher.

left, right and center »    All over the place; indiscriminately; frequently or excessively.

left-handed compliment »    A complimentary remark which is ambiguous or ineptly worded, so that it may be interpreted as having an unflattering or dismissive sense.

legal duty »    A duty prescribed by the law, to act or forbear from acting.

legwork »    Work, especially research or preparation, that involves significant walking, travel, or similar effort.

lemon law »    A law dealing with defective items, especially automobiles, and consumers' rights.

less is more »    That which is less complicated is often better understood and more appreciated than what is more complicated; simplicity is preferable to complexity; brevity in communication is more effective than verbosity.1855, Robert Browning, "Men and Women":Well, less is more, Lucrezia: I am judged.1954, "'Less Is More'," Time, 14 Jun.:The essence of Mies's architectural philosophy is in his famous and sometimes derided phrase, "Less is more." This means, he says, having "the greatest effect with the least means."2007, Gia Kourlas, "Dance Review: An Ordered World Defined With Soothing Spareness," New York Times, 3 Mar. (retrieved 22 Oct. 2008):The program, which features two premieres

let go an anchor to the windward of the law »    To keep within the letter of the law.

let one's hair down »    To relax and enjoy oneself.

let up »    slacken

level up »    To progress to the next level of player character stats and abilities. Often used in role-playing games when the character has aquired enough experience points.

lex dubia non obligat »    (law) A doubtful law is not binding.

licence to print money »    A means of generating a large income with little effort.

lie back and think of England »    . "think of England" refers to the importance of children.

lie back and think of England »    Used to preface any unpleasant but inevitable experience.

life is like a box of chocolates »    Life is full of surprises, you never know what will happen next.

light bucket »    Nickname for a reflecting telescope, especially one with a relatively large aperture and suitable for observing deep sky objects such as nebulae and galaxies.

lighten up »    To become less serious and more cheerful or casual; to relax.

like a million dollars »    Extremely good or well.

like father, like son »    A son will have traits similar to his father upon reaching adulthood.

like water off a duck's back »    Without immediate or lasting effects.

lily-livered »    Cowardly, lacking bravery.

line one's pockets »    To accumulate personal wealth, especially in an illegal or morally objectionable manner.

link whoring »    The practice of going out of one's way to place links to one's website on someone else's webpage.

lion »    A stylized representation of a large cat, used on a coat of arms.

lion »    A large cat, Panthera leo, native to Africa, India and formerly to much of Europe. The term may apply to the species as a whole, to individuals, or to male individuals. It also applies to related species like mountain lions.

lion's den »    Any dangerous or frightening place.

lion's den »    The lair of a lion.

lion's share »    The majority; a large or generous portion.

little pitchers have big ears »    Small children often overhear more of what is said than adults realize or desire.1844, Charlotte M. Yonge, Abbeychurch, ch. 2:Seeing me listening to something she was saying to Mamma, she turned round upon me with that odious proverb, "Little pitchers have long ears."1939, "Bedtime Bedlam," Time, 17 Apr.:A caution to U. S. parents, but a joy to radio merchandising, is the dread truth that little pitchers have big ears.2002, Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, ISBN 9780743455961, p. 185:I suppose he might say pushed or went woowoo, but took a shit is, I fear, very much in the ballpark (little pitchers have big ears, after all).

live large »    To have a lavish or overly-extravagant lifestyle.

live one »    A person, thing, or situation which is particularly interesting, noteworthy, or urgent.

live up »    To fulfil the expectations placed upon.

lock up »    To close all doors and windows of a place securely.

long goodbye »    Nickname for Alzheimer's disease, especially for the final phase of the disease, during which the patient suffers a progressive decline of cognitive and motor skills and gradually loses the ability to recognize and to communicate with family and friends.[1]; nickname for the relationship between a person suffering from Alzheimer's disease and that person's family or friends.

long shot »    A master shot, the primary wide shot of a scene into which the closeups will be edited later.

longpig »    Human flesh when cooked in cannabalistic rituals in certain Pacific Islands, due to the allegeded similarity to cooked pork.

look like »    To be similar in appearance to; resemble.

look out »    Be vigilant and aware.

look the other way »    To ignore something wrong. Similar to connive.

look through rose-tinted glasses »    Alternative spelling of wear rose-colored glasses.

look-in »    A quick glance.

looking glass »    mirror

loom large »    be prominent

lose one's touch »    To lose one's special mastery of or knack for a particular skill or activity.

low blow »    An unfair or illegal blow that lands below the opponent’s waist; a groin attack..

low-hanging fruit »    Easily obtained gains; what can be obtained by readily available means.

lubrication payment »    A bribe or extorted money, usually relatively small in amount, provided to a low-level government official or business person, in order to expedite a business decision, shipment, or other transaction, especially in a country where such payments are not unusual.

lucky break »    A stroke of luck; a fortunate event, particularly of the sort that propels one to success, fame, etc.

mad money »    A sum of money kept in reserve or to insulate oneself financially in the event of the sudden breakdown of a relationship in which one is economically dependent.

mad money »    A sum of money, often relatively small in amount, kept in reserve to use for impulsive, frivolous purposes.

make a killing »    To win or earn a large amount of money.

make a splash »    To do something that attracts attention.

make a stink »    To complain; to demand attention or remedy for a problem.

make amends »    To repair a relationship; to make up; to resolve an argument or fight; to make reparations or redress.

make an example of »    He made an example of the drunken sailor with twenty lashes, to show that he must have a sober crew.

make an honest woman »    Especially if she is having a sexual relationship.

make book »    To gamble, either by placing or taking bets.

make do with »    To get along with whatever is available.

make for »    ????, translator unknown, author Galileo Galilei, Two Chief World Systems.

make it »    To reach a place.

man proposes, God disposes »    Things don't always work out as they were planned.

man up »    To "be a man about it"; to do the things a good man is traditionally expected to do, such as: taking responsibility for the consequences of one's actions; displaying bravery or toughness in the face of adversity; providing for one's family, etc.

man up »    To staff adequately; to staff up; to successfully fill all needed labor positions.

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.

many a mickle makes a muckle »    (UK) a lot of small amounts together, become a large amount.

many hands make light work »    A large number of people co-operating can perform tasks easily.

map out »    To organise the basic plan for a project.

mark time »    Marching in place; not going anywhere.

mark up »    To add coding to text so that it will display properly on a computer.

measure twice and cut once »    (literally, carpentry) One should double-check one's measurements for accuracy before cutting a piece of wood; otherwise it may be necessary to cut again, wasting time and material.1872, "Dressmaking," Hall's Journal of Health, vol. 19, no. 12, p. 280:Look at Carpenters! . . . In old times it was a proverb "Measure twice, and cut once."(figuratively, by extension) Plan and prepare in a careful, thorough manner before taking action.2008, Hilary Johnson, "Mergers rattle bank relations," Financial Week, 9 Nov. (retrieved 9 Nov. 2008):Mr. Paz noted that since the onset of the credit crisis, eBay, like other companies, hasn

meat rack »    A place where people can meet looking for sexual partners.

meaty »    Of a person or a body part, large and solid.

meaty »    Of, relating to, or containing meat.

meaty »    Resembling meat in flavour, etc.

memory lane »    A set of recollections available to be reviewed, especially accompanied by a feeling of nostalgia.

mend fences »    To repair damage to a friendship or relationship after a disagreement or other mishap.

mess around »    To joke, kid, or play.

mess around »    To have a non-committal sexual relationship.

mess up »    To discombobulate, utterly confuse, or confound psychologically; to throw into a state of mental disarray.

middle of nowhere »    Nowhere; any place lacking population, interesting things, or defining characteristics.

middle of the road »    Of a type of melodic popular music that has wide appeal.

mill around »    To move or circulate in a confused or disorderly manner within a limited area.

mind-numbing »    Excessively boring, tedious, or dull; repetitive; of an activity, etc., lacking any interest or variety that might serve as intellectual stimulation.

mint sauce »    serve this with lamb

miss the boat »    To fail to take advantage of an opportunity; to overlook or be too late to pursue an option or course of action.

mouth of a sailor »    The characteristic of regularly using vulgar language, especially strong profanities; a person having this characteristic.

move house »    To change one's place of residence.

move on »    To leave somewhere for another place.

move out »    To vacate one's place of residence.

move the goal posts »    To unilaterally change the rules, or terms of an agreement, especially in an unfair or underhand way.

muck about »    To do random unplanned work or spend time idly.

muck about »    To be playful; full of fun and high spirits.

music to one's ear »    Some unexpected good news; a favorable outcome after some initial confusion or delay.

mutton dressed as lamb »    A mature woman dressed in a style more suited to a young woman, especially if a deliberate attempt to appear young.

mutual admiration society »    A group of two or more people, in a workplace or other social environment, who routinely express considerable esteem and support for one another, sometimes to the point of exaggeration or pretense.

name and shame »    So as to single them out for individual blame and censure.

necker's knob »    A knob attached to the steering wheel of an automobile, especially before the widespread availability of power steering, helping the driver steer with one arm and leaving the other arm free to provide romantic attention to a companion.

neither here nor there »    Not important; having no significance or influence on the question at hand; not related; not relevant; not germane; not pertinent.

nest egg »    A natural or artificial egg placed in a bird's nest, to encourage the bird to lay its own eggs there.

nice guy »    An adult male who seeks sexual attraction and romantic intimacy, but only finds cordial friendship and platonic love.

night owl »    One who stays up late at night or goes to bed late.

nightcap »    A warm cloth cap worn while sleeping, often with pajamas. Nightcaps were common in northern Europe before central heating was available, when homes were cold at night.

nip in the bud »    To remove a bud from a plant to prevent flower and fruit from forming.

no comment »    An "official" refusal to relay any further information, as a response to a newspaper reporter's question.

no man is an island »    All people are connected to other people and dependent on other people.1623, John Donne,

no news is good news »    A lack of information about a situation suggests that nothing bad has happened.

no screaming hell »    Something that is not particularly effective or impressive; something that is below expectations.

no slave to fashion »    A person whose style of clothing and appearance are unconventional, informal, or slovenly; a person who takes little interest in how he or she is dressed.

no spring chicken »    Said of a person who is no longer particularly young.

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.

nobody's perfect »    Used when someone's mistakes or flaws are acknowledged, to remind that everyone else makes mistakes and has flaws1995, New York Magazine Vol. 28, No. 5, 30 January 1995, The de-moralization of society (Book Review)Hypocrisy, particularly in sexual matters, is excused on the grounds that hey, nobody's perfect, and at least folks back then felt bad enough to lie.2000, Madonna, Nobody's PerfectI feel so sad. What I did wasn't right. I feel so bad and I must say to you: Sorry, but nobody's perfect. Nobody's perfect. What did you expect? I'm doing my best

not all it's cracked up to be »    Not as good as claimed; falling short of expectations.

not at all »    Used similarly to you're welcome, as a conventional reply to an expression of gratitude.

not have a leg to stand on »    To lack support, as in an argument, debate, or negotiation.

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.

not worth a dime »    Worthless, lacking in value.

nothing flat »    Amount of time; no time at all.

number one with a bullet »    Superlative; impossible to beat.

object lesson »    Anything used an example or lesson which serves to warn others as to the outcomes that result from a particular action or behavior, as exemplified by the fates of those who followed that course.

odds and ends »    Miscellaneous things.

of course »    Asserts that the associated phrase should not be argued, particularly if it is obvious or there is no choice in the matter.

of late »    In the recent past; recently; lately.

of sorts »    Resembling; similar to; in a way; partial or not entire; somewhat.

off balance »    Not physical balanced; not having physical equilibrium.

off balance »    Surprised; perplexed.

off one's game »    Performing in any activity below one's usual level; behaving in an irregular, inept, or awkward manner; feeling unwell.

off one's game »    Playing or competing below one's usual level of performance.

off the beaten path »    In a secluded location; in a place which is not frequently visited or not widely known.

off the beaten track »    In a place or places not commonly visited.

off the chain »    Free from work or direct supervision. In reference to slave labor, where workers are chained, or to the figurative chain of workers of an assembly line.

off the reservation »    Violating rules.

off-the-shelf »    As purchased or as commonly available, without modification or customization.

on a regular basis »    Regularly, occurring in regular time intervals or patterns.

on accident »    Accidentally; not intentionally; because of error, misfortune, or lack of caution.

on all fours »    Similar in nature or effect to something else; consistent.

on an irregular basis »    Irregularly, occurring in irregular time intervals or patterns.

on board »    Even when I am on board the plane, I can never feel secure that my luggage is, too.

on course »    Proceeding smoothly as planned.

on good terms with »    Friendly towards; having good relations with.

on hand »    Available; ready; in stock.

on hold »    Delayed; postponed.

on spec »    Short form of "on speculation": Creating a work with the hope of selling it, as opposed to creating a work "on commission" for hire.

on the back burner »    Not immediate; inactive; receiving less than full or regular attention.

on the back foot »    In a defensive posture; off-balance.

on the bubble »    Holding the last qualifying position with qualification still in progress, and thus liable to lose that position.

on the clock »    Displayed numerically on the mileage or kilometric gauge.

on the clock »    Of a taxicab, engaged for hire; displayed numerically as time or fare on the meter of a taxicab.

on the cuff »    On credit, with payment to be made later.

on the ladder »    Figuratively a property ladder, owning property.

on the make »    Actively seeking a romantic encounter or relationship.

on the right track »    Using the correct general approach to a particular task or problem; pursuing something in a promising way.

on the ropes »    Leaning against the ropes of the boxing ring, as when exhausted and nearing defeat or collapse.

on the ropes »    Showing signs of imminent failure or collapse.

on the run »    Constantly traveling or moving from place to place.

on the spot »    In a particular place.

on the straight and narrow »    Honest; proceeding according to rules and plans.

on track »    Proceeding as planned, as expected, or in a manner consistent with an established pattern.

on wheels »    To a large degree, excessive.

on-the-spot »    In the right place at this very moment.

once you go black, you never go back »    An expression assuming that once a person of another race gets in a sexual relationship with a black person they won't return to their own race.

one another »    Used of a reciprocal relationship among a group of more than two people or things; compare each other.

one who hesitates is lost »    A person who spends too much time contemplating what to do may miss a valuable but fleeting opportunity.

one's bark is worse than one's bite »    The individual acts threatening but is relatively harmless.

one-hit wonder »    A musical performer or musical group known for a single hit song, especially after failing at later attempts at success.

one-man band »    A musician who plays several musical instruments at once.

one-night stand »    A single sexual encounter between two individuals, where at least one of the parties has no immediate intention or expectation of establishing a longer-term sexual or romantic relationship. As the phrase implies, the relationship lasts for only one night.

onesie-twosie »    Individually or in very small groups, rather in larger batches.

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 gas »    Lacking fuel.

out of gas »    Tired; lacking energy or motivation.

out of place »    Amongst all those horsey people I felt quite out of place.

out of place »    Not in the proper situation or arrangement, or inappropriate for the circumstances.

out of place »    She comes in out of the storm with not a hair out of place.

out of pocket »    Lacking funds, or suffering a loss.

out of proportion »    Not in a proper or pleasing relation to other things, especially in terms of size.

out of stock »    Temporarily unavailable for sale.

out of the question »    Impossible to even contemplate.

out of whack »    Not in proper balance; unbalanced.

pack away »    To store away, place out of the way, or stash, especially for the longer term.

paint the town red »    To party or celebrate in a rowdy, wild manner, especially in a public place.

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.

palace politics »    The relationships and interactions of top-level officials, advisors and other powerbrokers within a government, especially as involving internal rivalry and intrigue.

pan out »    To succeed; to proceed according to plan; to result or end up.

paper »    A written document, generally shorter than a book , in particular one written for the Government.

pardon my French »    Please excuse my swearing or bad language.

pare down »    To reduce by paring or a similar gradual process.

pass muster »    To measure up to a particular standard.

pass the buck »    To transfer responsibility or blame from oneself onto another; to absolve oneself of concern for a given matter by claiming to lack authority or jurisdiction.

patriotism is the last refuge of scoundrels »    The appeal to patriotism is often used to distract the public from real issues.

pay off »    To become worthwhile after a lapse.

pay one's dues »    To outlay money which is owed as a membership fee or price of admission.

pay out »    To slacken a rope by lengthening it; to allow a rope to run out.

pea patch »    A small piece of land planted with peas.

pelt of the dog »    An immoderate, excessive quantity of alcohol drunk the morning after whilst suffering withdrawal symptoms or a hangover, which goes beyond alleviating the complaint to causing drunkenness; cf. hair of the dog.

pendre la cr%C3%A9maill%C3%A8re »    To have a housewarming party.

penny black »    old stamp

penny wise and pound foolish »    Prudent and thrifty with small amounts of money, but wasteful and profligate with large amounts.

people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones »    Do not criticize others if you have weaknesses yourself.

perfect storm »    A situation where a calamity is caused by the convergence and amplifying interaction of a number of factors.

perp walk »    The intentional public display before news cameras of someone in police custody, especially someone famous or notorious, for the purpose of satisfying public interest, demonstrating the authorities' effectiveness, or shaming the person.

physical break »    A short break in a meeting or in a classroom setting, intended to improve attention.

pick up stitches »    Stitches to the knitting needle that were previously bound off, or that belong to the selvage, during the process of knitting or entrelac.

pickin' and grinnin' »    Vigorously playing folk or country music on a stringed musical instrument, especially the guitar or banjo, while smiling broadly.

pickle »    A children’s game with three participants that emulates a baseball rundown.

pile up »    To collect or accumulate, as a backlog.

pinch-hit »    To bat in place of another player.

pinch-hit »    To do something in the place of another person who is not able to perform or is less skilled; to substitute or stand in for somebody.

pipe dream »    A plan, desire, or idea that will not likely work; a near impossibility.

piss and moan »    To complain, especially needlessly and loudly.

pitch woo »    To flatter.

plan on »    To expect; to prepare future actions based on.

play along »    To take part in a charade, deception, or practical joke.

play around »    To behave in a silly, or childish, or irresponsible way.

play around »    To work with in a non-serious manner.

play around »    To engage in sexual practices outside of marriage.

play ball »    An expression used at the beginning of a game of baseball.

play ball »    To start anything tumultuous.

play ball »    To work together; to cooperate.

play down »    To make or attempt to make something seem less important, likely, or obvious.

play dumb »    To pretend to be mute.

play dumb »    To pretend to be slow-witted or lacking in specific knowledge, usually in order to avoid responsibility or to gain some advantage.

play fast and loose »    To be recklessly inaccurate, inappropriate, or otherwise ignoring guidelines and conventions.

play fast and loose »    To ignore proper behavior or social conventions, especially when it suits ones purpose.

play for love »    To play a game of cards without stakes.

play games »    To deceive, to lie about one's intentions.

play hardball »    To act rough and ruthless, especially in politics or business.

play hardball »    To use every means possible to achieve a goal, especially in disregarding the harm caused.

play hookey »    To be absent without permission, especially from school.

play hooky »    To miss school, work, or other duties without permission or an excuse.

play it by ear »    To do something by guessing, intuition, or trial and error; to react to events as they occur.

play it by ear »    To play a song according to how it sounds, rather than from a written score.

play it safe »    To take a cautious, risk-free approach.

play Old Harry »    Blenkiron and I have been moving in the best circles as skilled American engineers who are going to play Old Harry with the British on the Tigris. — John Buchan, "Greenmantle", 1916..

play Old Harry »    To play the devil; to make mischief.

play on words »    A pun, or similar humorous use of language such as a double entendre.

play one against another »    To manipulate two persons into competing against one another in a way that benefits the person carrying out the manipulation.

play one's cards right »    To act sensibly; to make the right moves.

play possum »    To dissemble or to feign ignorance; to disguise or conceal something in order to deceive.

play possum »    To feign death; to remain quiet and still to escape attention or remain undetected; to lay low.

play possum »    To feign sleep, illness, etc.

play second fiddle »    To play a subsidiary or subordinate role to someone or something else.

play silly buggers »    To act in a stupid or reckless manner.

play someone like a fiddle »    Skilfully.

play the field »    To date more than one person at the same time.

play the fool »    To behave in a foolish or comical manner.

play the ponies »    To bet on horse racing.

play the race card »    Donald A. Carson, Love in Hard Places p.94.

play the race card »    Mark Fuhrman, Murder in Brentwood p.153.

play the race card »    To assert that race or racism is responsible for a course of events, especially when race is not of particular significance to the issue in question; to attempt to inspire a particular reaction by raising the issue of race.

play the same tape »    To repeat exactly what one previously said or did.

play to the gallery »    To appeal to the least sophisticated parts of an audience in order to obtain maximum approval.

play up »    To misbehave.

play up »    To make or attempt to make something appear more important, likely or obvious; to showcase or highlight.

play with fire »    To put oneself in a precarious situation with a high risk of getting harmed, particularly emotionally or financially.

plays down »    minimises

plus  »    (literally) The more it changes, the more it's the same thing (sometimes loosely translated as the more things change, the more they stay the same).Although the outward appearance may change, fundamentals are constant.

point blank »    The distance between a gun and a target such that it requires minimal effort in aiming it. In particular no allowance needs to be made for the effects of gravity, target movement or wind in aiming the projectile.

point of no return »    The point in an aircraft's flight when there is insufficient fuel to reverse direction and return to the place of origin.

point the finger »    To accuse; to direct or imply blame.

point the finger at »    To accuse or blame.

pop off »    To release flatulence, in most cases, in short rapid succession.

possession is nine-tenths of the law »    One who has possession of a thing has some right to it; a popular statement of the doctrine of adverse possession.

pot calling the kettle black »    A situation in which somebody comments on or accuses someone else of a fault which the accuser shares.

potter »    One who places flowers or other plants inside their pots.

potter's clay »    A nation or kingdom.

potter's clay »    A person or people created and shaped by God.

potter's clay »    I am the potter’s clay.

potter's clay »    The clay used by a potter.

potter's clay »    We are but potter’s clay.

potter's field »    A public place where strangers, paupers, and criminals are buried.

potty mouth »    The characteristic of regularly using vulgar language, especially strong profanities; a person having this characteristic.

pour out »    To serve a drink into a cup or glass.

pour out »    To leave a place quickly, and in large numbers.

prawn cocktail offensive »    A strategy of the Labour Party in winning over important people in the world of finance.

problem child »    A child who is particularly difficult to raise or educate, especially due to a lack of self-control and disruptive and antisocial behavior.

pronunciamiento »    A military uprising or coup in Spain or the Spanish American republics, particularly in the 19th century. They received this designation because coups were usually accompanied by a statement declaring the existing government null and void.

pronunciamiento »    A pronouncement or "declaration".

proverbs come in pairs »    Alternative form of proverbs run in pairs.1979, Irving Howe, John Hollander, David Bromwich, Literature as Experience: An Anthology, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, ISBN 0155511130, page 325:Sometimes proverbs come in pairs, the first one providing the context, the second, the revision.

puddle jumper »    A small passenger airplane, typically used for shorter connecting trips to smaller airports.

puff out »    To inflate.

puff up »    To inflate with air.

pull a »    To emulate a behaviour generally attributed to the individual named.

pull my finger »    A phrase used when playing a prank regarding flatulence, in which a mark is asked to pull the finger of the person playing the prank, who simultaneously flatulates so as to suggest a causal relationship between the pulling of the finger and the resulting expulsion of gas.

pull one's head in »    To withdraw as a turtle might; to discontinue support of a particular argument.

pull out »    To maneuver a vehicle from the side of a road onto the lane.

pull strings »    To manipulate, especially by asking favours of.

pump up »    To inflate by means of a pump.

pump up »    To inflate with a pumping action.

punch in »    To enter a workplace by punching a time card.

pure and simple »    Plain and unadorned.

push the boat out »    To do something, especially spend money, more extravagantly than usual, particularly for a celebration.

put across »    To explain or state something clearly and understandably.

put away »    To store away, place out of the way, clean up, or organize.

put away »    To take a large lead in a game.

put back »    To return something to it's original place.

put down »    To set down, stop carrying, or place in a low location.

put down »    To pay an initial amount of money on a large purchase.

put down »    To replace the telephone receiver and terminate a call. To hang up.

put down »    To place a baby somewhere to sleep.

put down »    To land an aircraft.

put down roots »    To feel that one belong in a place.

put forward »    To change the time in a time zone to a later time.

put in »    To place inside.

put on »    To place upon or atop.

put on »    To play recorded music.

put one's feet up »    To relax.

put one's hands together »    To clap; to applaud.

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.

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.

put out »    The statistic of the number of outs a defensive player directly caused.

put somebody in his place »    To bring somebody down; to humble or insult.

put someone down as »    To assume someone has a particular character from very little information.

put something into perspective »    To compare with something similar to give a clearer, more accurate idea.

put the cat among the pigeons »    Professor Stephen Hawking put the cat among the pigeons last week with his cheery remarks about comet Machholz-2, which some astronomers believe could be heading our way. — The Times, 19 September 1994.

put the cat among the pigeons »    To cause alarm.

put the clock forward »    To change the time in a time zone to a later time.

put up »    To place in a high location.

put words in somebody's mouth »    To attribute to somebody something he or she did not say; to claim inaccurately that somebody said or intended something.

put your hands together »    Clap; applaud.

quantum mechanics »    The branch of physics which studies matter and energy at the level of atoms and other elementary particles, and substitutes probabilistic mechanisms for classical Newtonian ones.

quarter of »    "I need twenty minutes to get to the shop." "You'll be late. It's already a quarter of.".

quote unquote »    Emphasizes the following word or phrase for irony, as used almost exclusively in spoken language.

rain check »    To provide a service at a later date.

rain cheque »    Any voucher or note issued by a store to allow a customer to get a special or sale price later if an item is out of stock.

raise a stink »    To complain; to demand attention or remedy for a problem.

raise the flag and see who salutes »    It generates, usually as a preliminary step.

rake »    The direction of slip during fault movement. The rake is measured within the fault plane.

rake »    The sloped edge of a roof at or adjacent to the first or last rafter.

rank and file »    Those lacking any particular title or status; those having no station.

real job »    A job that can't be replaced advantageously by a machine or a procedure.

real job »    A job which requires the employee to, work regular hours for a consistent wage that often exceeds the provisions of applicable minimum wage legislation. A job that produces a living wage.

rebound relationship »    A relationship proceeding a longterm relationship, usually short in duration and used to help mend the "broken heart".

reckon on »    To plan on; to expect.

reckon upon »    To plan upon; to expect.

reckon with »    To settle accounts with or to settle claims with.

red flag »    A cue, warning, or alert; a sign or signal that something is wrong.

red mist »    Uncontrollable rage.

red tape »    A derisive term for regulations or bureaucratic procedures that are considered excessive or excessively time- and effort-consuming.

rest on one's laurels »    To rely on a past success instead of trying to improve oneself further.

ride roughshod over »    To act in a bullying or inconsiderate manner; to display disregard towards someone or something.

ring false »    To seem to be incorrect, or implausible.

ring hollow »    To seem to be false or implausible; to be unconvincing.

ring in »    To make a phone call to one's usual place of work.

rise from the ashes »    To make a comeback after a long hiatus. To come back into common use or practice. To come back into popularity. To come back to being a thing of today.

rivet counter »    A person who has an obsession with the minutae of their particular interest. Anyone preoccupied with small distinguishing features between different items.

road movie »    A film in which much of the action takes place during a journey, especially one involving overland travel.

road to Damascus »    That was my Road to Damascus moment. They played one hit after another and this is the song I remember most clearly.

roadwarrior »    A person who carries a mobile device such as a laptop or PDA and uses wireless internet connections to work.

robber baron »    In Europe, an aristocrat who charged exorbitant fees or otherwise exacted money from people who journeyed across land or waterways which he controlled.

rock up »    To turn up to a place or function unexpectedly, or without notice or prior warning.

roll down the windows »    To flail one's arms in a circular motion when off-balance, as to mimic the act of rolling down a car window.

rose-colored glasses »    An optimistic perception of something; a positive opinion; seeing something in a positive way, often thinking of it as better than it actually is.

rose-colored glasses »    Glasses that are tinted in a pink or rose shade.

round of applause »    An outburst of clapping among a group or audience. Often asked for by the Master of Ceremonies at a concert or other performance.

round off »    To change the shape of an object to make it more circular.

rub up against »    To touch another person with one's body in a sexually stimulating manner.

rules OK »    To be popularly accepted, or supported by the general majority of people.

rumor mill »    A group or network of persons who originate or promulgate gossip and other unsubstantiated claims.

run a mile »    To escape, flee or leave a situation or relationship, usually as a result of a shocking or sudden announcement or revelation.

run away »    To leave home, or other place of residence, usually unannounced, or to make good on a threat, with such action usually performed by a child or juvenile.

run for the roses »    A college football game or series of games played with the ultimate goal of qualifying for the championship Rose Bowl game.

run into »    To reach a large figure.

run off »    To operate by a particular energy source.

run on »    To operate with a particular energy source.

run something up the flagpole »    To float an idea that one suspects might be controversial.

run through »    To impale a person with a blade, usually a sword.

run to »    To reach a particular maximum amount, size, value, etc.

run up »    To bring a flag to the top of it's flag pole.

run up »    To accumulate a debt.

runner up »    second-placed competitor

running on empty »    Losing enthusiasm or willingness, lacking energy.

rush hour »    The times of the day when traffic jams are commonplace, due mainly to people commuting to or from work.

sabre-rattling »    A flamboyant display of military power as an implied threat that it might be used.

sabre-rattling »    Any threat, such as one company threatening another with a lawsuit.

salad years »    The inexperienced, youthful prime of an individual, group, organization or entity.

scissorbill »    The black skimmer bird native to the Atlantic states, USA.

screen out »    To use a screen, grate, sieve or similar means to separate large from small objects or particles.

scrimp and save »    To scrimp greatly; to economize; to live very frugally, particularly when saving for something.

scrounge up »    To seek or find despite a lack of apparent resources or availability.

sea legs »    The ability, when walking aboard ship, to anticipate the motion of the deck so as to walk steadily without losing balance.

seagull approach »    The occurence of casual, ill-informed and hasty decisions or comments made by outside authorities who lack an understanding of the local issues or a real understanding of the facts of a particular situ.

seagull manager »    A manager who comes into the workplace or office only on occasion, especially when a problem arises or to criticize or critique employees.

seat-of-the-pants »    Done by feel, guess, or trial and error rather than by careful planning, thought or technique.

second banana »    A comedian who plays a secondary or supporting role, especially as straight man and traditionally in vaudeville or burlesque theatre.

second fiddle »    The person playing second fiddle.

second sight »    clairvoyance

second string »    In sports, a unit of players that plays behind the first string.

see a man »    A bland euphemism to conceal one's true purpose.

see a man about a horse »    A message signaling one needs to go missing for a short while, for any reason, without giving a real explanation.

see red »    To receive a red card, and be dismissed from the playing field.

see you later »    A phrase used at parting, and not necessarily implying that the person being addressed will be seen later by the speaker.

sell »    To promote a particular viewpoint; to manipulate towards a desired end.

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".

send away »    To send to a particular place for a long time, as a family member, an employee, etc.

serve time »    To be in prison or a similar institute.

set aside »    To declare something invalid or null and void.

set back »    To delay or obstruct.

set down »    Simple sum of parts set + down, to place, especially on the ground or a surface; to cease carrying.

set foot »    To go to a place , or to be there.

set for life »    Possessing sufficient resources, especially financial, to last a lifetime.

set the Thames on fire »    To achieve something amazing; to do something which brings great public acclaim.

set up shop »    To physically arrange a shop or workplace.

settle in »    To get comfortable or established, as in a new place.

sex up »    To make more palatable or acceptable to the general public; to improve the image or perception.

sexual congress »    Loose translation of the title of Aristophanes' play Ecclesiazousae, more literally translated as Assemblywomen.

sexual relation »    Behaviour of a sexual nature between one or more individuals.

shell out »    To use a program's "shell escape" function to execute an unrelated command or to invoke a subsidiary, interactive shell.

shit or get off the pot »    To choose between taking action now, or foregoing the opportunity until a later date.

shitstorm »    Considerable backlash from the public.

shoot 'em up »    A short story, novel, television show, film, computer game, or other narrative which depicts considerable gunplay.

shoot first and ask questions later »    To act boldly.

shoot first and ask questions later »    To take action with serious consequences without delay, preserving the benefit of surprise by not providing indication of one's intent.

shoot one's bolt »    To use up one's resources, especially a singular one or one not readily restored.

shoot the messenger »    To blame a problem on whoever reported it; to hold somebody accountable a problem because he/she brought attention to it.

shoot the moon »    To achieve the lowest score possible, such that the player is usually rewarded with bonus points.

short on looks »    Plain, unattractive.

short strokes »    The final steps of an undertaking, especially one which has been lengthy or laborious.

shotgun »    A play formation in which the quarterback is a few feet behind the snapper when the ball is hiked, ideally allowing for an easier pass play.

shotgun approach »    An approach in which the subject is indiscriminate and haphazard, using breadth, spread, or quantity in lieu of accuracy, planning, etc.

show the flag »    Of a naval vessel or military force, to identify itself by displaying the flag of its country of origin, especially in order to establish an authoritative presence and to exert diplomatic or political influence.

show the flag »    To display the flag of one's country, especially as an expression of patriotic pride.

show the flag »    To represent one's country or some other group in a manner intended to suggest the authority or importance of that country or group.

shroud »    A covered place used as a retreat or shelter, as a cave or den; also, a vault or crypt.

shroud »    One of the two annular plates at the periphery of a water wheel, which form the sides of the buckets; a shroud plate.

shuffle »    To get lost in the shuffle: to lack attention when you deserve it.

shy bladder »    An inability to urinate in the presence of others.

silver screen »    By extension, the movies or that related to movies or cinema.

silver surfer »    An elderly person who regularly uses the Internet.

silver-tongued »    Eloquent and articulate.

sing from the same hymnbook »    To make the same or similar statements, especially to express the same opinions in public as a result of a prior agreement.

sink one's teeth into »    To become involved in; particularly in an enthusiastic manner.

sit back »    To relax, to not exert oneself.

sit in for »    To substitute; to take somebody's place.

sit out »    To decline to participate; particularly, to decline to dance.

sit out »    To lean out to the windward side of a sailboat in order to counterbalance the effects of the wind on the sails.

skin and bones »    Said of one who is emaciated; very skinny, as from lack of nutrition.

skip rope »    To jump over a rope, both of whose ends are held by the jumper or by two others, while the rope is moved under the jumper's feet in a continual rhythm; to play the game of jump rope or exercise by jumping rope.

slag off »    To talk insultingly to or about someone or something.

slam dunk »    A task expected to present no difficulty.

slam dunk »    An impressively forceful dunk.

slam dunk »    Tacking on top of the wind of the following yacht in close quarters.

slanging match »    A row; an argument in which names are called.

slap on the wrist »    A mild or too-mild punishment; a reprimand.

sleep in »    To sleep late; to go on sleeping past one's customary or planned hour.

slip through the cracks »    To escape notice or lack sufficient attention.

slob »    A lazy and slovenly person.

slob »    A term used to insult a lazy, obese person.

small fry »    One or more persons or things of relatively little consequence, importance, or value.

small potatoes »    One or more persons or things of relatively little consequence, importance, or value.

smallpox blanket »    An apparently benevolent offering whose real intent is to disrupt, destabilize or weaken.

smart arse »    One who is particularly flippant or insolent or tends to make snide remarks or jokes.

smash hit »    Something that is tremendously popular or successful.

smoke and mirrors »    A deceptive, fraudulent, or unconvincing explanation or description.

smoke signal »    A type of flare or combustion device sometimes used as a distress signal.

smoking gun »    Evidence, particularly of a crime, that is difficult or impossible to dispute.

smooth operator »    A person who accomplishes tasks with efficiency and grace, especially one with verbal skills who is persuasive in interpersonal relationships, negotiation, etc.

smooth operator »    A skillful, manipulative person, con artist, or clever scoundrel.

snake oil »    A type of 19th century patent medicine sold in the United States that claimed to contain snake fat, supposedly a Native American remedy for various ailments.

sneak off »    To leave a place, or a meeting, without being seen or heard.

sneck posset »    A fastened latch.

snow in »    By a large snowfall.

snow job »    An attempt to persuade a person using flattery or deception.

so on and so forth »    Indicates that a list continues in a similar manner.

so quiet one can hear a pin drop »    Said during a lull in a normally bustling place or scene, or as the result of a sudden dramatic or tense moment.

so-and-so »    A name used to take the place of an epithet.

so-and-so »    A placeholder name, used when a name is not known; a generic name.

soapbox »    A crate for packing soap, or, by extension, any inexpensive crude platform raised above the surrounding level to give prominence to the person on it, especially when used for speeches.

soccer player »    footballer

socialized medicine »    An umbrella term for any system of government-run health care.

soft sawder »    Cajoling or flattery.

soft shoe »    A kind of tap dancing performed in soft-soled shoes, popular in vaudeville.

soft shoe »    A speech, explanation, sales pitch, or other set of remarks delivered in a restrained or conciliatory manner in order to persuade, distract, or otherwise influence someone.

softroader »    . This involves increased ground clearance with tyre, wheel, and suspension tweaks, skid plates and refers to mini SUV or wagons.

song and dance »    An excessively elaborate story or excuse used to justify something.

sort out »    To clarify by reviewing mentally.

sow one's wild oats »    To indulge in a period of irresponsible behavior, particularly sexually; Often used in reference to young adults or to the recently divorced.

space out »    To plant seedlings etc at regular intervals with a calculated space between them.

spanner »    A stupid or unintelligent person; one prone to making mistakes, especially in language.

spare tire »    An extra wheel or tire carried as a replacement in case of a flat.

spare tire »    Excess weight or fat accumulated near the waist.

spare tyre »    A large stomach and rolls of fat around the waist.

spare tyre »    An extra tyre carried in case one of the vehicle's tyres is damaged or deflated.

speak for »    To claim, reserve, or occupy.

speak to »    To address a particular topic.

speak up »    To talk more loudly or plainly.

spectator sport »    A sporting activity which has a relatively high ratio of watchers to direct participants.

spectator sport »    Something, especially a process or activity, which is a popular object of observation; an activity which a person prefers to watch rather than to participate in.

spice up »    To enhance the flavor of something by adding spice to it.

spill one's seed »    To masturbate or to ejaculate when the penis has been withdrawn from one's partner.

spit it out »    To overcome reluctance to say something particular or to speak in general.

spread out »    To place items further apart.

spring fever »    A feeling of laziness or listlessness associated with the arrival of the warm, comfortable weather of the spring season.

spur of the moment »    Impluse; short notice; a lack of planning.

square meal »    A satisfying meal, especially suitable for one performing physical labor.

square one »    The place where one begins; a lack of progress.

squeaky wheel gets the grease »    The person who complains or speaks up most loudly receives the redress or attention which he or she seeks.

squirrel away »    To stash or hide; to hoard, collect, save, or accumulate; to create a reserve, stash, or hoard of some supply, so as to recall a squirrel's burying of nuts.

staircase wit »    Thinking of an idea or course of action too late to use it effectively, or the tendency to do so.

stand in for »    To replace; to act as a double or substitute for.

stand the test of time »    To remain useful or valued over a long period of time; to last a long time.

standard fare »    Menu items or dining options which are regularly available in a restaurant or other place where food is served.

start off on the wrong foot »    To begin badly; especially, to begin a relationship badly.

stave in »    To stave from the outside, to crush inward, to cause to collapse inward.

stay put »    To remain in one fixed place.

step out »    To date, to be in a romantic relationship.

step out »    To exit a place on foot, often for a short time.

step up to the plate »    To initiate action; to assume a responsibility.

stick in someone's craw »    To cause lasting annoyance, irritation, or hard feelings.

sticking point »    The point at which a process or thing, especially a state of mind or emotion, reaches its greatest strength and remains steadfast; sticking-place.

sticking-place »    The point at which a process or thing, especially a state of mind or emotion, reaches its greatest strength and remains steadfast; sticking point.

stir-crazy »    Of a prisoner, mentally unbalanced due to prolonged incarceration.

stone cold »    Very cold; lacking any semblance of warmth.

stop and smell the roses »    To relax; to take time out and enjoy or appreciate life.

stop press »    The event or news article important enough to delay or interrupt the print, or require a reprint, of a publication, particularly of a newspaper edition.

straight face »    A face that is expressionless, especially not laughing.

straight man »    A member of a team of comic performers who plays a supporting role by helping to set up jokes and punch lines through engaging in preparatory dialog with the principal comedian; a foil who plays such a role in theatrical comedy.

strike up »    To start something with somebody else. Usually a conversation or relationship.

strike up »    To start something, usually playing live music.

string up »    To suspend by means of rope, cord or similar material.

such-and-such »    A placeholder or generic thing.

suck hind tit »    To be last in line.

suck it up »    To put up with something; to deal with something, such as pain or misfortune, without complaining.

suck off »    To fellate a man until he ejaculates.

suck up »    To adulate or flatter somebody excessively, generally to obtain some personal benefit or favour.

suffer fools gladly »    To be tolerant of stupidity or incompetence in other people.

sweat »    Fluid that exits the body through pores in the skin usually due to physical stress and/or high temperature for the purpose of regulating body temperature and removing certain compounds from the circulation.

sweetheart deal »    A transaction, contract, or other agreement in which one party provides particularly favorable terms to the other, especially in suspicious circumstances.

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.

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.

swot up on »    To study particularly hard to learn a subject quickly.

take a bath »    To lose a large amount of money in an investment.

take a bow »    To accept applause at the end of a performance in a theatre. Often this includes actually bowing to the audience.

take a breather »    To take a break; to pause or relax briefly.

take away »    To remove something and put it in a different place.

take away »    To leave a memory or impression in one's mind that you think about later.

take away »    To make someone leave a place and go somewhere else. Usually not with the person's consent.

take back »    To resume a relationship.

take down »    To remove something from a wall or similar vertical surface to which it is fixed.

take it easy »    To relax or rest.

take lying down »    To endure without complaint or protest.

take out the trash »    To forcefully remove people from a place.

take out the trash »    To remove rubbish from a place.

take the biscuit »    To be particularly bad, objectionable, or egregious.

take the cake »    To be particularly bad, objectionable, or egregious.

take the fall »    To assume blame for oneself.

take the field »    To go out onto the playing field.

take the heat »    To take the blame; to be the focus of anger or scrutiny; to take the consequences.

take the lead »    To become the leader, to advance into first place.

take the rap »    To be blamed or punished for something, especially for the actions of another.

take up »    That which takes up or tightens; specifically, a device in a sewing machine for drawing up the slack thread as the needle rises, in completing a stitch.

take up with »    To form a close relationship with someone.

talk dirty »    To use profane language, especially sexual vulgarities for the purpose of arousal.

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.

talk the talk »    Speak like an expert, claim to be knowledgeable about something.

talk through one's hat »    To speak lacking expertise, authority, or knowledge; to invent or fabricate facts.

talk turkey »    To talk or negotiate plainly, frankly, or seriously.

task force »    A group of people working towards a particular task, project, or activity, especially assigned in a particular capacity.

tell all »    To reveal everything, particularly information that is normally withheld.

tell tales »    To be lying, to be making false claims.

tempus fugit »    time flies (used as an alternative to this phrase)."Meanwhile, the irreplaceable time escapes", expressing concern that one's limited time is being consumed by something which may have little intrinsic substance or importance at that moment.

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 apple doesn't fall far from the tree »    A child grows up to be very similar to its parents in the way they act and in their physical abilities.

the bigger they are, the harder they fall »    The larger something is, the more disastrous and spectacular its downfall

the course of true love never did run smooth »    There will always be problems in a relationship.

the early bird gets the worm »    Whoever arrives first has the best chance of success; some opportunities are only available to the first competitors.

the fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you get »    (vulgar) The sexual satisfactions that one receives from a spouse or romantic partner are not sufficient to compensate for the significant periods of bad faith and unpleasant treatment which such relationships routinely involve.1971, Allen Churchill, The Literary Decade, ISBN 9780135375228:Years later she expressed her disillusionment with sex by saying, "The fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you get."1999, Ben Sonnenberg, Lost Property: Memoirs and Confessions of a Bad Boy, ISBN 9781582430454, p. 93:Maitland got drunk at his parties and threw his arm around you and pulled you over to his wife and made you look down her dress, saying, "The trouble with marriage is that the fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you get."2008, Joseph Heywood, Blue Wolf In Green Fire, ISBN 9781599213590, p. 63:"I can't believe a little pussy got me into dis mess." "Shit happens," Service said. "Sometimes the fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you get."

the long arm of the law »    The body of law enforcement officers.

the other day »    Recently; lately; a few days ago.

there are plenty more fish in the sea »    There are many more potential opportunities available.

there are plenty of fish in the sea »    There are many more potential opportunities available.

there's many a slip twixt cup and lip »    In any situation, however well planned, something can always go wrong.

there's no place like home »    one feels the most comfortable at home

there's no time like the present »    Now (i.e., the present time) is an appropriate time to take a particular action.

there, there »    Conveys comfort; used to calm somebody urge somebody to relax, especially when the person is crying.

thieve out »    To walk out of a place stealthily.

think of England »    To tolerate or endure bad sex. Used in conjunction with "I just lie on my back and.." "I just go through the motions and..." etc.

think tank »    A group of which performs research and develops reports and recommendations on topics relating to strategic planning or public policy, and which is usually funded by corporations, interest groups, or government.

third string »    A unit of players that plays behind the first and second strings; a junior varsity team.

those who will not when they may, when they will they shall have nay »    (archaic) One should take immediate advantage of an opportunity that may not be available later.

throw away »    To place a son or daughter for adoption.

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

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

throw off balance »    To unsettle, to catch by surprise.

throw under the bus »    To betray or blame; to use as a scapegoat.

throw up »    To display a gang sign using the hands.

thumb a ride »    To flag or signal a passing vehicle in hopes of securing passage.

thumb a ride »    To secure a ride by flagging down a vehicle.

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.

thus and so »    A generic thing; a placeholder name.

thus and such »    A placeholder or generic name for something.

tickle pink »    To thoroughly delight or amuse; to elate.

tickle someone's fancy »    To amuse, entertain, or appeal to someone; to stimulate someone's imagination in a favorable manner.

tickle the ivories »    To play the piano.

tie up »    To occupy, detain, keep busy, or delay.

time and tide wait for no man »    action is necessary without delay

timing is everything »    Consideration of other events can greatly influence some desired outcome (such as an audience laughing to a comedian's joke).Telling the old joke about a butt-crack was not a good idea, just as the plumber arrived, Bob.You know what they say: "timing is everything." I'm sure we can find another plumber before the house floods.

tin ear »    Insensitivity to and inability to appreciate the elements of performed music or the rhythm, elegance, or nuances of language.

tip of the iceberg »    Only the beginning; just a small indication of a larger possibility; a problem is much bigger than it seems.

tip one's hand »    In card playing, to accidentally reveal one's cards or hand.

tip one's hand »    To inadvertently reveal any secret, particularly a secret that puts one at an advantage or disadvantage.

tip the scales »    To turn to one side a balanced situation.

to beat the band »    Very vigorously; at a frantic pace; to a high degree; in large quantities.

to die for »    Very good; exquisite; excellent; particularly desirable.

to the moon »    To a very distant or unreachable place.

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

tone down »    To relax; to make quieter or less obtrusive; to make milder.

tone up »    To strengthen and make the muscles of the body firmer by regular excercise.

tongue-in-cheek »    Not intended seriously; jocular or humorous.

too big for one's boots »    Far less capable than one's claims to be.

too big for one's britches »    Too large to fit into one's pants.

too hot to hold »    A place that has too much police activity to harbor a fugitive unnoticed.

top dollar »    The maximum amount of money that an item, service, or worker is worth; a very high price.

top heavy »    unbalanced

touch down »    To land an aircraft.

toy with »    Play, esp. with or as with a toy.

trailer park trash »    Lower-class people who live in trailer parks.

trench mouth »    Acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis, a severe bacterial infection of the gums, typically characterized by inflammation, bleeding, deep ulceration, necrotized tissue, pain, fever, enlarged lymph nodes, fatigue, and halitosis.

trick out »    To trick out; to mod or customize an object, typically for the purpose of both personalization as well as enhancing the object's performance capabilities and more particularly for the purpose of performing stunts with that object.

tuits »    Virtual tokens for an amount of time or attention that a particular issue would need to resolve.

turn a phrase »    To create a particular linguistic expression which is strikingly clear, appropriate, and memorable.

turn back »    To refuse to allow someone to pass a border or enter a place.

turn the air blue »    To speak a stream of bad language; to curse and swear.

turn up »    To belay or make fast a line on a cleat or pin.

turnabout is fair play »    It is allowable to retaliate against an enemy's dirty tricks by using the same ones against him.

twiddle one's thumbs »    To circle one's thumbs around one another, usually with the fingers interlaced, usually done idly while waiting or bored.

twiddle one's thumbs »    To wait or dawdle; to accomplish nothing useful or lack a useful occupation.

two can play that game »    The tactics and/or strategies of an enemy can be used against him.

two cents »    A nearly worthless amount, alluding to placing a copper penny on each of the eyelids of a pauper's or slave's body before burial.

two left feet »    Exhibiting particular clumsiness, especially at dancing or at soccer.

two wrongs make a right »    A logical fallacy whereby a wrongful action is justified by the commission of another

under one's wing »    Under one's protection, sponsorship, or tutelage.

under the gun »    The first player to act on the first round of betting in Texas hold 'em.

under the wire »    At the last minute; before the deadline; barely on time; nearly late.

underwater basket weaving »    "Sure, somewhere out there, college slackers were taking broom ball and underwater basket weaving." — The Columbus Dispatch, September 15, 2005.

underwater basket weaving »    An easy and useless college or high school class.

up a creek without a paddle »    In a difficult situation, without any help. Superlative form of up a creek: most up a creek.

up for »    Planned; next in line.

up for grabs »    Available for anyone to obtain, claim or win.

up to »    Considering all members of an equivalence class the same.

up with the larks »    To wake up early, to be an early bird.

up-and-coming »    Emerging; aspiring; improving; beginning to attract attention or critical acclaim.

up-to-date »    Current; recent; the latest.

up-to-date »    Informed about the latest news or developments.

upper crust »    The topmost layer of a bread, pastry dish, or other item with a hardened coating.

upset the applecart »    To spoil carefully laid plans or arrangements; to spoil something.

valley of death »    Death; or a place or period where death is impending.

venus flytrap »    insect-eating plant

virgin territory »    Land that has never been explored or developed.

vote with one's feet »    To show a lack of support for something by departing or otherwise absenting oneself.

walk around »    To walk with no real planned destination, but to just walk, to meander "around".

walk it off »    To deal with an negative emotional event without complaint; to take it like a man.

walk the line »    To behave in an authorized or socially accepted manner, especially as prescribed by law or morality; to exercise self-control.

walk the plank »    To be forced to resign from a position in an organization.

wank off »    To sexually stimulate another's penis.

wash one's hands of »    To absolve oneself of responsibility or future blame for.

wash up »    To be carried on to land by water.

washed out »    To be very tired and lacking energy.

washed up »    Finished; having no future in a particular role.

watch one's mouth »    In the imperative form, used as a warning to avoid or stop using inappropriate language, especially profanity, or disrespectful utterances.

watch one's mouth »    To be careful about what one says, especially with regard to disrespectful or profane language.

water to my mill »    What energizes you; what stimulates you.

way to go »    An expression of congratulations, encouragement, or approval.

wear out »    Of apparel, displayed in public.

wear rose-colored glasses »    To see the positive in things while being oblivious to the negative.

weigh down »    To act as a ballast for.

well ain't that the catfish in the trap »    A sentence commonly spoken in the Southern United States. It can often be used in place of "well, I'll be damned". Used to express surprise.

well, I never »    An exclamation of great surprise.

wet blanket »    A person who takes the fun out of a situation or activity, as by pessimism, demands, dullness, etc.

what of it »    So what? Who cares? Expresses disinterest, disregard or lack of concern.

what's up »    A casual greeting with usage similar to "How are you?" or "Nice to meet you".

whatever floats your boat »    What makes you happy; what stimulates you.

when it's at home »    Plainly; in plain English; when it comes down to it; at it's most basic level.

when the cat's away the mice will play »    In the absence of a controlling entity, subordinates will take advantage of circumstances.

whistle walk »    The path slaves took to deliver food from the kitchen building of a plantation to the main dining room. Slaves were expected to whistle during this walk in order to assure their masters that they were not eating the food.

whistle-blower »    One who reports a problem or violation to the authorities; especially, an employee or former employee who reports a violation by an employer.

white hole »    A theoretically possible but physically highly unlikely singularity which would emit matter and energy; the antithesis of a black hole.

who shot John »    A long and involved explanation; a thing of which an explanation would be long and involved.

whole enchilada »    All of something or a group of related things taken in totality.

whomp up »    To produce quickly, particularly a meal.

wild-goose chase »    A task whose execution is inordinately complex relative to the value of the outcome.

wind down »    Relax; get rid of stress.

window dressing »    The decorative display of retail merchandise in store windows.

window dressing »    The goods and trimmings used in such display.

window dressing »    These latest modifications are mere window dressing, the same problems remain.

winter rat »    An old, unattractive automobile, purchased for little money, to be driven during brutal Great Lakes winters while the owner's "good" car remains garaged and protected from corrosive road salt for the season.

wipe the slate clean »    To forget about previous differences and disagreements, and make a fresh start.

wisdom tooth »    third molar

with no further ado »    Without any other formalities; with no further delay.

wits' end »    A. 1911, John Muir, in John Muir and Michael P. Branch, John Muir's Last Journey: South to the Amazon and East to Africa, 2002, page 138.

wooden spoon »    An ironic prize for finishing last in a competition.

work out »    To calculate.

work spouse »    A man or woman in the workplace with whom one shares a special relationship having bonds similar to those of a marriage: special confidences, loyalties, shared jokes and experiences, and unusual degree of honesty or openness.

world »    A planet,especially one which is inhabited or inhabitable.

wrap in the flag »    To claim one's cause deserves support for patriotic reasons or that one's own motives are patriotic.

wrap up »    To summarize or recapitulate.

wrong side of the tracks »    . May refer to area where the working class, poor or extremely poor live.

yak shaving »    Any apparently useless activity which, by allowing you to overcome intermediate difficulties, allows you to solve a larger problem.

you can't take it with you »    It is not possible to take one's material wealth to whatever world may await one after death.1900, E. Phillips Oppenheim, A Millionaire of Yesterday, ch. 6:"The clause which

you don't dip your pen in company ink »    One should avoid romantic relationships in the workplace.

you only get what you give »    There is a positive correlation between the effort one puts in and the benefits one receives.

yours sincerely »    A polite formula to end a letter, especially when the recipient’s name is known to the sender.

zoom down »    To move quickly along a particular route, list, etc.

zoom in »    To focus a zoom lens in order to obtain a larger image, or a closer view.

zoom in »    So as to make it larger and possibly more detailed.

New:  We also know Zip Codes FYI!