double entendre »
A phrase that has two meanings, especially where one is innocent and literal, the other risqué, bawdy, or ironic; an innuendo..
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face value »
No more or less than what is stated; a literal or direct meaning or interpretation.
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get in »
To get into or inside something, literally or figuratively.
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give it the gun »
Literal meaning.
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hit the pavement »
Literal meaning.
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how are you »
An informal greeting, not requiring a literal response. Typical responses include.
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how do I get to Carnegie Hall »
A set phrase, spoken as a rhetorical question, which is answered "Practice, practice, practice!" or sometimes with the humorous literal directions to Seventh Avenue between 56th and 57th.
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kick off »
To force the weaning of a bovine cow's calf by restricting the calf's access to its mother's udders. Used figuratively or literally.
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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
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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.
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put up one's dukes »
Prepare to fight; literally, to raise your fists.
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sexual congress »
Loose translation of the title of Aristophanes' play Ecclesiazousae, more literally translated as Assemblywomen.
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stop someone in his tracks »
To prevent someone from continuing along a path or way, literal or figurative, he has begun going along.
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there and back »
One or for a round trip journey, literal or figurative.
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three Rs »
The basic education received in primary schools. Literally; reading, writing and arithmetic.
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| BTW, Why won't you become an editor? |
