according to »
In a manner conforming or corresponding to; in proportion.
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against all odds »
Despite seemingly insurmountable opposition or probability.
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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.
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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.
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all well and good »
Basically good, but with some shortcoming or limitation.
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arm candy »
An attractive, seemingly romantic companion who accompanies a person in public simply so that one or both of the individuals can gain attention, enhance social status, or create an impression of sexual appeal.
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around the clock »
All the time or seemingly all the time; constantly.
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as long as »
Depending upon some condition or requirement; provided that; if, assuming; so long as.
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at large »
On the loose; roaming freely; not confined.
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away with the fairies »
Not with it, dreaming, not all there.
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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.
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best of both worlds »
A combination of two seemingly contradictory benefits.
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bottoming the house »
The process by where someone cleans their house 'from top to bottom'. It is a very thorough clean indeed, even more so than 'spring cleaning'.
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bounce back »
To recover from a negative without seemingly any damage.
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bring round »
To bring something when coming.
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bum rush »
Storming into an establishment.
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by the way »
His mother will be coming for dinner tomorrow, and, by the way, she volunteered to bring dessert.
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can't wait »
To eagerly anticipate; to find it unbearable to wait for a forthcoming pleasurable event.
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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.
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chew the scenery »
To display excessive emotion or to act in an exaggerated manner while performing; to be melodramatic; to be flamboyant.
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chickens coming home to roost »
Consequences visited upon someone who originally had appeared to escape them.
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cold comfort »
C. 1594, William Shakespeare, The Taming of the Shrew, act 4, sc. 1.
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coming out of one's ears »
In great or excess quantity.
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company »
Keep the house clean, I have company coming.
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cop out »
To avoid or shirk, either by failing to perform, or by performing in a grossly insufficient, negligent, or superficial manner.
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cop-out »
An excuse made in order to avoid performing a task or duty; a reason offered when someone cops out.
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copious free time »
A hypothetical time set aside for performing time-consuming tasks, however insinuating that the speaker really has no free time.
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deep end »
The part of a swimming pool with relatively deep water.
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discretion is the better part of valour »
It is often wise to refrain from seemingly brave speech or action.1597
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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.
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drop a bomb »
To announce surprising or alarming information suddenly and without warning.
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duly noted »
In a due, fit, or becoming manner; as it ought to be; properly.
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eat one's heart out »
To feel overwhelming sorrow, jealousy or longing, to grieve.
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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,
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familiarity breeds contempt »
The more acquainted one becomes with a person, the more one knows about his or her shortcomings and, hence, the easier it is to dislike that person.1894, H. Rider Haggard, The People Of The Mist, ch. 25:This was the beginning of evil, for if no man is a hero to his valet de chambre, much less can he remain a god for long in the eyes of a curious woman. Here, as in other matters, familiarity breeds contempt.
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fencepost problem »
In computer programming, a problem dealing with how to treat the initial or boundary values of a discrete problem.
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flat-earther »
A person who believes or advocates an outlandish, discredited theory; a person who refuses to acknowledge the truth despite overwhelming evidence.
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get cold feet »
To become nervous or anxious and reconsider a decision about an upcoming event.
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get it »
To "get what's coming to him/her"; to feel one's wrath; to receive punishment; to receive a retaliation; to receive a beating.
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go apeshit »
To behave in an extreme manner; to act without restraint, especially by becoming explosively angry.
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go to work »
To begin performing some task or work.
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go with the flow »
To act as others are acting, conforming to common behavior patterns with an attitude of calm acceptance.
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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...
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green fingers »
A seemingly natural gardening ability.
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grind to a halt »
Coming to a standstill, or ceasing to be productive or make progress, due to an obstacle.
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have it coming »
To deserve or merit, as the consequences of one's actions.
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hold one's liquor »
To be resistant to intoxication or to show few signs of intoxication, even after consuming a significant amount of alcohol.
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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.
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house warming »
Presented as a way of welcoming someone to a home into which he or she recently moved.
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idiot mittens »
Mittens connected by yarn or string running through one sleeve, along the back and out the other sleeve of a coat, to prevent the mittens becoming lost. Generally worn by small children.
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in for an inch, in for a mile »
Given that one is partly involved in or committed to a project, action, position, etc., there is no reason to refrain from becoming fully involved or fully committed.
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joe job »
An act of e-mail spamming where the sender's identity and address are those of an innocent third party, intended either to tarnish that person's reputation or to flood that person's e-mail with bounces.
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kicking and screaming »
With extreme reluctance.
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live on »
To survive solely by consuming a certain thing.
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nip in the bud »
To remove a bud from a plant to prevent flower and fruit from forming.
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no screaming hell »
Something that is not particularly effective or impressive; something that is below expectations.
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nut-cutting time »
Time to exert maximum effort, for example, due to an approaching deadline or a looming competitive situation.
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off one's game »
Performing in any activity below one's usual level; behaving in an irregular, inept, or awkward manner; feeling unwell.
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off the hook »
Performing extraordinarily well.
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on high »
"According to those on high there is no global warming".
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on the bubble »
Having qualification for an event depend on the upcoming performances of other competitors.
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on the square »
A discrete, unassuming reference to freemasonry.
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on the way »
Coming, approaching.
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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.
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one's days are numbered »
Some period of time, such as a term of employment or a lifetime, is coming to an end.
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one-trick pony »
A performing animal that knows only one trick.
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out of character »
Not in character; not successfully performing within the mindset of a given character in a theatrical performance. See also break character, drop character.
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over one's head »
Performing at a level greatly superior to one's usual level of performance.
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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.
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payback's a bitch »
Usually a complete sentence as an interjection: I am amused that someone got their revenge on you...but you certainly had it coming.
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pendre la cr%C3%A9maill%C3%A8re »
To have a housewarming party.
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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.
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pissing contest »
An argument which is instigated, or exacerbated while consuming alcohol.
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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.
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red tape »
A derisive term for regulations or bureaucratic procedures that are considered excessive or excessively time- and effort-consuming.
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sea legs »
Ability to travel by ship without becoming seasick.
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sell a bargain »
A species of wit, much in vogue about the latter end of the reign of Queen Anne, and frequently alluded to by Dean Swift, who says the maids of honour often amused themselves with it. It consisted in the seller naming his or her hinder parts, in answer to the question, What? which the buyer was artfully led to ask. As a specimen, take the following instance: A lady would come into a room full of company, apparently frightened, crying out "It is white, and follows me!" As soon as someone responded "What?" she sold him the bargain, by saying "Mine arse".
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so long as »
Depending upon some condition or requirement; provided that; if, assuming; as long as.
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square meal »
A satisfying meal, especially suitable for one performing physical labor.
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stand off »
To prevent any would-be attacker from coming close by adopting an offensive posture.
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the straw that broke the camel's back »
A small and seemingly insignificant addition to a burden that renders it too much to bear; the small thing which causes failure, or causes inability or unwillingness to endure any more of something.
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throw out »
To dismiss or expel someone from any longer performing duty or attending somewhere.
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time and material »
A form of contractual compensation involving payment for materials used and at agreed rates for the those involved in performing the services.
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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.
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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.
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up to something »
Doing something mischievous or scheming.
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up-and-comer »
Someone who is up-and-coming, who has begun to be successful in some field and is likely to become even more successful in the future.
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up-and-coming »
Emerging; aspiring; improving; beginning to attract attention or critical acclaim.
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wait for the other shoe to drop »
To await a seemingly inevitable event, especially one which is not desirable.
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warts and all »
Of or pertaining to a description or other depiction which reveals the full range of characteristics of a person or thing, including the shortcomings and imperfections.
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when the shit hits the fan »
A reference to the messy consequences of a secret or private situation becoming public.
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when, as, and if »
Used to indicate the timing and contingency of some obligation in contracts, especially financial.
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whistle past the graveyard »
To attempt to stay cheerful in a dire situation; To proceed with a task, ignoring an upcoming hazard, hoping for a good outcome.
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whomp on »
To assail with overwhelming force; to defeat decisively.
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willful ignorance »
A bad faith decision to avoid becoming informed about something so as to avoid having to make undesirable decisions that such information might prompt. It may also be shown as for a person to have no clue in a decision but still goes ahead in their decision.
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willy nilly »
Seemingly at random, haphazardly.
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window dressing »
The goods and trimmings used in such display.
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