a camel is a horse designed by a committee »
An expression critical of committees
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acknowledge the corn »
To cop a plea; to admit to a small error but not a larger one.
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all well and good »
Basically good, but with some shortcoming or limitation.
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as a dog returns to his vomit, so a fool repeats his folly »
Foolish people repeatedly do foolish things.
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at the end of one's tether »
At the limit of one’s patience; frustrated or annoyed..
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back gammon player »
A sodomite.
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back off »
To become less aggressive, particularly when one had appeared committed to act.
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barrel of laughs »
A toy in the shape of a barrel that emits sounds of laughter.
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beat around the bush »
To treat a topic but omit its main points, often intentionally.
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beggars can't be choosers »
(proverb) When resources are limited, one must accept even substandard gifts.
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blow chunks »
To vomit chunks of undigested food.
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bluewash »
To tout a business or organization's commitment to social responsibility, and to use this perception for public relations and economic gain; to present a humanitarian front in this manner.
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by heart »
Knowing completely; as having committed completely to memory.
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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.
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cast up one's accounts »
To vomit.
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catch-as-catch-can »
Intermittent; only when possible or when the opportunity presents itself.
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caught with one's hand in the cookie jar »
Observed or apprehended while committing a theft, especially while embezzling money.
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cheek by jowl »
In close proximity; crammed uncomfortably close together.
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come clean »
To confess; admit.
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controlled substance »
Except for very limited professional testing purposes.
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cross the line »
To overstep a boundary, rule, or limit; to go too far or do something unacceptable.
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cube out »
To reach the volume limit of a container.
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cut it close »
To judge or finish something close to its limit.
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do as I say and not as I do »
Don't imitate my behavior but obey my instructions.
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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.
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don't take any wooden nickels »
Do not permit yourself be cheated or duped; do not be naive.
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dormitive principle »
Words.
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draw the line »
To set a boundary, rule, or limit, especially on what one will tolerate.
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drive the porcelain bus »
To vomit, especially while drunk or hung over.
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eat crow »
To recognize that one has been shown to be mistaken or outdone, especially by admitting that one has made a humiliating error.
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eat humble pie »
To admit one's faults; to make a humiliating apology.
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fall in line »
To submit to the rules of a higher authority; obey; conform.
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fall on one's sword »
To commit suicide by allowing one’s body to drop onto the point of one’s sword..
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fire-breathing »
That emits flame from the mouth or nostrils.
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fits and starts »
Activity which is intermittent, variable in intensity, and prolonged by interruptions.
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follow suit »
To follow an example; to imitate.
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follow through »
To finish; to complete, especially, of a commitment.
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fruit of the poisonous tree »
And which is therefore excluded from being admitted as evidence in a trial.
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gentleman of the back door »
A sodomite.
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go native »
To adopt the lifestyle or outlook of local inhabitants, especially when dwelling in a colonial region; to become less refined under the influence of a less cultured, more primitive, or simpler social environment.
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go to Canossa »
To submit to the pope.
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go too far »
To exceed an unstated limit, especially a limit of acceptable behaviour.
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goodbye cruel world »
An exclamation made before commiting suicide, or in a suicide note.
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granny smith »
apple
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hand down »
To transmit in succession, as from father to son, or from predecessor to successor.
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have had it up to here »
To have become very frustrated or angry; to have reached the limit of one's patience or forbearance.
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head over heels »
Hopelessly smitten.
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hit the ground running »
To begin an activity immediately and with full commitment.
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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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if all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail »
With limited tools, single-minded people apply them inappropriately or indiscriminatelyIf a person is familiar with a certain, single subject/has with them a certain, single instrument, they may have a confirmation bias to believe that it is the answer to/involved in everything.
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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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in the hospital »
Admitted as a patient in a hospital.
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inside job »
A crime or other illicit action committed by or with the help of someone either employed by the victim or entrusted with access to the victim's affairs and premises.
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jumped-up »
We're doomed if this wee jumped-up monkey gets Gordon Smith's blessing.
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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.
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keep down »
Not to vomit.
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keep one's options open »
To not commit to a decision, to keep various options available.
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knock off »
An imitation, especially one of poorer quality.
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lay down the law »
To authoritatively or dogmatically assert what is permitted or not permitted.
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let somebody down »
To fail somebody; to disappoint or to fail to uphold a commitment.
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man of parts »
A man that is talented in multiple areas of life. This includes but is not limited to the area of seduction. He puts very little emphasis on memorized scripts or "peacocking" and instead relies on individualized ways to charm a woman.
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mess around »
To have a non-committal sexual relationship.
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mike up »
To fit a microphone and transmitter to a person. Usually for television performers, or for police informers.
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mill around »
To move or circulate in a confused or disorderly manner within a limited area.
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nine day wonder »
Something that generates interest for a limited time and is then abandoned.
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no ifs, ands, or buts »
Period; exactly so; without modification, limitation, or addendum.
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off and on »
Intermittently.
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old college try »
A vigorous, committed attempt or effort.
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open ended »
without definite limits
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over the top »
Bold; beyond normal, expected, or reasonable limits; excessive; outrageous.
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over the transom »
Said of an unsolicited work submitted for publication.
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overleap »
To omit.
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own up »
To acknowledge, confess, or admit guilt. Often used with to.
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perfect storm »
A situation where a calamity is caused by the convergence and amplifying interaction of a number of factors.
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poor power »
Limited ability.
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puke up »
To vomit.
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pull the trigger »
To commit to a course of action.
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push the envelope »
To go beyond established limits; to pioneer.
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put in »
To apply, request, or submit.
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quick-and-dirty »
Of or pertaining to the creation or repair of software or hardware in a manner which permits operation within a brief period of time, although with compromised functionality or reliability.
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real Macoy »
The genuine thing, neither a substitute nor an imitation.
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real McCoy »
The genuine thing, neither a substitute nor an imitation.
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real McKoy »
The genuine thing, neither a substitute nor an imitation.
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run to »
To reach the limit of one's abilities or tastes.
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scratch that »
To disregard, omit, or ignore the previous statement.
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see something through »
To fulfill a commitment.
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send up »
To imitate someone or something for the purpose of satirical humour.
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shift gears »
To change the gear by which motion is transmitted from a powered shaft to another shaft, especially in a motor vehicle.
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smoke signal »
A method of long-distance communication sometimes used in ancient and undeveloped societies, consisting of messages conveyed by means of columns or intermittent puffs of smoke.
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soft as a grape »
someone who is limited in their ability
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supposed to »
Permitted.
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take away »
To prevent, or limit, someone from being somewhere, or from doing something.
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take off »
To imitate, often in a satirical manner.
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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.
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test the waters »
To explore or probe, as before making a commitment.
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that does it »
Expression of annoyance or frustration; indicates that one has reached the limit of one's patience or temper.
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the end of one's rope »
At the limit of one’s patience, when one is so frustrated or annoyed that one can no longer take it..
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the sky is the limit »
Nothing is impossible or out of reach
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the sky is the moon »
A new modern combination of "the sky is the limit" and "shoot for the moon".
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three Rs »
The basic education any child can expect to receive, but not necessarily limited to reading, writing and arithmetic.
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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
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throw up »
To vomit.
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tide over »
To support or sustain someone, especially financially, for a limited period.
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to be sure »
Admittedly, undoubtedly, certainly.
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today we are all »
March 11, 2004: Denis MacShane, Guardian Unlimited.
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tomorrow is another day »
Tomorrow will bring new opportunities and a fresh start for one's endeavors.1600, author unknown, "Phillidaes Love-call to her Coridon, and his replying" (song), in England's Helicon, printed at London by I.R. for John Flasket:Phil. Yonder comes my Mother, Coridon,whether shall I flie?Cor. Under yonder Beech my lovely one,while she passeth by.Say to her thy true-Love was not heere,remember, remember,to morrow is another day:1896, Amelia E. Barr, A Knight of the Nets, ch. 8:"Well, well, my dear lass, to-night we cannot work, but we may sleep. . . . Keep a still heart tonight, and tomorrow is another day."1936, Margaret Mitchell, Gone with the Wind, ch. 63:"Tomorrow, I'll think of some way to get him back. After all, tomorrow is another day."2005, Fran Schumer, "JERSEY: In Princeton, Taking On Harvard's Fuss About Women," New York Times, 19 June (retrieved 18 Aug. 2009):"Half of me is depressed
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top oneself »
To commit suicide.
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truth be told »
Used when admitting something one might otherwise lie about, e.g. to keep up appearances or be polite.
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turn away »
To refuse to admit someone.
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turn in »
To submit something; to give.
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valley of death »
The phase of a startup business beginning with the entrepreneur's fulltime commitment to it and ending when the business has achieved sustainable cash flow.
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warm up »
To prepare for executing an already-learned activity by a limited amount of additional practice.
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weekend warrior »
A person who indulges in a sport or pastime on an infrequent basis, usually on weekends when work commitments are not present.
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whistle Dixie »
To engage in a pointless or unproductive activity; to do something without resolve, seriousness or commitment.
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white hole »
A theoretically possible but physically highly unlikely singularity which would emit matter and energy; the antithesis of a black hole.
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wits' end »
Limit of one's sanity or mental capacity; point of desperation.
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work against the clock »
To work very quickly because you know you only have a very limited period of time to do something.
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