We've found 2445 phrases for nd (0.116 seconds):

a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush »    It is preferable to have a small but certain advantage than a mere potential of a greater one.

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

a few sandwiches short of a picnic »    Exhibiting disquiet or unsoundness of mind; not sane; mad.

a fool and his money are soon parted »    It is easy to get money from foolish people, especially rich ones.

a friend in need is a friend indeed »    A true friend is one who helps you when you are in need.

a gentleman and a scholar »    An admirable person.

a good beginning makes a good ending »    Good beginnings promise a good end; start off on a good note to reap the benefits at the end.

a good man is hard to find »    Men who make good husbands or workers are rare.

a house is not a home »    A home is not merely a building but requires inhabitants and a friendly atmosphere.

a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step »    even the longest and most difficult ventures have a starting point

a leopard cannot change its spots »    One cannot change one's own nature.1597, William Shakespeare, Richard II Act i, Scene 1 (First Folio):King. Lyons make Leopards tame.Mowbray. Yea but not change his ?pots.1611, King James Version of the Bible, Jeremiah 13:23:Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots?1820, Walter Scott, Ivanhoe Chapter 32:End now all unkindness. Let us put the Jew to ransom, since the leopard will not change his spots, and a Jew he will continue to be.1918, Johnston McCulley, Thubway Tham's Inthane Moment:The leopard cannot change his spots, old boy.

a life of its own »    An independent existence with some characteristics of life.

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

a man's home is his castle »    (US) a proverbial expression of personal privacy and security

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

a picture is worth a thousand words »    Alternative form of a picture paints a thousand words.

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 pull of the hair for being unfair »    The general response to "A kick and a flick for being so quick", which is in turn a response in itself to "A pinch and a punch for the first day of the month".

a riddle wrapped up in an enigma »    Something very mysterious and hidden.

a rising tide lifts all boats »    Benefits provided to a few may lead to conditions that are beneficial to all.

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.

abide by »    To remain faithful to something or someone; to stand to; to adhere.

abound in »    To have something in great numbers or quantities; to possess in such abundance as to be characterized by.

abound with »    To have something in great numbers or quantities; to possess in such abundance as to be characterized by.

about to »    Indicates something that will happen very soon; indicates that something is imminent.

about turn »    An about face; a military command to a formation of soldiers to reverse the direction in which they are facing.

above and beyond »    More than is expected or required.

above one's bend »    Out of one's control or power.

above the salt »    Of high standing or honor.

absence makes the heart grow fonder »    When someone or something is faraway, you realise how much you love (or miss) them or it.

accident of birth »    Reference to the fact that various benefits or detriments to the life of a person arise from the circumstances into which that person was born, these being entirely beyond his control.

according to »    In a manner conforming or corresponding to; in proportion.

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

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 one's age »    To be mature and not childish.

ad fontes »    Go to the sources: An expression emphasizing the importance of conducting fundamental research and of consulting primary sources.

add insult to injury »    To further a loss with mockery or indignity.

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

after all »    In the end; anyway; referring to something that was believed to be the case, but has now been shown not to be.

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.

agree to disagree »    To tolerate each other's opinion and stop arguing; to acknowledge that an agreement will not be reached.

albatross »    A double eagle, or three under par on any one hole.

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 and sundry »    All, everyone.

all and sundry »    Each one.

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

all eyes and ears »    To be attentive.

all fur coat and no knickers »    Of superficial appearance and with no real substance beneath.

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 mouth and no trousers »    Superficial, engaging in empty, boastful talk, but not of real substance.

all mouth and trousers »    Superficial, engaging in empty, boastful talk, but not of real substance.

all nations »    A composition of all the different spirits sold in a dram-shop, collected in a vessel into which the drainings of the bottles and quartern pots are emptied.

all out »    The state of a side having no more men to bat, thus ending its innings.

all over the map »    Widely scattered or distributed; numerous and differing greatly.

all talk and no action »    Speaking, promising, or boasting much, but doing little

all talk and no cider »    All talk and no results.

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

all the way to Egery and back »    The long way; a roundabout route; a long distance to travel.

all well and good »    Basically good, but with some shortcoming or limitation.

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.

all's fair in love and war »    unpleasant behavior is acceptable during love and conflict.

all's well that ends well »    Problems do not matter if things turn out well in the end.

along about »    Approximately; at around some time.

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

an apple a day »    Healthy eating and living using traditional temperate-zone fresh foods.

an apple a day keeps the doctor away »    Apples are healthy and stave off illness.Eat healthy and you won't get sick.

an axe to grind »    A grievance, with implications of confrontation.

an Englishman's home is his castle »    (UK) a proverbial expression of personal privacy and security

and change »    And some quantity, but less than the increment to the next round number.

and counting »    Used to show that the number previously mentioned is continuously changing, i.e. increasing or decreasing.

and how »    Used to strongly confirm preceding utterance.

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.

and then some »    Used to confirm preceding utterance, while implying that what was said or asked is an understatement.

angel's advocate »    Someone who sees what's good about an idea and supports it.

angle for »    To try to obtain something by subtle indirect means. Political manoeuvres, suggestion, etc.

angle for farthings »    To beg out of a prison window with a cap, or box, let down at the end of a long string.

Apa Sâmbetei »    "for nothing", "to no result", or that what you have done was destroyed or is rendered useless after you finish it.

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

apples and oranges »    Said of a comparison of items that are not comparable.

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.

ark ruffian »    Rogues who, in conjunction with watermen, robbed, and sometimes murdered, on the water, by picking a quarrel with the passengers in a boat, boarding it, plundering, stripping, and throwing them overboard, etc. A species of badger.

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

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.

arm's length »    Independent, but related.

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

around Robin Hood's barn »    The long way around; a roundabout or circuitous route.

around the bend »    Crazy, insane.

around the clock »    All the time or seemingly all the time; constantly.

around the corner »    Imminent.

arse end of nowhere »    A very remote place.

as is »    In its present state or condition, especially as a contractual condition of sale.

as long as »    Depending upon some condition or requirement; provided that; if, assuming; so long as.

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

ask around »    To enquire about something to different people.

ask my arse »    A common reply to any question; still deemed wit at sea, and formerly at court, under the denomination of selling bargains.

ask round »    To enquire about something to different people.

ask round »    To invite someone to your house.

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

assault and battery »    . This legal distinction exists only in jurisdictions that distinguish assault as threatened violence rather than actual violence.

at a stand »    In a state of confusion or uncertainty; undecided what to do next.

at all »    Indicating degree, quantity or frequency greater than zero; to the slightest degree, in any way, somewhat, rather.

at best »    In the most favorable of conditions; at the most.

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

at hand »    Being at the moment the center of attention or the cause of trouble.

at hand »    Near; soon; approaching; imminent.

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

at heart »    In spirit; according to one's beliefs, views or feelings; deep down, really, fundamentally.

at last »    In the end; finally; ultimately.

at loose ends »    In an uncertain position or situation.

at one's beck and call »    In servitude to; at one’s command.

at sixes and sevens »    In a state of confusion.

at sixes and sevens »    In a state of dispute or disagreement.

at the end of one's tether »    At the limit of one’s patience; frustrated or annoyed..

at the end of the day »    In summary; ultimately.

at the end of the road »    No longer in the competition. Voted off. Eliminated.

at the end of the road »    No longer living. Dead.

at the high port »    At once; unhesitatingly; quickly and vigorously.

autem diver »    Pickpockets who practice in churches; also churchwardens and overseers of the poor.

autem gogler »    Pretended French prophet.

baby blues »    Period and feeling of depressiveness after giving birth; a less severe form of postnatal depression.

back in the day »    In the past; at one time, especially a time which is fondly remembered.

back into »    To back up or walk backwards and hit something.

back of beyond »    A very remote place.

back office »    The IT and infrastructure support services for a company, separate from the public face of the business.

back to our muttons »    To get back to the business at hand.

back to square one »    Located back at the start, as after a dead-end or failure.

back up »    So as to stop the ball, and prevent overthrows.

back-cloth star »    An actor who stands upstage, forcing the other actors to face him and turn their backs to the audience, in order to gain more attention to himself.

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

bad taste in one's mouth »    A feeling of disappointment and frustration.

bad to the bone »    Completely bad and evil; pure evil.

badge bunny »    A woman who is romantically attracted to police officers and who seeks out their companionship.

bag and baggage »    All one's possessions.

bag of wind »    A windbag.

baggage »    Heavy baggage; women and children. Also a familiar epithet for a woman; as, cunning baggage, wanton baggage, &c.

bail out »    To leave or not attend.

bail out on »    To abandon, or stop supporting someone or something.

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

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

ball up »    To hunch over and pull in one's arms and legs.

ball-breaker »    A person or task which is excessively demanding or punishing.

ballpark figure »    An educated guess or estimation within acceptable bounds.

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

bang around »    To make a lot of percussive noise while doing an activity.

bang on about »    To keep talking endlessly about the same subject.

bang to rights »    Caught red-handed; in a guilty state.

bang up cove »    A dashing fellow who spends his money freely.

banged up »    Physically injured or wounded.

banged up »    Spending time in prison or jail.

bank night »    An event where patrons are enticed to buy entry tickets into some venue, for example a movie theater, with the anticipation that they will be entered into a drawing to win an amount of money if their ticket is drawn and they are on-site at the time of the winning.

bank on »    To be sure of something. To depend on it.

bankers' hours »    The period between 10am and 3pm.

bar none »    Without exception; excluding nothing else of the same kind.

barge in »    To intrude; to enter or interrupt suddenly and without invitation.

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 »    A solid drum, or a hollow cylinder or case.

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 »    The ribs and belly of a horse or pony.

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

barrow man »    A man under sentence of transportation; alluding to the convicts at Woolwich, who are principally employed in wheeling barrows full of brick or dirt.

bat a thousand »    To achieve perfection.

bat a thousand »    To achieve success at each attempt.

bat a thousand »    To reach first base on every at-bat.

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

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

bat around »    When at least nine batters bat in a half inning.

bat around »    To discuss.

batten down »    To close or make watertight, referring to hatches and cargo.

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

bawl out »    To deliver a loud, hard scolding or lecture; to reprimand.

be around »    To be alive, existent, or present.

be at one's beck and call »    To be in the position of serving someone in any way they desire, usually unwillingly.

be of two minds »    To be undecided or unsure; to equivocate; to have multiple opinions.

be on about »    Talk about; mean, intend.

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

be-all and end-all »    Something considered to be of the utmost importance; something essential or ultimate.

bear down »    To approach another vessel from windward.

bear in mind »    Remember; consider; note.

bear up »    To sail close to the wind.

bear up »    To endure hardship cheerfully.

beat a dead horse »    To persist or continue far beyond any purpose, interest or reason.

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

beat around the bush »    To treat a topic but omit its main points, often intentionally.

beat Banaghan »    An Irish saying of one who tells wonderful stories, or of something which is amazing and remarkable.

beat out »    To sound a rhythm on a percussion instrument such as a drum.

beat up »    To sail to windward using a series of alternate tacks across the wind.

beat up »    To feel badly guilty and accuse oneself over something. Usually followed by over.

beauty is in the eye of the beholder »    Individuals have different inclinations on what is beautiful. Individuals have different beauty standards.

beauty sleep »    Sleep before midnight, on the belief that early sleep hours conduce to health and beauty.[1].

beaver away »    To busily undertake a large task.

beddable »    [...] feminine, great body great legs great taste, trained and beddable, Jesus, how beddable.

bee's knees »    Something excellent, outstanding.

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 »    Exposed to conmen and hucksters; experienced.

beer and skittles »    Fun times.

beer and skittles »    Something pleasurable.

beggars can't be choosers »    (proverb) When resources are limited, one must accept even substandard gifts.

behind bars »    In jail or prison.

behind closed doors »    Public disclosure.

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.

behind somebody's back »    Without somebody's knowledge; secretly.

behind the bit »    An equestrian term, meaning that the horse is evading the bit.

behind the counter »    Of drugs, dispensed by a pharmacist without needing a doctor's prescription or other form of compliance.

behind the eight ball »    At a disadvantage.

behind the scenes »    In secret; out of public view.

bells and whistles »    Extra features added for show rather than function; fancy additions or features.

below par »    Not up to the average or normal standard.

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

belt and suspenders »    Redundant systems, affording mutual backup in the event of one failing.

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.

bend one's elbow »    To drink alcoholic beverages, especially at a public house or bar.

bend over backwards »    To make a great effort; to take extraordinary care; to go to great lengths.

bend somebody's ear »    Sorry to bend your ear with the whole story, but I think you ought to know.

bend somebody's ear »    To bore; to talk too long.

bend the truth »    To change or leave out certain facts of a story or situation, generally in order to elicit a specific response in the audience.

better safe than sorry »    It is preferable to be cautious in one's choices and actions than to suffer afterwards.

better than sex »    Superlative; wonderful.

better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all »    Having experience of love, even if it ended, is better than having no experience of love.Love is worthwhile despite the pain involved in separation.

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.

between the jigs and the reels »    Eventually, despite all the confusion.

betwixt and between »    Neither one thing nor the other.

beyond one's pay grade »    Beyond one's capability.

beyond one's pay grade »    Beyond one's level of authority.

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

beyond the pale »    Describing behaviour that is considered to be outside the bounds of morality, good behaviour or judgement in civilised company.

big boys »    The people or bodies with the most influence and/or power.

big break »    A breakthrough, especially the first big hit of a previously unknown performer or performers in the entertainment industry.

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

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.

bigger fish to fry »    A much more pressing issue to attend to.

bird in the hand »    Shortened form of "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush".

birds and bees »    Informal sex education, especially describing the sexual activity of animals rather than that of people.

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.

birds of the feather flock together »    People who are alike physically tend to congregate and socialize together, despite government efforts at forced integration.

bit on the side »    Secondary lover, mistress.

bite of the reality sandwich »    A wake-up call, a reality check.

bite the bullet »    To endure a punishment or consequence with dignity or stoicism.

bite the hand that feeds you »    To cause harm to a benefactor.

bits and bobs »    A random assortment of things; small remaining pieces and things.

bitter end »    That part of an anchor cable which is abaft the bitts and thus remains onboard when a ship is riding at anchor.

bitter end »    The end of a long and difficult process.

bitter pill »    Something unpleasant that must be accepted or endured.

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

black »    Lacking cream, milk, and creamer.

black and blue »    Covered in bruises.

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.

bleep out »    To censor inappropriate spoken words by obscuring them with the sound of a bleep.

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 forced bet.

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

blind »    An 1800s baseball term meaning no score.

blind »    Any device intended to conceal or hide; as, a duck blind.

blind as a bat »    Nearly totally blind, having a very poor sense of vision.

blind date »    A romantic meeting between two people who have never met before.

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!

blood mary »    Vodka and tomato juice

blot out »    To make something undecipherable; to obliterate.

blow a kiss »    To kiss one's hand, then blow on the hand in a direction towards the recipient.

blow chunks »    To vomit chunks of undigested food.

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

blow off »    To pass gas; to break wind.

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

blow the whistle »    To make a piercing sound which signals a referee's action or the end of a game.

blow this pop stand »    To exit or remove oneself from a less than exciting location or environment.

blow this popsicle stand »    To leave an establishment speedily.

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

blue state »    A state of the United States voting Democratic in a given election, or tending to vote Democratic in general.

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.

board up »    To block doors or windows with boards, either to prevent access or as protection from storms, etc.

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

bomb around »    The drive around at speed for pleasure.

boo boo »    blunder

boot camp »    A short, intensive, quasi-military program generally aimed at young offenders as an alternative to a jail term.

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

borganism »    An organization of autonomous organisms that exhibit collectivism: individual "units" that have merged to yield a unified construct. Such an amalgam may possess a collective consciousness, arguably an emergent phenomenon of social networking.

born in a barn »    Engaging in the annoying behavior of inappropriately, and usually neglectfully, leaving open a door or window.

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.

boss around »    To act in a bossy manner with another person, ordering them to do things, whether or not one is actually their superior.

bottle up »    Keep suppressed and hidden.

bottom of the ninth »    In baseball, the second part of the ninth and final inning. The end of the game.

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'.

bought the farm »    Simple past tense and past participle of buy the farm: died; often refers to death in battle.

bowl a googly »    Something unexpected, underhand or requiring a quick reaction or correction.

bowl out »    And thus end their innings.

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

box the compass »    To know, and be able to recite the 32 points and quarter points of the magnetic compass from North, both clockwise and anticlockwise.

boxer shorts »    underwear

boys and their toys »    Used to evoke the idea that adult men sometimes dote excessively on machines, automobiles, and gadgets in a childish manner.

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.

brace of shakes »    The time taken for a sail to shake or shiver twice as a ship comes into the wind.

brain fart »    Something ill-considered and said or done impulsively.

brain-dead »    Having an irreversible loss of brain function and cessation of brain activity.

branch out »    To expand in the manner of branches.

brass monkey »    A cocktail of vodka, rum and orange juice, sometimes with the addition of galliano.

brass monkey »    A kind of inexpensive liqueur.

bread and butter »    Bread spread with butter.

bread and butter »    That which is central or fundamental, as to one's business, survival, or income; a staple or cornerstone.

break a leg »    To perform well in a theatrical production or comparable endeavor.

break ground »    To begin digging in the earth at the start of a new construction, or, originally, for cultivation.

break ground »    To initiate a new venture, or to advance beyond previous achievements.

break ground »    To lift off the sea bottom when being weighed.

break new ground »    By extension, to initiate a new venture.

break new ground »    To begin excavating and levelling earth for a new building, or, originally, for cultivation.

break off »    To end abruptly, either temporarily or permanently.

break out »    To separate from a bundle.

break out »    To begin suddenly; to emerge in a certain condition.

break up »    To end a relationship.

break up »    Of a telephone conversation, to cease to be understandable because of a bad connection.

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

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

brickbat »    For example, it's quite common for magazines to have a section called Bouquets and Brickbats for compliments and criticisms.

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

bridge »    A valence bond, atom or chain of atoms that connects two different parts of a molecule; the atoms so connected being bridgeheads.

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 »    An unintended solder connection between two or more components or pins.

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

bridge »    Cue for extended or tedious shots. Also called a spider.

bridge »    The piece, on string instruments, that supports the strings from the sounding board.

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

bright-line rule »    A clearly defined rule or standard, comprised of objective factors, which leaves little or no room for varying interpretation.

bring down »    To make something flying fall to the ground. Usually by firing a weapon of some kind.

bring home the bacon »    To have a job and earn money or to lead a successful career.

bring in »    To move something indoors.

bring it on »    Used to indicate one's willingness to accept a challenge, confront a threat, etc.

bring owls to Athens »    Perhaps we have not been sufficiently aware that talking about access and its implications in Scandinavia is like bringing owls to Athens. — Herbert Burkert.

bring owls to Athens »    To undertake a pointless venture, one that is redundant, unnecessary, superfluous, or highly uneconomical.

bring round »    To bring something when coming.

bring round »    To resuscitate; to cause to regain consciousness.

broad across the beam »    Without fat on the hips and the bottom.

broad church »    A wide scope of philosophies and ideas.

broad in the beam »    Without fat on the hips and the bottom.

broken-hearted »    Alternative spelling of brokenhearted. Feeling depressed, despondent, or hopeless, especially over losing a love.

bros before hoes »    (US, informal) A man should prioritize his male friends over his girlfriend or wife.

brown power »    The production of electricity made from conventional sources, such as coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear power.

brush up »    To review; to improve an existing but rusty or under-developed skill.

bug out »    To abandon someone without warning.

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

bulletproof »    Capable of withstanding a direct shot by a bullet fired from a gun.

bum around »    To wander around idly to no purpose; to loaf or loiter.

bum rap »    An undeservedly unfavorable portrayal or reputation.

bump and grind »    A combination of movements resembling such a dance, as in road racing, whitewater kayaking, or exercising; any activity involving prolonged jarring or shaking.

bump and grind »    A sexually suggestive dance involving exaggerated hip movements, especially a striptease dance.

bundle of energy »    One who is especially lively, continually active, or industrious.

bundle of energy »    The energy associated with being lively, continually active, or industrious.

bundle of joy »    A newborn baby.

bundle of joy »    A pet.

bundle of nerves »    A lively, continually active person.

bundle of nerves »    A person with an especially nervous, excitable, or fearful disposition.

bunny hop »    A dance from the big band era, a variation of the conga.

bunny hop »    A ground ball that hops along the field instead of rolling.

bunny hop »    A jump made where both wheels leave the ground.

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

buried treasure »    Treasure stashed underground or underwater.

burn a hole in one's pocket »    To cause someone to be tempted to spend money.

burn one's candle at both ends »    To work extremely or excessively hard; to work too hard for good health or peace of mind.

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

burn up »    To catch fire and burn until destroyed.

bury the lead »    To begin a story with details of secondary importance to the reader while postponing more essential points or facts.

bury the lede »    To begin a story with details of secondary importance to the reader while postponing more essential points or facts.

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

bust chops »    To nag; to berate or hound in an effort to elicit action.

busted flush »    Anything which ends up worthless despite great potential.

bustle with »    To teem with; abound with; to exhibit an energetic and active abundance of a thing; to be full of a certain activity or active beings.

busy work »    Work or activity performed with the intention or result of occupying time, and not necessarily to accomplish something productive; routine work of low priority undertaken for the sake of avoiding idleness.

but then »    Then again, on the other hand; used to show that the opposite viewpoint is possible.

buy straw hats in winter »    Of stocks, to buy when both demand and price is low, sell when demand and price is high.

buy to let »    To purchase a property as in investment, and to let it out for rental instead of living in it.

by a long shot »    By a wide margin; indicates a very big difference or disparity.

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

by hand »    Manually; without the use of automation or machines.

by leaps and bounds »    Rapidly. Said of making progress.

by one's lights »    According to one's understanding.

by one's own hand »    As a result of one's own actions, especially with reference to death by suicide.

by the way »    His mother will be coming for dinner tomorrow, and, by the way, she volunteered to bring dessert.

by the way »    Incidentally; a parenthetical statement not timely, central, or crucial to the topic at hand; foregone, passed by, something that has already happened.

by virtue of »    Because of; on the grounds of; by reason of; due to; based on.

call 'em as one sees 'em »    To candidly and honestly express an opinion or viewpoint.

call forth »    To induce, inspire.

calling card »    A small printed card which identifies the bearer, traditionally presented for introduction when making a social visit to a home or when attending a formal social event or business meeting.

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.

can it »    To silence; to quit doing something; to put an end to something.

can't wait »    To eagerly anticipate; to find it unbearable to wait for a forthcoming pleasurable event.

Cannon fodder »    Military personnel who are regarded as expendable when attacking the enemy.

cap over the windmill »    In a crazed manner.

captain of industry »    A prominent business person who owns or is the highest-ranking executive of one or more major firms, especially one who has considerable wealth and influence.

carrot and stick »    Simultaneous rewards for good behavior and punishments for bad behavior.

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 away »    To break under sudden pressure of violent wind.

carry coals to Newcastle »    To do something that is unneeded or redundant.

cash cow »    Someone or something which is a dependable source of appreciable amounts of money; a moneymaker.

cast away »    To abandon or maroon.

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

cast pearls before swine »    To give things of value to those who will not understand or appreciate it.

cat and dog life »    Unhappy married life.

cat and mouse game »    Two individuals and/or groups repeatedly keeping check on each other in a suspicious or self-protective way, often with the goal of one or both parties trying to gain a malicious advantage over the other.

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

cat's meow »    A highly sought-after and fancy example of something.

cat's pyjamas »    A highly sought-after and fancy example of something, usually referring to inanimate objects.

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

catch hell »    Be severely reprimanded, punished, or beaten.

catch it »    Be severely reprimanded, punished, or beaten.

catch on »    To begin to understand; to realize or detect.

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

catch out »    To put a batsman out by catching the batted ball before it touches the ground.

catch-as-catch-can »    A. 1681, John Fryer, Richard Chiswell, Robert Roberts, Robert White, A New Account of East-India and Persia, in Eight Letters, Being Nine Years Travels, Begun 1672 and Finished 1681.

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

caucus race »    A political competition; the game of campaigning and one-upmanship to get votes and be elected.

caucus race »    The competitive process in which a political party selects their candidate, esp. presidential; a primary election via caucus.

caught between the devil and the deep blue sea »    Having a choice between two alternatives, both undesirable.

caught in the act »    To be found doing something that you weren't supposed to be doing, while you're doing it.

caught with one's hand in the cookie jar »    Observed or apprehended while committing a theft, especially while embezzling money.

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.

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.

chance'd be a fine thing »    Given to indicate that an aforementioned thing would be desirable but unlikely. Comparable to if I should be so lucky.

change hands »    To become the property of someone else; to be bought or sold.

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.

change one's mind »    To convince someone to make a decision differing from what a previous one.

change one's mind »    To decide differently than one had decided before.

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.

chase down »    To pursue and apprehend someone.

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.

cheaper by the dozen »    Things are handled more efficiently as a group, rather than individually.

cheat sheet »    Any summary or quick reference used as a shortcut or reminder, a crib sheet.

check out »    To pay the bill, and record one's departure, as from a hotel.

check out »    To have one's purchases recorded and bagged at a supermarket, and pay for it.

check out »    To withdraw an item, as from a library, and have the withdrawal recorded.

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

cheer on »    To cheer and support a team, to barrack, to root for.

chew out »    To lecture, scold, reprimand, or rebuke.

chew the cud »    To meditate or ponder before answering; to be deep in thought; to ruminate.

children should be seen and not heard »    Children should behave well and be quiet, especially in the presence of adults.

chip on one's shoulder »    A tendency to take offence quickly.

chopped liver »    A Jewish food made by frying liver and onions in schmaltz.

circle the wagons »    To draw a wagon train into a circle to allow the wagons to provide cover when under attack.

circle the wagons »    To prepare to defend against an attack.

circles around »    Far faster or better than.

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

cite chapter and verse »    To provide specific references from an authoritative book, as the Bible or a book of statutes or rules, to support a statement.

cite chapter and verse »    To speak authoritatively, providing detailed factual information.

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

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

clean code »    Software code that is formatted correctly and in an organized manner so that another coder can easily read or modify it.

clean house »    To reform by removing undesirable personnel and procedures.

clean up »    To become clean, handsome, smart in appearance, e.g. for a special occasion, especially when it is out of character to be seen as such.

climb up »    To gradually ascend something.

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

close down »    To surround someone, as to impede their movement.

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

close in on »    To catch up with in a chase; to near the end of a pursuit.

close the stable door after the horse has bolted »    To attempt to prevent a problem only to find it has already happened.

close up »    To heal a cut or other wound.

close up shop »    To shut down a shop; to end a business activity.

closed book »    A person or thing that cannot be easily understood; someone or something incomprehensible or puzzling.

clue stick »    A metaphorical stick used to beat information or understanding into a slow learner.

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

cock-and-bull story »    A far-fetched and fanciful story or tale of highly dubious validity.

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

cold hands, warm heart »    Implies inner beauty; a caring person; warm-hearted

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.

cold turkey »    The sudden and complete withdrawal of a dependent substance, especially of a drug.

collect dust »    To remain untouched and unused for a long period of time.

come about »    To tack; to change tack; to maneuver the bow of a sailing vessel across the wind so that the wind changes from one side of the vessel to the other; to position a boat with respect to the wind after tacking.

come across »    To find, usually by accident.

come around »    To change one's mind, especially to begin to agree or appreciate what one was reluctant to accept at first.

come down »    To descend.

come down »    To recover from drug-induced euphoria.

come down to »    To depend upon, basically, ultimately or in essence.

come in handy »    To be useful or helpful, especially at some time in the future.

come out »    To end up or result.

come out in the wash »    Of problems or difficulties, to work out, resolve, or become understood eventually and naturally.

come round »    To make a regular circuit.

come round »    To change one's opinion.

come round »    To recover consciousness.

come round »    To cease anger or hostility.

come short »    Fail to meet (expectations or standards)

come to »    To stop a sailing vessel, especially by turning into the wind. See also come about.

come to »    To devote attention to in due course; to come around to.

come to mind »    To appear in one's thoughts.

come to think of it »    By the way; now that I think about it; indicates something brought to mind.

common ground »    A characteristic or interest shared by multiple people or systems.

common or garden variety »    Ordinary, standard. Nothing special.

common-and-garden »    Ordinary, standard.

common-or-garden »    Ordinary, standard.

company »    A group of individuals with a common purpose, as in a company of actors.

company »    A unit of firefighters and their equipment.

con man »    swindler

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.

conk out »    To fall fast asleep; to sleep soundly.

consume mass quantities »    To eat or drink abundant amounts of food or beverage.

cop a feel »    To stealthily fondle someone in a sexual manner.

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.

cotton on »    To realize; come to understand.

cough up »    To lose a competition by one's own mistakes, usually near the end of the contest.

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

cowgirl position »    A sex position in which the man lies on his back, and the woman sits on top of him facing him.

crash and burn »    To fail utterly.

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

creature comfort »    Any small item or detail that makes a person comfortable and at home.

cross someone's palm »    To give money to a person, especially as a bribe or as an inducement to perform a service.

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.

cross the line »    To overstep a boundary, rule, or limit; to go too far or do something unacceptable.

cry for help »    In her second year at the school Alexis stopped doing her homework and would often scribble on walls. Her teachers wondered whether this was a cry for help, or if she was simply misbehaving.

crystal clear »    Completely clear and understood.

crystal-clear »    Completely clear and understood.

curate's egg »    A thing which has good and bad parts.

curveball »    A forespin pitch thrown by rotating the index and middle fingers down and resulting in motion down "curve".

cut a rug »    To dance, especially in a vigorous manner and in one of the dance styles of the first half of the twentieth century.

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 and dried »    Simple, straightforward, clear, or certain.

cut off »    To end abruptly.

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-and-thrust »    A vehement argument.

cutie pie »    A small hand-held radiation meter.

daily grind »    The difficult, routine, or monotonous tasks of daily work.

damn by association »    Discredit or condemn a position, person, or thing by attacking those things with which he/she/it is associated.

damned if one does and damned if one doesn't »    A dilemma where either choice results in a negative outcome.

dark horse »    A candidate who is nominated unexpectedly, without previously having been discussed or considered as a likely choice.

day and age »    A time period of years or more.

day and night »    All the time; round the clock; unceasingly.

dead »    Full and complete.

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 as a dodo »    Undoubtedly and unquestionably dead.

dead as a doornail »    Unquestionably dead. Used for both inanimate objects and once living beings.

dead end »    A path or strategy that goes nowhere or is blocked on one end.

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

dead set against »    Completely opposed, with no possibility of a change of mind.

dead tree edition »    Paper version of a publication that can be found online.

dead wood »    Dead limbs and branches still attached to a living tree.

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

deathblow »    Something that prevents the completion, or ends the existence of some project etc.

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 down »    Fundamentally; in essence; in reality; really.

deep end »    A situation where expertise or experience is required.

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

deep pockets »    An ample supply of money, especially money which one is willing to spend; the possessor of such money.

deep six »    To discard, cancel, halt; to completely put an end to something.

deep thinker »    A person whose thoughts are profound; an intellectual.

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.

deliver the message to Garcia »    ...grasp the demands and exactions of business life. He learns that the main thing to do is to "deliver the message to Garcia"....

deliver the message to Garcia »    Programmers are consistently dehumanized because so many do indeed deliver the message to Garcia only to be at best ignored.

depend on »    To be dependent on something or someone for support or help.

desk jockey »    One who spends his or her time seated at a desk; especially one who is more concerned with procedure, paperwork, or administration than with its ultimate goal or practical consequence.

desperate times call for desperate measures »    In adverse circumstances actions that might have been rejected under other circumstances may become the best choice.

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

diamond in the rough »    A person whose goodness or other positive qualities are hidden by a harsh or unremarkable surface appearance.

diamond in the rough »    An uncut diamond.

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.

dicky-bird »    A insignificant sound or thing.

dicky-bird »    Endearing term for a small bird, often used when talking with young children.

die »    Followed by for. Often expressing wider contextual motivations, though sometimes indicating direct causes.

die »    Followed by with. Now rare as indicating direct cause.

die »    To stop living; to become dead; to undergo death.

different as chalk and cheese »    Two things which are superficially alike but very different in substance.

dig up dirt »    To examine in order to find negative information for public opinion, usually with the purpose of embarrassing or discrediting a person.

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.

dishpan hands »    Hands which are rough, reddish, and dry, as from irritation and chafing caused by immersion in hot water mixed with detergent.

dive in »    To start a new endeavor enthusiastically and wholeheartedly.

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 a bunk »    To escape or flee under incriminating circumstances.

do as I say and not as I do »    Don't imitate my behavior but obey my instructions.

do away with »    To destroy, eliminate, or make an end of.

do in »    To kill or end.

do justice »    To really allow to be apprehended in its full scope.

do something with mirrors »    To insinuate one has performed a magic or optical trick with the use of hidden mirrors, insinuating trickery and sham.

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 best and live the rest »    First do your work with your 100% dont think about the result

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

dog and pony show »    Originally, a small, traveling circus featuring animals as entertainment.

dog around »    To follow diligently.

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

dog's life »    A life of indolence where the individual may do as he or she pleases, just like a pampered dog.

dog-eat-dog »    Harsh and ruthless.

dogs »    With the, a greyhound racing event.

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 cry over spilt milk »    It is no use worrying about unfortunate events which have already happened and which cannot be changed.

don't look a gift horse in the mouth »    Do not unappreciatively question a gift or handout too closely.

don't look at me »    A response indicating that one is not willing or able to perform a task.

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.

don't try to teach grandma how to suck eggs »    Don't presume to give advice to those who are more experienced.

done a bunk »    Simple past tense and past participle of do a bunk.

dot the i's and cross the t's »    To take care of every detail, even minor ones; To be meticulous or thorough.

double Dutch »    A date where both man and woman pay for their portion of the bill.

double Dutch »    A game of jump rope with two ropes and frequently two jumpers.

double Dutch »    Sex using a condom and the contraceptive pill at the same time.

double entendre »    A phrase that has two meanings, especially where one is innocent and literal, the other risqué, bawdy, or ironic; an innuendo..

double entendre »    Plural form of double entendre.

double talk »    Speaking in a mixture of real English and English-sounding gibberish, for humorous effect.

double up »    To have a secondary use.

double-tongued »    Saying one thing to one person and something different to another; double talking; deceitful in speech.

down and out »    In trouble; in a bad time or situation or having very bad luck.

down for the count »    Decisively beaten; rendered irrelevant for the long term.

down in the mouth »    Sad or discouraged, especially as indicated by one's facial appearance.

down on one's luck »    Unlucky or undergoing a period of bad luck, especially with respect to financial matters.

down pat »    Thoroughly practiced, rehearsed, or understood.

down the drain »    Wasted, squandered; irretrievable.

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

down to the wire »    At the very end of a process or project, especially one with a fast-approaching deadline.

down under »    In Australia.

down-and-outer »    Someone who is down and out.

drag one's feet »    To procrastinate, put off; to dawdle, avoid, or make progress slowly and reluctantly.

drag out »    To extend or lengthen excessively.

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.

drama queen »    Who behaves and speaks in an overly dramatic manner so as to garner attention.

draw back »    To withdraw from an undertaking.

draw on »    To appeal to, make a demand of, rely on; to utilize or make use of, as a source.

draw on »    To advance, continue; to move or pass slowly or continuously, as under a pulling force.

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

draw out »    To improve a losing hand to a winning hand by receiving additional cards.

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

draw the line »    To set a boundary, rule, or limit, especially on what one will tolerate.

dressed to the nines »    Very fancily or formally dressed; wearing very showy or splendid clothing.

dressing-down »    A reprimand or rarely, a thrashing.

dribs and drabs »    A series of negligible amounts.

drink off »    To drink the entirety of in a short period; originally and especially, in a single gulp.

drip »    To have a superabundance of valuable things. Usually followed by "with".

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 on the market »    Something which is overabundant at the moment and thus not in demand.

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

dummy up »    To make a mock-up or prototype version of something, without some or all off its intended functionality.

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

dyed in the wool »    Simple past tense and past participle of dye in the wool.

e pluribus unum »    A national motto of the United States of America, meaning "From many, one", or "out of many, one", referring to the integration of 13 independent colonies into one country, and that has taken an additional meaning, giving the pluralistic nature of American society from immigration.

ear tunnel »    A piece of jewelry that fits into a stretched earlobe hole and makes it seem like a peephole and makes it see-through.

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

easy come, easy go »    Easily won and easily lost; usually said when resigned to a loss.

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

eat out of somebody's hand »    To behave in a docile, submissive way towards somebody.

eat someone out of house and home »    C. 1598, William Shakespeare, Henry IV, Part 2, Act II Scene I.

eat someone out of house and home »    To consume such a portion of one's store of food that little is left for the owner.

eat someone's dust »    To get one to be on a losing end.

eat the wind »    To take a walk.

eat up »    To accept or believe entirely, immediately, and without questioning.

embarrassment of riches »    An abundance or overabundance of something; too much of a good thing.

emperor's new clothes »    Something obvious and embarrassing that is politely ignored or that goes unacknowledged.

empty vessels make the most sound »    noisy, opinionated people are often stupid.

end of »    A short form of end of story.

end of the line »    Final cessation or discontinuance of a process, institution, or person, especially one which has existed for a considerable period of time; death.

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

end of the world »    Any change that seems catastrophic or devastating.

end of the world »    End of habitability for life on Earth.

end of the world »    End of humanity.

end of the world »    End of the planet Earth.

end up »    To conclude, turn out, sometimes unexpectedly.

end up »    To arrive at a destination, sometimes unexpectedly.

end up »    To eventually do.

enough to make the angels weep »    Something so distressing that it causes one to lose hope and faith.

esprit de corps »    A shared spirit of comradeship, enthusiasm, and devotion to a cause among the members of a group, for example of a military unit.

even handed »    impartial

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.

even keel »    Of a business or other activity which is under control and running smoothly.

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 dog has its day »    Everyone has a time of success and satisfaction.

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

every nook and cranny »    Everywhere.

every silver lining has a cloud »    Every good situation has the potential to turn bad.2007, Diab A. Shetayh, Actuality : The Reality RequiemA great partnership isn't a self-maintaining entity. Perseverance and persistence make it thrive. For every silver lining has a cloud. Ignorance of this reality is not an option.

everybody and his cousin »    Everybody; a huge crowd; too many people.

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

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

everything and the kitchen sink »    Alternative form of everything but the kitchen sink.

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

execution style »    Resembling an execution; with the victim aware, but unable to defend himself or resist.

extract the urine »    To mess around, cajole.

eye candy »    A very attractive person or persons, or the salient visible physical attributes of same.

eye candy »    Any object or sight with considerable visual appeal.

eye of the beholder »    The evaluation depending on perception of person who sees and considers.

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

f** this »    The phrase emphatically diminishes the activity or event referred to and expresses that the speaker will have no more to do with it.

face up to »    To confront a condition or situation, typically one that is unpleasant or uncomfortable.

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

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.

fair and square »    Totally fairly and undoubtedly.

fair and square »    Within the applicable rules.

fair enough »    An expression used to concede a point; denotes that, upon consideration, something is correct or reasonable; an expression of acknowledgment or understanding.

fair weather friend »    Only when it is advantageous or easy.

fall behind »    To be progressively below average in performance.

fall between two stools »    To attempt two tasks and fail at both, when either one could have been accomplished singly.

fall down »    To fall to the ground.

fall for »    To be fooled; to walk into a trap or respond to a scam or trick.

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

fall off a truck »    Of an item of merchandise, to come into a person's possession without having been paid for; to be acquired illegally.

fall off the back of a lorry »    Of an item of merchandise, to come into a perons's possession without having been paid for; to have been acquired illegally.

fall over »    To fall from an upright or standing position to a horizontal or prone position.

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

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.

fancypants »    Alternative spelling of fancy pants. The condition of being overly showy; concerned more about one's reputation than anything else.

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 »    Pewtey in Marriage Guidance Counselor from And Now For Something Completely Different.

far out »    New, radical and extreme.

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

fear »    A phobia, a sense of fear induced by something or someone.

feast or famine »    A situation in which something is always either extremely abundant or in extremely short supply.

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.

feel around »    To grope.

fencepost problem »    In computer programming, a problem dealing with how to treat the initial or boundary values of a discrete problem.

fend and prove »    To engage in argument.

fend away »    To turn something away; to ward off.

fend off »    Away; to turn away; to defend against; to repel with force or effort.

few and far between »    Rare and scarce.

field day »    Top-to-bottom all-hands cleaning.

fight a losing battle »    To try to do something so difficult that it will probably end in failure.

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

fight fires »    To deal with urgent matters and minor emergencies rather than longer-term work.

fight tooth and nail »    To use every means possible to overcome a difficult opposition.

figure out »    To come to understand; to discover or find a solution; to deduce.

final curtain »    The end to something which has longed for a long time.

final cut »    A group, after a selection process getting rid of other candidates.

final cut »    In the movie industry, the final released version of the film.

find one's feet »    To grow in confidence in a new situation as one gains experience.

find out »    To discover, as by asking or exploring.

finders keepers »    The doctrine that whoever finds something is allowed to keep it

fine line »    A difference, albeit vague and difficult to discern.

fine print »    The details, restrictions, terms, or conditions, especially of a contract, often printed in very small type.

fire on all cylinders »    To operate as effectively as possible.

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 loser »    Second place.

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

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

fish for compliments »    To try to induce someone to make a compliment.

fish or cut bait »    To choose between taking action now, or forgoing the opportunity and putting that energy into another endeavor; to decide.

fish to fry »    A matter to attend to.

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

fits and starts »    Activity which is intermittent, variable in intensity, and prolonged by interruptions.

five by five »    I hear you loud and clear

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

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

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

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

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.

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

flower »    Typically including sepals, petals, stamens, and ovaries; often conspicuously colourful.

fluff up »    To make a gaffe or blunder.

flutter in the dovecote »    I further argued that the principal cause for the political deadlock that persisted for thirty years after the guns fell silent was Israeli intransigence rather than Arab intransigence. The appearance of the first wave of revisionist studies excited a great deal of interest and controversy in the media and more than a flutter in the academic dovecote. — Israel Confronts Its Past.

fly off the handle »    To become very angry or enraged; to throw a fit or go crazy.

fly-by-night »    Businesses that appear and disappear rapidly, or that give an impression of transience.

fly-by-night »    Traveling businessmen and tradesmen.

fool's errand »    A foolish undertaking, especially one that is purposeless, fruitless, nonsensical, or certain to fail.

fool's errand »    Such an undertaking, assigned as a prank.

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.

footloose and fancy free »    Able to do as one pleases, unconstrained by social ties or responsibilities.

for all intensive purposes »    For all highly demanding purposes.[1].

for all intensive purposes »    Misconstruction of “for all intents and purposes”.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10].

for all intents and purposes »    For every functional purpose; in every practical sense; in every important respect; practically speaking.

for good and all »    Permanently, forever.

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."

fork over »    Hundreds of spectators forked over the 70 bucks for tickets.

fortune favors the bold »    Luck is usually on the side of those who take chances and risks.

fountain of youth »    Anything reputed to have the power to restore health and vitality or to restore a youthful appearance.

four score and seven years ago »    87 years prior to today.

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

fourth wall »    The boundary between the fiction and the audience.

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 ride »    An opportunity or benefit which has no cost, especially one enjoyed or undertaken at the expense of others.

french letter »    A condom.

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.

friend with benefits »    A friendship with no reserves when it comes to the release of shared sexual tension thus leading to sexual fraternization.

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

from my cold, dead hands »    A statement that something will not be taken away from you until the day you die.

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

from soup to nuts »    From beginning to end; throughout.

from the ground up »    From the beginning; starting with the basics, foundation, or fundamentals.

from time to time »    C. 1595, William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, act 3, sc. 3.

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

fruit of one's loins »    One's child, children, or descendents.

fruit of the poisonous tree »    And which is therefore excluded from being admitted as evidence in a trial.

full English »    A cooked breakfast consisting of bacon and eggs, and other foods.

full of beans »    Energetic and enthusiastic.

full speed ahead »    A command, especially on military vessels, to move forward at maximum speed.

game face »    The expression of one who is prepared for or is facing a lot of difficult and/or undesirable work, especially when it is imminent.

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 handle on »    To build or acquire a basic level of understanding or control.

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 at »    intend

get at »    mean, intend

get away with »    To do something which is prohibited, forbidden or generally not allowed, and not be punished for the action.

get away with murder »    To do something bad or illegal and not be punished.

get cold feet »    To become nervous or anxious and reconsider a decision about an upcoming event.

get in someone's hair »    To hinder someone or interfere with their actions.

get into trouble »    To perform an action which is illegal, prohibited, forbidden or proscribed and to become subject to punishment for such action.

get it »    To realize or understand why a joke is funny.

get it »    To understand, comprehend, or grasp.

get moving »    To start hurrying to undertake a task.

get off lightly »    End up with a mild punishment.

get off the ground »    To succeed or begin to succeed.

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 end away »    To have sex.

get one's feet wet »    To begin gaining experience; To take a risk and try something new.

get one's finger out »    To proceed with the matter in hand.

get one's hands on »    To get; to obtain; to secure.

get over »    To forget, and move on.

get something over with »    To do something quickly and hastily; without procrastination, especially so as to have something unpleasant behind oneself.

get something straight »    To understand; to clarify.

get the better of »    To overwhelm or overcome; to influence heavily; to tend to control or persuade.

get the drift »    To understand, at least at some basic or general level.

ghost train »    fairground attraction

giant panda »    chinese animal

gift of the gab »    The ability to talk readily, glibly, and convincingly.

gin and tonic »    alcoholic drink

gird up one's loins »    To prepare oneself for something demanding.

give 'em enough rope »    Allow one to function unhindered, or without further overbearing oversight.

give a man a fish »    Shortened form of give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime

give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime »    It is more worthwhile to teach someone to do something, than to do something for them.

give and take »    A process of compromise or accommodation.

give him enough rope and he'll hang himself »    If one gives someone enough freedom of action, they may destroy themselves by foolish actions.

give hostage to fortune »    He was very cautious with his words and gave no hostages to fortune.

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

give of oneself »    To devote oneself unselfishly to a task, especially to give time and energy.

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 somebody a hand »    To help, aid, or assist.

give somebody a piece of one's mind »    To express one's opinion strongly; to voice one's disagreement or dissatisfaction.

give somebody the runaround »    Especially by providing useless information or directions .

go away »    Command asking someone to leave them alone.

go back on »    To be treacherous or faithless to; betray; as, to go back on friends.

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

go ballistic »    To become very angry and irrational.

go blue »    Of states and counties, to be carried by a Democratic candidate in a given U.S. election.

go by the board »    To estimate the velocity of a boat or ship in knots by casting overboard the knotted line to whose end is attached the lead and thereafter counting the knots in the line as it goes aft along the side boards of the vessel.

go commando »    To not wear underpants.

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

go down the wrong way »    To swallow food or drink so that it goes down the wrong tube in one's throat and makes one cough or for a short period lose one's breath or choke.

go Dutch »    To pay for one's own food and bills, or split the cost, when eating at a restaurant or going out for entertainment.

go for »    To endure, sustain or spend time.

go for the gold »    To attempt to achieve the maximum reward or result in an endeavor.

go in one ear and out the other »    Failed to pay attention.

go it alone »    To do something alone or independently, especially something that is normally or better done in groups.

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

go mad »    Used to indicate that the second verb represents an action that is out of character.

go native »    Of a contractor or consultant, to begin working directly as an employee for a company and cease to work through a contracting firm or agency.

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.

go on »    To continue; expand upon.

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

go red »    Of states or counties, to be carried by a Republican candidate in a given U.S. election.

go round in circles »    To repeatedly do the same thing; without making any progress.

go the distance »    To have the endurance to see a difficult sustained challenge to its natural end without faltering.

go the distance »    To participate in a boxing match for its maximum number of rounds.

go the way of »    To end up the same way as. To receive the same fate as.

go the way of the dinosaurs »    To go extinct or become obsolete; to fall out of common use or practice; to go off the firsthand market; to become a thing of the past.

go the way of the dodo »    To go extinct or become obsolete; to fall out of common use or practice; to go out of the firsthand market; to become a thing of the past.

go to pot »    To come to a bad end.

go to seed »    To deteriorate; to decline into an unkempt or debased condition.

go up in smoke »    To catch fire and burn.

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.

gold standard »    A test or measure of comparison that is considered ultimate or ideal.

golden handcuffs »    Any arrangement or agreement designed to provide extremely favorable benefits or pay, so as to discourage participant from wanting to leave, especially to retain a choice employee.

golden handshake »    A generous severance payment, especially as an inducement to leave employment.

golden hello »    A payment offered to an employee as an inducement to join, especially if currently working for a competitor.

golden rule »    A fundamental rule or principle.

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 and »    Very; exceptionally; utterly.

good drunk »    A person who is cheerful and companionable when intoxicated, retaining reasonable control of his or her mental and emotional faculties.

good egg »    A good person, someone to be trusted; a friend.

good fences make good neighbors »    It is better to mind one's own business than get involved with other people's affairs.

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 old boy »    A male friend or chum, especially a schoolmate; a man with an established network of friends who assist one another in social and business situations; a decent, dependable fellow.

good riddance »    Used to indicate that a departure, or loss is welcome.

goon squad »    A group of individuals serving as enforcers, bodyguards, and the like, especially persons hired for such a purpose and using violent, thuggish methods.

grab and go »    To get something quickly.

grab bag »    Any random assortment, selection or possibility.

grain of salt »    A bit of common sense and skepticism. Generally used in some form of to take with a grain of salt.

grand poobah »    A person who is important or high-ranking.

grand total »    The entire or final sum.

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

grass roots »    People and society at the local level rather than at the national centre of political activity.

grass roots »    The essential foundation or source of something.

grass widow »    A married woman whose husband is away.

gravy train »    An occupation or any lucrative endeavor that generates considerable income whilst requiring little effort and carrying little risk.

great minds think alike »    Used to emphasize a coincidence, or two people reaching the same conclusion in any manner at the same time.

green state »    A state that is, or is perceived as, environmentally friendly.

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

greenwash »    A false or misleading picture of environmental friendliness used to conceal or obscure damaging activities.

grind one's gears »    To annoy or irritate.

grind to a halt »    Coming to a standstill, or ceasing to be productive or make progress, due to an obstacle.

ground rules »    The basic rules or standards; whatever someone must know before proceeding.

grow up »    To mature and become an adult.

grunt work »    That is considered undesirable and therefore delegated to underlings.

guilt trip »    A feeling of shame or embarrassment, especially if self-indulgent, unwarranted, exaggerated or felt over a significant period of time.

guilt trip »    Remarks intended to produce such a feeling.

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.

gunshy »    Fearing the consequences of repeating an act, especially after being reprimanded.

hair-splitting »    The act of finding exceedingly small differences which are probably neither important nor noticeable to most people.

half a mind »    A moderate inclination.

hammer and tongs »    With tools indicating seriousness of intent and capability of harm.

hammer home »    Until or so that a person or group of people understands it.

hand down »    To transmit in succession, as from father to son, or from predecessor to successor.

hand down »    To forward to the proper officer .

hand grenade »    small explosive device

hand in »    To give something to a responsible person.

hand in glove »    In very close cooperation.

hand in hand »    Holding or clasping hands.

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

hand it to somebody »    To give somebody credit or praise.

hand off »    To pass or transfer something to someone.

hand over »    To relinquish control or possession of something to someone.

hand over fist »    Quickly or in great quantity, especially in reference to earning money.

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

hand-in-glove »    Closely cooperative.

handbags at dawn »    A catty squabble.

handle with kid gloves »    To treat something very delicately or carefully.

hands down »    Without much effort; easily.

hands down »    Without question[2].

handwriting on the wall »    Alternative form of writing on the wall. A divine prediction or sentence to fate.

hang around »    To stay, linger or loiter.

hang out »    To spend time doing nothing in particular.

hang out to dry »    To abandon someone who is in need or in danger.

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

hard pressed »    Having or likely to have difficulty or to find a task almost impossible.

hard-nosed »    Guided by practical experience and observation rather than by theory.

hardball »    In baseball, a type of ball and baseball game, as opposed to softball.

hardwired »    In humans and animals, genetically determined, instinctive behavior, as opposed to learned behavior.

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.

hat in hand »    With humility; in an apologetic or self-effacing fashion.

hatchet man »    Someone who carries out brutal and unpleasant duties on behalf of another, such as firing dead wood employees.

have a handle on »    To be in control; to understand or grasp.

have a heart »    To be kind or sympathetic; to treat others kindly.

have an axe to grind »    To have a dispute, resentment, or grudge, sometimes with a disposition to act on that resentment covertly; to have a bias; to take issue with something.

have ants in one's pants »    To be agitated and constantly fidgeting.

have been around »    To be experienced in worldly matters; to be seasoned, not naive.

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

have it made »    To have accomplished all there is to do; to have no further work or difficulty; to have achieved a lifestyle characterized by good fortune and comfort.

have one's hands full »    To be busy or thoroughly preoccupied.

have second thoughts »    To change one's opinion, or be uneasy about a previous decision.

have someone by the short hairs »    To have someone in a difficult situation in which he or she is without alternatives and can be controlled.

have someone's guts for garters »    To reprimand severely.

have the run of »    To have permission or freedom to move around throughout an area or to use something at will.

have the wind up »    To be frightened or disturbed.

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 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 and shoulders »    "She was head and shoulders better than any of her rivals.".

head and shoulders »    To a considerable degree; better; outstanding.

head start »    A factor conducive to superiority and success.

head-in-the-sand »    Exhibiting disregard or denial of a problem or threat.

hear on the grapevine »    To hear rumors; to learn through friends of friends.

hear through the grapevine »    To hear rumors; to learn through friends of friends.

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 gold »    A kind, compassionate, or caring attitude; kindheartedness.

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

helping hand »    Any assistance, help or aid.

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

hen's teeth »    Anything very rare or impossible to obtain is said to be like finding hen’s teeth.

here and now »    immediately

here and there »    From time to time.

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.

here you are »    Said when you hand something over to someone or do a favour to them, usually to draw the recipient's attention to the exchange; Equivalent to “thank you” when receiving something..

hic Rhodus, hic salta »    (politics) Prove what you can do, here and now.

hide and seek »    children's game

hide nor hair »    A trace, indication, or evidence, especially of a person.

hide one's light under a bushel »    For a person to keep some talent or skill hidden from other people. The tone is that a person having a talent which they can be proud of ought not hide it.

high and low »    everywhere

high as a kite »    Very much under the influence of drugs, extremely high.

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

high ground »    A position of advantage or superiority in a conflict or competition.

hind tit »    An inferior source of food or other resources.

hindsight is 20/20 »    (idiomatic) In hindsight things are obvious that were not obvious from the outset; one is able to evaluate past choices more clearly than at the time of the choice.

his back is up »    He is offended or angry; an expression or idea taken from a cat; that animal, when angry, always raising its back. An allusion also sometimes used to jeer a crooked man.

historical figure »    A fictional or fabricated person who was was given historical importance in legends and myth.

hit home »    To be especially memorable or meaningful; to be fully understood, believed or appreciated.

hit on »    To flirt with; to approach and speak to (someone), seeking romance, love, sex, etc.

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 the big time »    To become successful and widely known.

hit the ground running »    To begin an activity immediately and with full commitment.

hit the rock »    To make a gesture to show celebration, friendship, or to be part of a secret handshake by one person raising their fist so the fist is pointing at the person and the other person lightly punches the fist.

hit up »    To request or demand.

hoist by one's own petard »    To be hurt, or destroyed by one's own plot or device, of one's own doing which one intended for another; to be "blown up by one's own bomb".

hold a candle »    To compare; to be even remotely of the same quality, skill, etc. as another.

hold down »    To continue, to hold and to manage well.

hold forth »    To extend or offer, propose.

hold one's breath »    To inhale and then intentionally close the epiglottis so that one's breath is not exhaled.

hold one's own »    To stand up to; to give a respectable performance; to provide worthy competition.

hold out »    To hold something out; to extend forward.

hold out »    To survive, endure.

hold somebody's hand »    To grasp or hold a person's hand.

hold somebody's hand »    To guide somebody through the basics or assist with excessively small details.

hold someone's feet to the fire »    To maintain personal, social, political, or legal pressure on someone in order to induce him or her to comply with one's desires; to hold someone accountable for his or her actions.

hold up »    To withstand; to stand up to; to survive.

hold up one's end »    I'm holding up my end and you had better hold up yours.

hold up one's end »    To hold up one's end of the bargain; to fulfill one's promise or obligation.

hold water »    To withstand scrutiny or criticism; to be valid.

hold with the hare and run with the hounds »    To oppose an action or behavior and yet engage in the same action or behavior; to be a hypocrite.

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

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

hole in one »    A round that is completed by sinking the ball in a single shot or attempt, with one hit.

hole in one »    Any rare, wonderful, or remarkable accomplishment.

home in on »    To focus or narrow down to something; to find or draw closer, as by trial and error or a gradual seeking process.

home run »    The portion of a journey that ends at home.

honesty is the best policy »    Honesty is the most honorable and fulfilling way to live one's life.

honorable mention »    An award or recognition given to something that does not make it to a higher standing but is worth mentioning in an honorable way.

hook line and sinker »    completely

hook, line and sinker »    Naively or unquestioningly.

hoover up »    Into a vacuum cleaner, irrespective of brand.

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

horse sense »    Common sense, especially with a connotation of folk wisdom independent from, and trumping, formal education.

hospital pass »    A poorly executed pass to a team-mate causing the receiver to present an easy target for a defender, and thus be tackled hard.

hospital pass »    A throw that stays in the air long enough that it allows too many people to get underneath it, increasing the risk of injury and a trip to the hospital. Thus, a hospital pass.

hot and cold »    Ambivalent; having conflicting emotions.

hot and heavy »    Enthusiastic.

hot and heavy »    Passionate.

hot desking »    The working practice of sharing desks or workstations between workers, as a means of saving space and resources.

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 »    Refers to a person, thing, or situation in such a state of disarray or disapproval by peers, often in reference to physical appearance, perceived to be disastrously embarrassing, pitiful, or beyond repair.

hot on somebody's heels »    Close behind; pursuing or following closely.

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.

house of cards »    A structure or argument built on a shaky foundation.

household name »    A brand name that is well known to the great majority of households.

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.

how's the weather »    Indicating a change of subject to unimportant topics.

hum and haw »    Procrastinate and take a long time before doing something or taking a decision.

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.

hurt someone's feelings »    To offend or hurt someone.

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

idiot light »    Any warning light or indicator on the dashboard of a car, designed to alert the driver of problems, such as the parking brake being on or the oil being low.

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.

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.

if it ain't broke, don't fix it »    Leave something alone; avoid correcting, fixing, or improving what is already sufficient, as it could end up being detrimental

if it's all the same »    If it makes no difference; if nobody minds; if it doesn't bother anyone.

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!"

if you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen »    If you cannot handle the pressure, you should not be in a position where you have to deal with it.

in a bind »    In a difficult situation, usually of one's own making; having a dilemma; faced with a problem or a set of problems for which there is no easy solution.

in a league of one's own »    Far excelling even the closest contender; not having any worthy competition.

in a state »    Agitated and anxious.

in aid to this fact »    In addition to; and futhermore.

in bed »    Lying on a bed, especially under some bedsheets.

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 clover »    Happy and contented.

in clover »    In a condition of prosperity.

in cold blood »    In a ruthless and unfeeling manner; premeditated and deliberate.

in focus »    Sharp and clear with no fuzziness.

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 for a penny, in for a pound »    Expressing recognition that one must, having started something, see it through to its end, rather than stopping short thereof; accepting that one must

in full swing »    Proceeding fully, quickly, or completely; thoroughly begun and in progress.

in hand »    under control

in kind »    In the form of goods and service rather than money.

in one's right mind »    Sane, sensible, reasonable; thinking clearly.

in shape »    In good condition, repair; in a good state.

in spades »    Beyond doubt.

in spite of »    Despite, irrespective of, notwithstanding.

in tandem »    together

in the dock »    Under scrutiny; subject to critical inspection.

in the doghouse »    Unmarried and unlikely to marry.

in the hot seat »    Under pressure to perform; under scrutiny; at the center of attention.

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 running »    Of a candidate, potential or likely; worthy of consideration.

in the toilet »    Finished; to an end.

in the wake of »    In the noticeable disturbance of water behind .

in the way »    Obstructing, blocking, or hindering.

in the wind »    Impending or in the offing; imminent.

in the woods »    In critical condition; near death's door.

in this day and age »    In the current time period of years.

in thunderation »    In any set of circumstances whatsoever.

in two minds »    undecided

in unity there is strength »    More can be accomplished by a team with a common goal, than individuals.

in vain »    Without success; ending in failure.

in vino veritas »    drunken folks speak truth, one tells the truth under the influence of alcohol

index finger »    digit

inner circle »    The closest of friends of a person.

ins and outs »    The details or fine points of something.

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.

inside joke »    A joke that is understood or meant to be understood only by certain people who are in the know about the details.

into thin air »    Immediately and inexplicably out of sight.

is the Pope Catholic »    The answer to the question is, obviously, resoundingly affirmative.

it is easy to find a stick to beat a dog »    (rare or obsolete, proverb) If a person is determined to punish someone, they will find a way to do so.1596

it is what it is »    This circumstance is simply a fact and must be accepted or dealt with as it exists.

it takes all kinds to make a world »    Diversity is essential: the world would be incomplete if everyone were alike.He irons his clothes how?! That's crazy! Well, I guess it takes all kinds.

it's all Greek to me »    I don’t understand any of it; it makes no sense..

it's an ill wind that blows nobody any good »    There is usually something of benefit to someone, no matter how bad the situation.

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

it's not the whistle that pulls the train »    Boasting and loud talk should not be mistaken for the work that produces real achievements; bravado is no proof of action.1956, James Reston, "Washington: It's Not the Whistle that Pulls the Train," New York Times, 1 July, p. E8:

it's not what you know but who you know »    For success, and especially to obtain employment, one's knowledge and skills are less useful and less important than one's network of personal contacts.1951, G. P. Bush and L. H. Hattery, "Federal Recruitment of Junior Engineers," Science, vol. 114, no. 2966, p. 456:Eighty-four students referred to political influence as a disadvantage of federal employment with such remarks as: "There are too many political connections necessary . . . it's not what you know but who you know

it's one's funeral »    One's decisions or actions will bring undesirable consequences only on oneself.

itchy trigger finger »    A tendency to act in haste or without consideration.

jack it in »    An imperative to stop doing something that the speaker finds annoying.

jack of all trades »    One competent in many endeavors, especially one who excels in none of them.

jack of all trades, master of none »    A master of integration, who knows enough from many learned trades and skills to be able to bring their disciplines together in a practical manner; a polymath; a renaissance man.

jack of all trades, master of none »    A person who has a competent grasp of many skills but who is not outstanding in any one.

jive turkey »    Someone who is jiving, as in behaving in a glib and disingenuous fashion.

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.

jumble sale »    fundraising event

jump »    To attack suddenly and violently.

jump »    To cause oneself to leave an elevated location and fall downward.

jump around »    To move erratically by jumping. Usually as a result of being excited.

jump around »    To move from side to side, or fidget annoyingly. Usually as a result of being nervous.

jump off »    To participate in the final round of an equestrian showjumping event.

jump on the bandwagon »    To profit from a craze; to join a trend.

jump rope »    The activity, game or exercise in which a person must jump, bounce or skip repeatedly while a length of rope is swung over and under, both ends held in the hands of the jumper, or alternately, held by two other participants. Often used for athletic training and among schoolchildren. Variations involve speed, chants, varied rope and jumper movement patterns, multiple jumpers and/or multiple ropes.

jump rope »    The length of rope, sometimes with handles, casing or other additions, used in that activity.

jump the queue »    To desire preferential treatment, undue influence; impatient.

jump the shark »    To undergo a storyline development which is so ridiculous that previous quality is considered to have been lost.

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 in case »    If and only if.

kangaroo court »    A judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding, or a group which conducts such proceedings, which is without proper authority, abusive, or otherwise unjust.

keep a weather eye open »    To be alert; to concentrate on a matter in hand.

keep a weather eye open »    To maintain a background awareness of something; to remain alert to changes without it occupying your full attention.

keep an eye on »    To watch and pay attention to.

keep down »    To lie low. To stay concealed by not standing up.

keep one's cool »    To remain composed, calm, and even-tempered, especially in a provocative situation.

keep one's eye on the ball »    My ethos has always been to be very straight with people, tell it as it is. It doesn't often make people happy but I found that over a period of time it's better to be that way. So being straight, also being very focused on your objectives, keep your eye on the ball and not get deflected away from it.

keep one's mouth shut »    To keep a secret; to refrain from speaking indiscreetly or carelessly.

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 up appearances »    To pretend to be all right or that everything is going well.

keep up with »    To manage to remain beside or just behind that is moving away from one.

keep up with the Joneses »    To do or buy things for status, show, or image rather than out of need, especially for the purpose of competing with friends or neighbors.

keep your friends close, and your enemies closer »    One should be on their toes and alert of their surroundings if malicious people are around, to ensure such people can't wreak havoc in one's life.

kettle of fish »    A situation which is recognized as different from or as an alternative to some other situation, and which is not necessarily unfavorable.

kick around »    To abuse or mistreat; to bully.

kick around »    To wander loose; to float around; to hang around.

kick off the team »    In sports, to dismiss an athlete from a team, usually for misconduct, poor academic performance or other offenses.

kick up the arse »    A severe reprimand, especially one to motivate someone into doing something.

kicking and screaming »    With extreme reluctance.

kid around »    To engage in playful fun.

kill the fatted calf »    To begin a festive celebration and rejoicing for someone's long-awaited return.

kind »    Affectionate, showing benevolence.

kind »    Favorable.

kind »    Mild, gentle, forgiving.

kind of »    Slightly; somewhat; sort of.

kindred soul »    Someone with the same feelings or attitudes as oneself; kindred spirit.

kindred spirit »    Someone with the same feelings or attitudes as oneself.

kiss and make up »    To settle one's differences and forgive.

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

kit and caboodle »    Everything entirely, the whole lot.

kit and kaboodle »    Everything; the lot.

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.

knock around »    To spend time with someone as a friend.

knock around »    To do a relaxing activity.

knock around »    To be in an unknown place.

knock around »    To hit someone, or behave violently towards them.

knock on wood »    A self-directive to undertake the customary action to ward off bad luck.

knock out »    To render someone unconscious, as by a blow to the head.

knock the living daylights out of »    To knock out; to hit and cause to be unconscious.

knock up »    In the morning as by knocking at the door; rouse; call; summon; also, to go door-to-door on election day to persuade a candidate's supporters to go to the polling station and vote. See also knocker up.

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.

knock-on effect »    A secondary, often unintended effect.

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

know something inside and out »    To know something very thoroughly.

know the score »    Be aware of a situation, especially of the consequences of misconduct.

knowledge is power »    With knowledge and/or education, one's potential or ability to succeed in the pursuit of his objectives will certainly increase.

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

knuckle sandwich »    A punch to the face, especially to the mouth.

knuckle under »    To yield or cooperate when pressured or forced to do so.

l'esprit de l'escalier »    The experience of thinking of a devastating rejoinder only after leaving the scene of the debate.

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.

ladies and gentlemen »    Used to address an audience.

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

lay hands on »    To find, obtain or procure.

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

lay off »    made redundant

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

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.

lead »    I would have the tower two stories, and goodly leads upon the top. — Bacon.

lead a charmed life »    To always be lucky and safe from danger.

lead time »    The amount of time between the initiation of some process and its completion, e.g. the time required to manufacture or procure a product; the time required before something can be provided or delivered.

leaf through »    Rapidly reading short sections at random.

lean and mean »    Efficient because of having nothing in excess of what is needed, and single-minded in one's objective.

lean on »    To depend upon for support.

leave behind »    To abandon.

leave no stone unturned »    To do a task very carefully and thoroughly, not missing any step.

leave somebody high and dry »    To abandon somebody; to stop providing assistance at a crucial moment.

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

leave somebody in the lurch »    To abandon somebody; especially, to abandon somebody and leave him or her in a difficult situation.

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 beagle »    A skillful and adroit attorney.

legal eagle »    A skillful and adroit attorney.

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

lemonize »    To damage something and then deny or be aloof from the damage.

lend a hand »    To help or assist, especially voluntarily.

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 go and let God »    To consciously surrender one's free will to the will of God.

let off »    To forgive and not punish.

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

let sleeping dogs lie »    To leave things as they are; especially, to avoid restarting or rekindling an old argument; to leave disagreements in the past.

letters after one's name »    A list of abbreviations, separated by commas, representing the academic qualifications and civil or military honours achieved by a person.

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.

level-headed »    Sensible; rational; possessing sound judgment.

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

lick one's wounds »    He's just off licking his wounds. He'll be back to try again.

lick one's wounds »    To withdraw temporarily while recovering from a defeat.

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 and limb »    Existence together with bodily faculties.

life of Riley »    An ideal life of carefree prosperity and contentment.

life of the party »    A person who participates in entertainment events in a very enthusiastic manner and who has a leading role in inspiring others to join in the spirit of festivity.

life's not all skittles and beer »    Skittles and Beer refers to the carefree, indulgent bar life; skittles being a British pub game. Thus, life's not all skittles and beer means that not everything is about pleasure.

light a fire under »    To start sooner or move faster.

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 the back end of a bus »    Very unattractive.

line in the sand »    A defining moment, a cutoff point.

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 »    An individual who shows strength and courage, attributes associated with the lion.

lion »    The arms of the University of the West Indies are Barry wavy of six Argent and Azure an open Book proper bound Gules garnished Or on a Chief of the third a Lion passant guardant Erminois. Crest: A Pelican proper. . See talk page.

liquid courage »    Alcohol drunk to induce a feeling of courage in the drinker.

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 in sin »    To cohabit as if man and wife without being married.

live it up »    To have a wonderful life; to live fully and have fun.

live paycheck to paycheck »    To spend all that one earns without saving anything.

loaded for bear »    Thoroughly equipped, as for a demanding task or confrontation.

loaded word »    Any word, set phrase or idiom that has strong positive or negative connotations beyond their ordinary definition.

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

lock up »    To cease responding, to freeze.

lone gunman »    An individual person who acts on his or her own initiative, without partners, especially one who has sole responsibility for doing something questionable, confidential, or iniquitous.

long absent, soon forgotten »    Love fades away when people are distant and don't keep close physical contact.

long arm »    A pole tool used for handling things too far away to reach.

long drink »    Any drink containing more than 5 ounces of liquid and less than 9 ounces. Typically, a long drink will have lots of ice and mixer.

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 run »    An extended period of time.

long shot »    Something unlikely; something that has little chance of happening or working. The term arose from the accuracy of early ship guns, which were effective only at close range and unlikely to hit the mark at any great distance.

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

look back »    To look behind oneself.

look daggers »    To stare sharply at someone to indicate disapproval without actually speaking.

look out »    Be vigilant and aware.

look over »    To scan-read and check for errors.

Loose cannon »    A cannon that breaks loose during battle or a storm and causes serious damage to the ship and its crew.

Loose cannon »    An uncontrolled or unpredictable person who causes damage to his own friends, faction, political party, etc.

loose end »    A small job that needs to be done, or minor problem that needs to be resolved, before a task can be considered complete.

loose end »    The end of a rope that has not been fastened.

loose ends »    Leftover items that have not been addressed or attended to.

loose ends »    unresolved details

lose one's mind »    To become mad, insane.

lose one's shirt »    To lose all of one's money; to go broke; to undergo financial ruin or disaster.

lose the plot »    To cease to be behaving in a predictable and/or rational manner.

lose the plot »    To have one's results decline severely in quality or suddenly fall below an acceptable standard, especially when compared to past excellence.

lost errand »    A mission likely to fail.

love is blind »    A person who is in love can see no faults or imperfections in the person who is loved.

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

low road »    A course of action which is undignified, wrongful, or otherwise unseemly.

lucky dip »    A game in which prizes are covered up and mixed together in a container, so that contestants can dip their hand into the container and randomly pull out a prize.

lucky dip »    A selection solely at random.

lump it »    To endure, accept, put up with a situation one does not like.

lump together »    To put different items or groups together and treat them, or think of them as one single group.

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.

made in the shade »    In a condition characterized by comfort, success, easy living, or general well-being.

make a living »    To earn enough income to support oneself and, if applicable, one's family.

make a meal of »    To spend more time and energy on some task than it warrants; to make something overly complicated.

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 exhibition of oneself »    She had far too much to drink and made an exhibition of herself by flirting with everyone.

make believe »    To pretend or imagine.

make for »    To tend to produce or result in.

make head or tail of »    To understand even minimally.

make it »    To become famous and successful.

make it big »    To become famous and successful.

make it do or do without »    If you don't have a lot of money, extend the life of what you have.

make off with »    To steal something and run.

make out »    To succeed; to turn out or end up.

make out like a bandit »    To profit greatly; to get an excessively good deal.

make quick work of »    To accomplish a specified task easily and quickly.

make sense »    To decipher or understand.

make the cut »    To succeed; to be chosen out of a field of candidates or possibilities.

make up one's mind »    To decide; to reach a conclusion.

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.

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.

mandare a monte »    To mess up, to ruin.

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

march to the beat of a different drum »    To do things in one's own way regardless of societal norms and expectations.

mark down »    To write a memorandum about.

mark up »    To increase the price of something between its wholesale and retail phase.

match made in heaven »    A marriage that is likely to be happy and successful because the two people are very compatible with each other.

match made in hell »    A marriage that is likely to be unhappy or abusive and unsuccessful because the two people are very incompatible with each other.

may the Force be with you »    Used to wish someone luck with a difficult endeavor.

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

measure twice, cut once »    Alternative form of measure twice and cut once.

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

melting pot »    Come together and are homogenized.

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

mend one's ways »    To recognise one's failings and attempt to remedy them.

mercury »    A silvery-colored metallic chemical element, liquid at room temperature, with atomic number 80 and symbol Hg.

mess around »    To fiddle idly.

mess around »    To joke, kid, or play.

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

mess up »    To manhandle; beat up; rough up.

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

middle ground »    A compromise position between extremes.

middle ground »    The middle distance.

might makes right »    The stronger and more powerful rule others, control the situation or determine right and wrong.

mike up »    To fit a microphone and transmitter to a person. Usually for television performers, or for police informers.

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

mills of the gods grind slowly »    Justice may arrive slowly, but it cannot be avoided.

mind one's own business »    To concern oneself only with what is of interest to oneself and not interfere in the affairs of others.

mind one's P's and Q's »    Alternative spelling of mind one's p's and q's.

mind one's p's and q's »    To be very careful to behave correctly.

mind over matter »    Willpower alone can overcome a physical problem.

mind the store »    To remain present in a retail business, in order to maintain the security of the premises and to serve customers.

mind the store »    To take active responsibility for a group or process, especially within an organization.

mind you »    Mind that you; be careful that you.

mind you »    Used to draw attention to adjacent words.

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

mine arse on a bandbox »    An answer to the offer of any thing inadequate to the purpose for which it is proffered, like offering a bandbox for a seat.

mint condition »    Used, but still like new, as if freshly minted.

miss the mark »    To fail to reach the result that was intended.

mix apples and oranges »    To mix two totally different things.

mix up »    To mix or blend.

mix up »    misunderstanding

mixed bag »    Something tending to have both good and bad results or characteristics; something having a mixture of advantages and disadvantages.

mixed blessing »    Something that has both good and bad features.

monkey around »    To act foolishly.

monkey business »    Do your homework and forget about all this monkey business.

month of Sundays »    A very long time; too long.

moral high ground »    A position or point of view which is ethically superior or more reputable, in comparison to others which are under consideration.

more cry than wool »    Asserted but not grounded in reality.

more haste, less speed »    When we are in a hurry, we often end up completing our task slower.

morning person »    A person whose who wakes up without difficulty early each morning and who is alert and active during the first part of the day.

morning, noon and night »    Constantly; ceaselessly; without stopping.

mother hen »    An outspoken and overprotective woman dealing with others' affairs.

mouse potato »    A person who spends excessive amounts of time using a computer.

mouth breather »    A person who routinely inhales and exhales through the mouth, instead of through the nose.

mouthful of marbles »    An indistinct, muffled or garbled manner of speaking.

move heaven and earth »    To do whatever is necessary, including extreme or unusual actions; to go to extremes.

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

move the goalposts »    To alter the agreed basis, scope, standards or target of a procedure or task during its course, especially to do so to someone's advantage.

mover and shaker »    Someone who has power and influence in some field or activity.

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

muck about »    To do somethings with a piece of equipment when you do not understand how it works.

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

muck around »    Means the same as muck about.

muck out »    To clean the excrement and other rubbish from the area where an animal is kept, such as a horse stable or a dog kennel.

mug's game »    A foolish, profitless, or hopeless undertaking.

mull over »    To think deeply about something; to ponder, deliberate or ruminate.

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.

my arse »    Indicates disapproval, disregard, disdain, disgust or disbelief.

my eye »    Cheech and Chong.

my foot »    Indicates disapproval, disregard, disdain, disgust or disbelief.

myope comme une taupe »    Blind as a bat.

naked as a jaybird »    Stark naked; nude; especially, naked in a public setting and without embarrassment.

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

necessity is the mother of invention »    A person who is in great need of something will find a way to get it.

neck and neck »    Very close in progress, as in a race or contest.

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.

never in a month of Sundays »    At no time whatsoever.

never in a month of Sundays »    Never in a month of Sundays would I have imagined that you'd be this tall in real life!.

never mind »    Do not be concerned.

never mind »    I withdraw my previous statement.

never mind »    It is not important; do not fret.

never you mind »    Do not concern yourself with it; it is none of your business.

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

nickel and dime »    Small time; operating on a small scale; involving small amounts of money; petty or cheap.

nickel-and-dime »    Alternative spelling of nickel and dime.

night person »    A person whose preference or custom is to remain awake and active during the night and the early morning hours, and who usually sleeps during part of the daytime.

nightcap »    The second game of a doubleheader.

nighthawk »    A person whose preference or custom is to remain awake and active during the night and the early morning hours.

nine day wonder »    Something that generates interest for a limited time and is then abandoned.

nip and tuck »    So evenly matched that the advantage shifts from one to the other, and the outcome is uncertain.

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

no glove, no love »    Without a condom, there will be no sex.

no ifs, ands, or buts »    Period; exactly so; without modification, limitation, or addendum.

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

no nevermind »    No difference.

no pain, no gain »    One must be willing to endure some inconvenience or discomfort in order to achieve worthwhile goals.

no pressure »    The situation at hand is rife with emotional pressure.

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 smoke without fire »    Indicative of the fact that gossip or accusations are often substantiated by fact.

no strings attached »    Without conditions or obligations; without a catch.

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

nod's as good as a wink to a blind bat »    The idea/proposed action is inconsequential to the current situation.

nose candy »    Cocaine.

nose to the grindstone »    Hard at work.

nosebleed seat »    A seat high in the back of bleachers, stands, or the balcony at a theater.

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

not in Kansas anymore »    No longer in quiet and comfortable surroundings; in the big city.

not on your life »    Absolutely not; under no circumstances.

not on your tintype »    An answer indicating outright rejection or denial; no way; absolutely not.

not the end of the world »    It's of minor importance, at least not as important as it first seemed.

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 touch something with a ten foot pole »    Francis Lynde, The Quickening.

noughts and crosses »    pen and paper game

now and then »    Sometimes; occasionally.

now you're talking »    A phrase indicating agreement with a previously stated suggestion to change a course of action.

nudge nudge wink wink »    A phrase added at the end of the sentence to hint that the speaker is referring to something else, euphemistically.

nuts and bolts »    The basic, inner workings of something; the fundamentals or basics; that which makes something operate, on a basic level.

object lesson »    A punishment intended as a deterrent to others.

odd and curious »    A way to designate special coins, namely coins that are both odd and imperfect or seriously damaged.

odd and curious »    On the Isle of Man, the common or general man.

odds and ends »    Miscellaneous things.

of an »    Indicates a more or less habitual activity during the given part of the day.

of course »    Indicates enthusiastic agreement.

off and on »    Intermittently.

off chance »    A condition of not being likely or probable.

off one's game »    C. 1910, Ralph Henry Barbour, "The Dub" in The New Boy at Hilltop and Other Stories.

off the chain »    Crazy and exciting; delirious and wild. By analogy to a frenetic dog when unleashed.

off the deep end »    Crazy, erratic, or irrational.

off the radar »    Unlikely to happen, or be important in the near future or tending to escape detection or attention.

off the rails »    Off the intended path.

off the table »    Beyond consideration.

off the top of one's head »    Without great thought or investigation; extemporaneous; natural; offhand.

off the wagon »    No longer maintaining a program of self-improvement or abstinence from an undesirable habit, especially drinking alcohol.

offer one's condolences »    To offer sympathy to someone.

oh dark hundred »    Some unspecified hour in the early morning.

old hand »    A person who is experienced at a certain activity.

old hat »    Something uninteresting, hackneyed, or passé due to overuse or long-standing familiarity..

old money »    The monetary system used in the United Kingdom before decimalisation and consisting of pounds, shillings, and pence.

old school »    Characteristic of a style, outlook, or method employed in a former era, remembered either as inferior to the current style, or alternately, remembered nostalgically as superior or preferable to the new style, the older denoting something that would be considered out of date or out of fashion to some, but as such, is considered by others as cool and hip.

old time used to be »    Ex-girlfriend or ex-boyfriend. Often used in songs.

on all fours »    On one's hands and knees.

on demand »    When needed or required.

on end »    Remarkably long; continuously.

on end »    Upright; erect; endways.

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

on hand »    Available; ready; in stock.

on hand »    close by; ready to help

on its merits »    Considering only intrinsic good points and bad points, without prejudice or other considerations, such as procedural ones.

on one's feet »    Being standing up.

on one's hands »    Being one's liability or responsibility; with which one is lumbered.

on pins and needles »    Feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety; in a state of suspense.

on second thought »    After reconsidering; on further consideration.

on the brain »    Obsessively in mind.

on the bubble »    Having qualification for an event depend on the upcoming performances of other competitors.

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

on the defensive »    Prepared to defend or protect against criticism, attack or aggression.

on the face of »    Notwithstanding.

on the fence »    Undecided; wavering in one's opinion.

on the loose »    Not incarcerated or in captivity; not under control.

on the mend »    Healing or recovering, as from an injury or illness.

on the mend »    Improving or undergoing restoration to a previous, more favorable condition.

on the other hand »    From another point of view.

on the outs »    On unfriendly terms; estranged.

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

on the square »    Honest and open.

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

on the up-and-up »    Legitimate; honest; upright.

on the uptake »    In understanding or in the ability to absorb new information; especially in the phrases "quick on the uptake" and "slow on the uptake".

on the wagon »    By extension, maintaining a program of self-improvement or abstinence from some other undesirable habit.

on top of »    Fully informed about, and in control of something; up to speed with.

on wheels »    Having wheels affixed to the bottom, and so transportable.

once and for all »    Finally, permanently, conclusively.

once or twice »    A small, indefinite number of times.

one and all »    All, everyone.

one and all »    Each one.

one and the same »    The same person or thing. Used to emphasize the identity or equivalence of two things.

one at a time »    Individually, as opposed to collectively; slowly or methodically, figuratively.

one brick short of a full load »    Not mentally sound; insane.

one by one »    Individually in succession; one at a time.

one can't hold two watermelons in one hand »    do not attempt to take on more than you can handle

one candle short of a box »    not bright; stupid

one good turn deserves another »    One act of kindness should be paid back by another act of kindness.

one side »    You should move to one side and allow me to go through the passageway you are blocking.

one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind »    A cliché used to exaggerate an accomplishment or milestone..

one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind »    Words spoken by Neil Armstrong when taking the first steps on the moon.

one step at a time »    Slowly and carefully, ensuring that each action has been completed successfully before taking the next.

one swallow does not a summer make »    One sighting or instance of an event does not necessarily indicate a trend.

one swallow doesn't make a summer »    One sighting or instance of an event does not necessarily indicate a trend.

one thousand »    Used in a common chronometric counting scheme, in which each iteration is sequentially numbered and supposed to be approximately one second in length.

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's days are numbered »    Some period of time, such as a term of employment or a lifetime, is coming to an end.

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

one-hit wonder »    A person or group known for achieving only a single major accomplishment.

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

one-man band »    An organisation or business that is effectively run by only one person.

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.

one-night stand »    An occasion when a performer or team of them expects to perform at a theater for a single evening.

one-track mind »    That said to be possessed by someone who is obsessed with something or only able to think of one thing.

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

only fools and horses work »    Philosophy of life that people who do not look for an easy way of earning a living are foolish.

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.

open ended »    without definite limits

opposite number »    A person who holds a position in an organization that corresponds to that held by another person in an other organization; a counterpart.

orphan drug »    But which is not manufactured or marketed because the demand is insufficient to cover the costs of supply.

other days, other ways »    People of the past thought and acted differently.

out of bounds »    Beyond the bounds of civility or morality; extremely unreasonable.

out of bounds »    Prohibited to enter.

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.

out of house and home »    Cassandra Chrones Moore, Haunted Housing: How Toxic Scare Stories Are Spooking the Public Out of House and Home.

out of house and home »    Gail White, Partying with the Intelligentsia.

out of house and home »    Global Checkup: How Healthy is Earth?, Science NOW.

out of house and home »    Helping Your Dog Adjust to a New Home, The Progressive Animal Welfare Society.

out of house and home »    In a manner that deprives one of dwelling or some aspect thereof.

out of it »    Not participating in some trend or group.

out of line »    Inappropriate or unsuitable, especially by reason of being unmannerly or indelicate.

out of one's depth »    To be in a situation which one is poorly prepared or unprepared to handle.

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

out of sight »    The notice was out of sight behind the door.

out of sight, out of mind »    When something is not nearby, it is forgotten about.

out of the mouths of babes »    The greatest wisdom comes from children, who are not afraid or weary of the world and its pressures.

out of the way »    Not obstructing or hindering; not in the way.

out of this world »    Exceptionally high quality; wonderful; marvellous.

out on the tiles »    I've had a pint of bitter and now I'm feeling better and I'm out on the tiles." Led Zeppelin in their song "Out on the tiles", 1970.

out the window »    A missed opportunity.

out the window »    Made obsolete; altered drastically as a result of situational change.

out-and-out »    Complete, utter.

outside the box »    Beyond the bounds of convention.

outside world »    The world external to the human mind.

over and out »    Used to signal the end of a conversation, especially one conducted by CB radio or the like.

over and over »    Repeatedly; again and again; many times.

over my dead body »    Under no circumstances; absolutely not.

over one's head »    More complex or confusing than one can understand; beyond one’s comprehension..

over the top »    Bold; beyond normal, expected, or reasonable limits; excessive; outrageous.

ox is in the ditch »    This is a big problem; there is unavoidable or demanding work ahead.

pachyderm »    A member of the obsolete taxonomic group Pachydermata, grouping of thick-skinned, hoofed animals such as the rhinoceros, hippopotamus, elephant, pig and horse.

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 that reports scientific or academic research and is usually subjected to peer review before publication in a scientific journal or in the proceedings of a scientific or academic meeting .

parade of horribles »    A parade featuring a progression of people wearing comic and grotesque costumes.

parking lot »    A major thruway blocked by stop and go traffic.

part and parcel »    An integral or essential piece; that which must be done or accepted as part of something else.

parting shot »    An insult or barbed comment issued as the speaker departs or the conversation comes to an end.

party animal »    A person known for frequent, enthusiastic attendance at parties, especially one whose partying behavior is exuberant or excessive.

party crasher »    Someone who attempts and often gains entry to a party or club to which they were not invited, often using social engineering techniques. The party crasher usually tries to blend into the party so as not to be kicked out.

pass muster »    To measure up to a particular standard.

pass out »    To distribute, to hand out.

pass out »    To graduate, usually marked by the ceremony at the end of their training.

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

pea patch »    A realm of endeavor.

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

peace and quiet »    Tranquility; freedom from stress or interruptions.

peaches and cream »    A very enjoyable experience.

peaches-and-cream »    Of facial complexion, smooth, with attractive yellow-pink coloring.

peed off »    Simple past tense and past participle of pee off.

peel out »    To start abruptly from a standing stop, accelerating rapidly, especially so as to produce skid marks.

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 for your thoughts »    Used to inquire into the thoughts and feelings of another, especially when the person appears pensive or conflicted.

penny pincher »    One who spends little money; one who is very frugal or cautious with money.

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

perfect storm »    A powerful hurricane or other major weather disturbance, especially as produced by a combination of meteorological conditions.

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

peter out »    To dwindle; to trail off; to diminish to nothing.

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

pick up »    To lift; to grasp and raise.

pick up »    To learn, to grasp; to begin to understand.

pick up »    To meet and seduce somebody for romantic purposes, especially in a social situation, sometimes used with "on".

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.

pick up the tab »    To accept a charge and pay for it, especially at a bar or restaurant.

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

pickle »    Any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish.

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

pickle »    A rundown.

piece of ass »    An act of intercourse, especially a one night stand.

pig out »    They watched the game and pigged out on chips and pizza.

pinch and a punch for the first of the month »    Said the first day of a new month, accompanied by a pinch and a punch to the victim.

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.

pinchpenny »    One who spends little money; one who is very frugal or cautious with money.

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

piss and vinegar »    Exuberance or enthusiasm, especially to an excessive degree; bravado; youthful energy.

piss away »    To spend wastefully.

pitch in »    To help out; lend assistance; contribute; to do one's part.

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

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

play possum »    To feign death; to remain quiet and still to escape attention or remain undetected; to lay low.

play second fiddle »    To play a subsidiary or subordinate role to someone or something else.

plead the fifth »    To invoke the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which protects witnesses from being forced to incriminate themselves.

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 out »    To tell, remind, indicate to someone.

poison pen »    A usually intentionally rude, spiteful, and/or condescending piece of writing directed at a person, group, lifestyle, way of thought, or other target.

pony in the barn »    An exciting and real prospect, something to be legitimately excited about.

pop off »    To leave, and return in a short time.

pop up »    To come up with a "pop" sound.

pope's nose »    The tail end piece of a cooked chicken.

pore over »    To examine something carefully and attentively.

potter »    One who makes pots and other ceramic wares.

potter around »    To potter, to be gently active doing various things in an almost aimless manner.

potter's clay »    A person or people created and shaped by God.

potter's field »    A public place where strangers, paupers, and criminals are buried.

pound of flesh »    Something which is owed and which will be hurtful or difficult to provide; a debt owed to someone who is merciless and demanding.

pound sand »    To engage in a futile activity.

pound the pavement »    To campaign diligently; to seek something, such as business, employment, or answers.

pound the pavement »    To travel on foot; to walk or run.

pour out »    To leave a place quickly, and in large numbers.

pour out »    To talk volubly and deeply. Usually implies telling the truth.

power behind the throne »    Someone who appears to be without special status, but who has great covert influence on a person in authority.

power chord »    A chord or combination of notes used in rock music and typically selected to sound good at high volume and high levels of distortion. Power chords make extensive use of intervals such as open fourths and fifths.

power up »    To turn the electrical power on to a device as a precondition to make it operational.

press the flesh »    To shake hands and socialize, especially in a political gathering.

price is right »    The cost of a thing is reasonable and of good value.

pride comes before a fall »    A person who is extremely proud of his or her abilities will often suffer a setback or failure, because he or she tends to be overconfident and to make errors of judgment.

prime of life »    The period of one's mature life when one is at a peak of health and performance.

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.

prop up the bar »    To spend time drinking alcohol at the bar in a pub.

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.

proverbs go in pairs »    Alternative form of proverbs run in pairs.1932, Bertrand Russell,

proverbs run in pairs »    Every proverb seems to be contradicted by another proverb with an opposed message, such as "too many cooks spoil the broth" and "many hands make light work."1863, Sir Richard Burton, Abeokuta and the Camaroons Mountains, vol. 1, Tinsley (London), p. 309:Moreover, all the world over, proverbs run in pairs, and pull both ways: for the most part one neutralizes, by contradiction, the other.

puff out »    To blow briefly and lightly.

pull a »    He pulled an Elvis and got really fat.

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 finger out »    To stop wasting time in preliminaries, and concentrate on the important task.

pull the other one, it's got bells on »    The implication is that one leg has been pulled, and the joker will have more fun with the other one due to the bells.

punch bowl waterfall »    A plunging waterfall descending from a narrow stream into a pool.

pure and simple »    Plain and unadorned.

push the boat out »    To do something, especially spend money, more extravagantly than usual, particularly for a celebration.

push the envelope »    To go beyond established limits; to pioneer.

put across »    To explain or state something clearly and understandably.

put an end to »    To terminate or abolish something.

put away »    To send someone to prison.

put by »    To run a ship aground intentionally to avoid a collision.

put down »    To replace the telephone receiver and terminate a call. To hang up.

put down »    To land an aircraft.

put into practice »    To take a theory and make it a practical reality.

put off »    To offend, repulse, or frighten.

put on the dog »    To dress up; to put on airs; to make a show of wealth and/or importance; to be pretentious.

put one foot in front of the other »    To walk, decomposed to stress the fundamentality of the task.

put one's foot down »    To insist, demand, or refuse.

put one's foot in it »    To make a mistake in public, or a social blunder, that is embarrassing, or offensive.

put one's hands together »    To clap; to applaud.

put one's mind to it »    To apply oneself; to exert a directed effort.

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 feelers »    To explore or watch for; ask around; investigate.

put paid to »    To stop something once and for all.

put someone in mind of »    To remind someone of; to inspire a mental image or awareness of; to cause thoughts concerning.

put the wind up »    To frighten or disturb.

put two and two together »    To figure out; to deduce or discern.

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.

question mark »    The punctuation mark “?”, used at the end of a sentence to indicate a question..

quick on the uptake »    Able to readily understand things; intelligent.

quick-and-dirty »    Done or constructed in a hasty, approximate, temporarily adequate manner, but not exact, fully formed, or reliable for a long period of time.

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.

rabble rouser »    Someone or something that tends to inspire mobs; something controversial or provocative.

rag bagger »    A sailboat, usually a cruising sailboats which tend to carry and store lots of supplies along the deck, or any sailboat that looks like a neglected vessel, or messy vessel.

rag bagger »    A sailor who tends to sail on messy cruising vessels.

rag the puck »    To retain possession of the puck by skillful skating and stickhandling without attempting to score, as a deliberate tactic intended to use up time.

rag-chewing »    A phrase used by morse code operators for a longer than usual conversation, generally a conversation extending about 30 minutes.

rain cats and dogs »    To rain very heavily.

rain check »    In social interactions, a polite way to turn down an invitation, with the implication one is simply postponing it and that another time would be acceptable.

rain dogs and cats »    To rain very heavily.

rain or shine »    Regardless of what the circumstances are, and how the weather is.

rained cats and dogs »    poured

raise a hand »    To raise one's arm and hand.

raise a hand »    To volunteer.

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

raise one's hand »    To dare to question.

raise one's hand »    To volunteer.

raise the bar »    To raise standards or expectations, especially by creating something to a higher standard.

raise the flag and see who salutes »    It generates, usually as a preliminary step.

raise the stakes »    To raise the stakes of a hand of poker.

rake »    A garden tool with a row of pointed teeth fixed to a long handle, used for collecting grass or debris, or for loosening soil.

rank and file »    Those lacking any particular title or status; those having no station.

rat race »    An activity or situation which is congested with participants and which is hectic or tedious, especially in the context of a busy, modern urban lifestyle.

rat run »    A small road that people venture down when they want to sneak off the motorway and take a short cut.

rattle someone's cage »    To demand attention; to nag, nudge, or remind.

read out »    To read something and say the words to inform other people.

read out »    To read some data and inform the person using the device.

read somebody the riot act »    To scold or berate somebody; to reprimand.

read somebody's lips »    To discern what somebody is saying by watching the shape of the mouth rather than by hearing the sounds of the words.

reality check »    A wake-up call, reminder.

rebound relationship »    A relationship proceeding a longterm relationship, usually short in duration and used to help mend the "broken heart".

reckon on »    To count on or depend on.

reckon upon »    To count upon or depend upon.

red face test »    A hypothetical test of a person's embarrassment, that is either passed or failed. Saying one passes the red face test means one would not blush and thus would not be embarrassed by disclosing something to others or doing something, and saying one fails the red face test means a situation would cause them discernible embarrassment.

red herring »    A clue that is misleading or that has been falsified, intended to divert attention.

red light »    A warning light, especially as a traffic signal indicating ‘stop’..

red state »    A state of the United States voting Republican in a given election, or tending to vote Republican in general.

red tape »    A derisive term for regulations or bureaucratic procedures that are considered excessive or excessively time- and effort-consuming.

red-handed »    In the act of wrongdoing.

rediscover fire »    To relearn fundamental concepts, principles or practices that had been previously well known and widely practiced at a prior time in human society.

reflect on »    To think carefully about something, and give it due consideration.

rely on »    To be dependent upon.

rex-pat »    A repeat expatriate, one who becomes ex-patriated a second time.

ridden hard and put away wet »    Mistreated; not properly cared for.

ride herd on »    To supervise a group of people, such as workers, and/or their actions, i.e. their work.

ride out »    To tackle a difficult problem and survive.

ride shotgun »    To assist and protect.

ride tall in the saddle »    To act or conduct oneself in a manner that is imposing, impressive, resolute, or manly.

right back »    Used in several informal constructions to indicate return -- especially imminent return to a point of origin.

ring around »    To call a number of people by phone, usually a circle of friends, to organise something.

ring off »    To finish a telephone conversation and disconnect.

ring out »    To sound very loudly.

ring round »    To call a number of people by phone, usually a circle of friends, to organise something.

rip off »    To steal, cheat or swindle.

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 »    Especially in the 19th-century and early 20th-century, a business tycoon who had great wealth and influence but whose methods were morally questionable.

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.

rocket science »    The science or study of rockets and their design.

rocket scientist »    One specializing in the science or study of rockets and their design.

rocket scientist »    Someone qualified to understand or handle that which is overly complex, detailed or confusing; a genius.

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.

roll out the red carpet »    To extend the utmost hospitality; to treat someone as an honored guest; to welcome or host, especially in a showy or extravagant manner.

rolling stone »    A person who moves around a lot and never settles down.

root around »    Alternative form of root about.

rough and ready »    Crude or unpolished, but still fit for use; good enough.

rough around the edges »    In need of refinement; unsophisticated.

rough up »    To manhandle or beat up.

round down »    To the greatest integer that is not greater than it, or to some other lower value, especially a whole number of hundreds, thousands, etc.

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.

round off »    To change a number into an approximation having fewer significant digits.

round off »    To complete or finish something.

round out »    To make more complete by adding details.

round the bend »    Crazy, mad or insane.

round the clock »    Nonstop, 24 hours per day.

round up »    Together.

round up »    To the smallest integer that is not less than it, or to some other greater value, especially a whole number of hundreds, thousands, etc.

royal flush »    poker hand

rub salt in the wound »    To make an injury feel worse.

rub up against »    Of pets. To touch a person's body in a friendly manner, seeking attention.

rubber-chicken dinner »    A formal dinner or event thrown by politicians to raise funds.

rumor campaign »    A method of persuasion in which damaging rumors or innuendo are deliberately spread concerning a person or other target, while the source of the rumors tries to avoid detection.

rumor mill »    A group or network of persons who originate or promulgate gossip and other unsubstantiated claims.

run across »    To find or discover by chance.

run afoul of »    To become entangled in; to run aground on.

run around »    To be very busy doing many different things.

run around after »    To spend a lot of time doing things for another person or group of people. Often used when that person could reasonably do the things for themselves.

run around with »    To spend a lot of time with a person or group of people. Often used to talk about a person's group of friends that one does not like much.

run back »    To rewind a film or cassette.

run down »    To hit someone with a car or other vehicle and injure or kill them.

run down »    To find something or someone after searching for a long time.

run for one's money »    A difficult challenge for the person indicated, especially one involving a competitive situation.

run for the roses »    A hard-fought competition or demanding challenge of any kind.

run hot and cold »    To alternate between two opposite extremes, such as enthusiasm and disinterest or success and failure.

run into »    To blend into; to be followed by or adjacent to without there being a clear boundary.

run into »    To cause to blend into.

run into the ground »    To discuss ad nauseam.

run into the ground »    To mismanage to the point of ruin.

run into the ground »    To wear out, especially through excessive use.

run off with »    To steal or abscond.

run out on »    To leave a partner suddenly and without prior warning.

run somebody ragged »    To exhaust; to demand excessive effort or work from somebody.

runner up »    second-placed competitor

sacked out »    Sound asleep, usually from a healthy exhaustion.

safe and sound »    Having come to no harm, especially after being exposed to danger.

said and done »    Agreed to and accomplished or finished.

sainted »    Simple past tense and past participle of saint.

salad years »    The inexperienced, youthful prime of an individual, group, organization or entity.

sauce for the goose »    A short form of what's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander

save face »    To take an action or make a gesture intended to preserve one's reputation or honour.

scissorbill »    And railroad term for someone who refused to join the union or who openly colluded with management to thwart the union.

scratch one's head »    To puzzle, ponder, or wonder about something.

scream »    A form of singing associated with the metal and screamo styles of music. It is a loud, rough, distorted version of the voice; rather than the normal voice of the singer.

screw the pooch »    To screw up; to fail in dramatic and ignominious fashion.

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 change »    A profound transformation.

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.

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 banana »    A person who serves in a supporting, secondary, or subsidiary capacity; an assistant.

second childhood »    A childlike state in any adult, resulting from mental illness, trauma, or other conditions.

second childhood »    The period or state of cognitive decline of an elderly person, characterized by childlike judgment and behavior.

second fiddle »    A fiddle part in harmony to the first fiddle.

second fiddle »    A sidekick or subordinate, or the role of such a person.

second fiddle »    The person playing second fiddle.

second hand »    used

second nature »    A mindset, skill, or type of behavior so ingrained through habit or practice that it seems natural, automatic, or without a basis in conscious thought.

second sight »    clairvoyance

second string »    In sports, a unit of players that plays behind the first string.

second string »    Not as good; of a lower quality or condition.

second-guess »    Presumably from trying to guess with second sight.

second-guess »    Presumably from trying to improve with a second stab.

see a man »    A bland euphemism to conceal one's true purpose.

see red »    To receive a red card, and be dismissed from the playing field.

see someone's point »    To comprehend the meaning that someone is trying to convey.

see the light »    To gain an understanding of something previously not understood, especially in a sudden insight.

see the light »    To undergo a spiritual conversion.

see you later »    A phrase used at parting, and not necessarily implying that the person being addressed will be seen later by the speaker.

seek and ye shall find »    something can be found if it is looked for.

seize the day »    To enjoy the present and not worry about the future; to live for the moment.

sell »    To pretend that an opponent's blows or maneuvers are causing legitimate injury; to act.

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".

sell out »    To abandon one's supporters or principles to seek profit or other personal advantage.

sell-by date »    Used to indicate that something, or someone, is old and out of date.

seller's market »    An excess of demand over supply, leading to abnormally high prices; a market condition favoring the seller.

send away »    To dismiss from one's presence.

send away »    To send to a particular place for a long time, as a family member, an employee, etc.

send away for »    To write to a business or other organisation, requesting a thing.

send somebody packing »    To expel or eject somebody; to chase off or force out.

send to Coventry »    To ostracize, or systematically ignore someone.

send up »    To be put in prison.

send up »    To imitate someone or something for the purpose of satirical humour.

send up »    To make prices or temperatures etc. rise.

send up »    parody

senior note »    A bond that takes priority over other debt securities sold by the issuer. In the event the issuer goes bankrupt, senior debt must be repaid before other creditors receive any payment.

set aside »    To declare something invalid or null and void.

set aside »    To disagree with something and reject or overturn it.

set aside »    To separate and reserve something for a specific purpose.

set down »    Simple sum of parts set + down, to place, especially on the ground or a surface; to cease carrying.

set of pipes »    A wind instrument incorporating multiple pipes, such as a panpipe or bagpipe.

set the stage »    To prepare; to establish the basis or required conditions.

sexual enjoyment »    Sexual intercourse that produces physical and psychological pleasure.

sexual relation »    Behaviour of a sexual nature between one or more individuals.

sexual tension »    Physically induced libidinal unrest arising between two individuals when aware of each other's presence.

shacked up »    Simple past tense and past participle of shack up.

shake the pagoda tree »    To find a source of easy enrichment; to become absurdly rich in a short time.

shell out »    To use a program's "shell escape" function to execute an unrelated command or to invoke a subsidiary, interactive shell.

shit happens »    Bad things happen, and there is nothing we can do about it.

shit-eating grin »    A broad smile indicating self-awareness that may suggest self-satisfaction, smugness, discomfort, or embarrassment.

shoo-in »    A candidate or contestant generally agreed upon as the presumptive winner; somebody who is well-liked or widely agreed upon.

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 the boots »    To kick swiftly and violently, especially in the groin.

shoot through like a Bondi tram »    To leave in haste.

shooting iron »    A firearm, especially a handgun.

short leash »    Forcing one to function within a strict set of rules, or under great scrutiny or oversight.

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.

shotgun shack »    A house with no internal barrier between the front and back doors.

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 represent one's country or some other group in a manner intended to suggest the authority or importance of that country or group.

show up »    To appear, arrive, or attend, especially suddenly or erratically.

showstopper »    A performance or segment of a theatrical production that induces a positive reaction strong enough to pause the production.

shroud »    Especially, the dress for the dead; a winding sheet.

shrug off »    To ignore or disregard; to be indifferent.

shuffle »    A rhythm commonly used in blues music. Consists of a series of triplet notes with the middle note missing, so that it sounds like a long note followed by a short note. Sounds like a walker dragging one foot.

shut down »    To close, terminate, or end.

shut the hell up »    Indicating disbelief.

sight unseen »    Not having seen the object beforehand.

sign off »    Term used to describe the closing of a radio or television station's studios and cessation of a broadcasting signal, usually during the overnight hours.

silence is golden »    Peace and quiet have immense value.Often the best choice is to say nothing.

silver-tongued »    Eloquent and articulate.

since when »    Used to indicate doubt as to the veracity of a statement.

sing the praises of »    To commend someone's attributes to others.

sink in »    Become clear in one's mind.

sit in »    To attend something for one time, as a visitor.

sit on one's hands »    Or situation.

sit out »    To escape a hold while face-down by swinging one's legs around into the sitting position.

sit out »    To lean out to the windward side of a sailboat in order to counterbalance the effects of the wind on the sails.

sit through »    To unwillingly stay seated until the end of an event.

six feet under »    Buried six feet underground; not alive; dead.

six of one, half a dozen of the other »    The two alternatives are equivalent or indifferent; it doesn't matter which one we choose.

skeleton crew »    The minimum number of personnel needed to operate and maintain an item at its most simple operating requirements, such as a ship or business, during an emergency or shut down, and at the same time, to keep vital functions operating.

skimp and save »    Alternative form of scrimp and save.

skin and bones »    Said of one who is emaciated; very skinny, as from lack of nutrition.

skin diver »    underwater swimmer

skip out »    To shirk; to avoid attending or to leave early, especially without permission.

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.

slam dunk »    Tacking on top of the wind of the following yacht in close quarters.

slap on the wrist »    A mild or too-mild punishment; a reprimand.

sleep around »    To have numerous sexual partners.

sleep with the fishes »    To be killed and have one's body disposed off in the sea or other body of water.

slip of the pen »    A mistake in handwriting.

slip someone's mind »    To be forgotten; to escape one's memory.

slippery as an eel »    So slippery that it is almost impossible to hold with one's hands.

slippery slope »    A chain of events that, once initiated, cannot be halted; especially one in which the final outcome is undesirable or precarious.

slippery slope »    A logical argument that follows a chain of events or causes and effects to some conclusion.

slob »    A lazy and slovenly person.

small arms »    Firearms designed to be carried and fired by a single person; often held in the hand.

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.

smear campaign »    An effort to damage or call into question someone's reputation, by propounding negative propaganda.

smell test »    An assessment of a subject's ability to detect and distinguish odors.

smell the barn »    To experience heightened anticipation or to act with renewed speed or energy as one approaches a destination, goal, or other desired outcome, like a livestock animal at day's end returning to its barn.

smoke and mirrors »    A deceptive, fraudulent, or unconvincing explanation or description.

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.

smoke signal »    An indirect message or indication, especially concerning a future event.

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.

snap someone's head off »    To suddenly and sharply rebuke or insult a person, especially in response to a harmless remark.

sniff out »    To find something using the sense of smell.

sniff out »    To find, especially to find something that cannot be seen.

snot-nosed »    Young and arrogant or conceited.

snow on the mountaintop »    Gray or white hair on one's head, especially as an indication of aging.

snow on the rooftop »    Gray or white hair on one's head, especially as an indication of aging.

snowed under »    Have too much work.

snug as a bug in a rug »    Very cosy and comfortable.

so far so good »    Up to this point, all is OK.Well, you've packed your bags for the holiday, bought your tickets, reserved the hotel and put the dog in kennels. So far so good, now let's get to Minorca without any troubles.

so long as »    Depending upon some condition or requirement; provided that; if, assuming; as long as.

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

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.

so-and-so »    Anything generic.

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.

socialized medicine »    A politically charged term used to contrast such systems with free market alternatives and emphasize the perceived link to socialism.

soft hearted »    Be kind; Fall for someone

soft sawder »    "How the old boy swallowed my soft sawder and Brummagem notes!" —Tom Taylor, The Ticket-of-Leave Man.

soft shoe »    A kind of tap dancing performed in soft-soled shoes, popular in vaudeville.

soft spot »    A sentimental fondness or affection.

soft touch »    A comfortable situation; an easy task or undemanding occupation, especially one which is comfortably remunerative.

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 complex set of instructions.

song and dance »    An excessively elaborate story or excuse used to justify something.

sort out »    To separate from the remainder of a group; often construed with from.

sound as a bell »    In excellent condition.

sound asleep »    Sleeping still and silently.

sound off »    To hold forth about something in an opinionated manner.

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.

sow one's wild oats »    To spread one's genes around by impregnating many females.

sow the wind, reap the whirlwind »    Every decision has consequences; a person's actions will come back to him.

spaghetti western »    Nickname for a motion picture produced by an Italian-based company and filmed in Europe, depicting a tale of cowboys and desperadoes set in the American Old West.

spanner »    A hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts.

spanner »    A hand tool shaped like a small crank handle, for winding the spring of a wheel lock on a musket.

spare the rod and spoil the child »    If one does not discipline a child, he or she will never learn obedience and good manners.

spare tyre »    A large stomach and rolls of fat around the waist.

spark off »    To initiate something by providing the necessary conditions.

spark spread »    The difference between the cost of the fuel required to produce a unit of electricity, and the price of that same unit of electricity.

speak of the devil and he appears »    Alternative form of speak of the devil.

speak one's mind »    To state one's thoughts or opinions honestly or frankly.

spend a penny »    To use the toilet.

spic and span »    Perfectly clean.

spick and span »    Alternative form of spick-and-span.

spill one's guts »    To confess, or to divulge secrets, typically speaking freely and at length after a change of motive or an incentive.

spit-and-polish »    Paying much attention to outward appearance.

spring fever »    A feeling of invigoration and restlessness associated with the arrival of the warm weather and renewal of nature in the spring season.

spring to mind »    To appear suddenly in one's thoughts, often as an example of something.

spruce up »    To dress or arrange smartly, elegantly, and neatly.

squaring the circle »    The historical problem of how to construct, using compass and ruler, a square having the same area as a given circle.

staircase wit »    Thinking of an idea or course of action too late to use it effectively, or the tendency to do so.

stand a chance »    To have a chance.

stand back »    To maintain a safe distance from a hazard.

stand back »    To abstain from participation.

stand back »    To stand a long way behind the wicket so as to catch balls from a fast bowler.

stand by »    To wait in expectation of some event; to make ready.

stand by »    To remain loyal or faithful.

stand by »    To do nothing. To be inactive in a situation.

stand corrected »    Said to acknowledge someone who corrects something that one says or writes that was not correct.

stand down »    To wait; to stop pursuing or fighting.

stand for »    To mean; to symbolize; to represent.

stand for »    To advocate, to support.

stand for »    To tolerate.

stand from under »    To escape something falling or being thrown from above.

stand in »    temporary substitute

stand in for »    To replace; to act as a double or substitute for.

stand in someone's shoes »    To see from another's point of view; to feel what another feels.

stand off »    To stand some distance apart form something or someone.

stand off »    To prevent any would-be attacker from coming close by adopting an offensive posture.

stand on end »    To stand erect, bristle, especially from fear.

stand on its own »    To be independent of others.

stand on one's own two feet »    To be independent. To survive without any help.

stand one's ground »    To attempt to hold a position in battle.

stand one's ground »    To maintain or stick by an opinion or position; to remain resolute in the face of opposition.

stand out »    To be obvious or conspicuous, in contrast to one's surroundings.

stand stock still »    Paul Travers' Adventures, by Sam T. Clover.

stand stock still »    To stand completely motionless.

stand the test of time »    To remain useful or valued over a long period of time; to last a long time.

stand to reason »    To make sense; to seem logical, reasonable, or rational.

stand up »    To rise from a lying or sitting position.

stand up »    To bring something up and set it into a standing position.

stand up »    To jilt or shirk.

stand up »    To stand immediately behind the wicket so as to catch balls from a slow or spin bowler, and to attempt to stump the batsman.

stand up against »    To defy or challenge someone.

standard fare »    Menu items or dining options which are regularly available in a restaurant or other place where food is served.

standard fare »    Something which is normal, routine, or unexceptional; something which is commonly provided or encountered.

standard fare »    The usual price for travel by air, rail, or another means of transport.

stands in »    deputises

stare someone in the face »    To be extremely visible and obvious.

steal somebody's thunder »    To detract from somebody's accomplishments or glory; to undermine.

step in front of a moving train »    To sacrifice one's own life for a noble and loyal cause.

step on a rake »    To step on the tines of a garden rake, causing the handle of the rake to rise from the ground rapidly, invariably striking the person walking in the face.

stew in one's juices »    To be alone and self-absorbed in an uncomfortable state of mind, especially while experiencing the unpleasant effects of one's own actions.

stick around »    To stay; to linger; to remain.

stick it to the man »    To take some action intended to defy a source of oppression such as globalization, commercialization, big business or government.

stick out »    To protrude; to extend beyond.

stick up for »    To defend or protect.

stickhandle »    To deal capably and swiftly with a situation, especially in a manner which deflects potential problems.

stickhandle »    To maintain individual possession of the puck or ball by controlling it with movements of one's stick, especially to do so in a skillful manner.

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.

sticks and stones »    Evocative of the saying "sticks and stones may (or will) break my bones, but words (or names) will never hurt (or harm) me".1957, Brendan Gill, The Day the Money Stopped

stiff upper lip »    The quality of being resolute and showing self-restraint, associated with stereotypical British people.

stock phrase »    A phrase frequently or habitually used by a person or group, and thus associated with them.

stop and smell the roses »    To relax; to take time out and enjoy or appreciate life.

stop up »    To increase the aperture of a photographic lens, moving from an f/stop represented by a higher number to an f/stop represented by a lower number and causing more light to pass into the camera.

straight from the horse's mouth »    Directly from the source; firsthand.

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.

straight out of the chute »    Something done immediately, or "from the beginning". Taken from rodeo routine: the bucking bronco, or bull, or the calf for the calf-roping contest is kept in a narrow pen, a chute, until it is released and dashes out to its fate.

stretch out »    To lie fully extended.

stretch out »    To fully extend a part of the body.

strike through »    Partly obliterate text by drawing a continuous line through the centre thereof, usually to indicate the deletion of an error or obsolete information.

string up »    To suspend by means of rope, cord or similar material.

stumbing-block »    A hindrance, obstacle or impediment.

stumble across »    To discover or find something by accident.

stumble on »    To discover or find something by accident.

stumble upon »    To discover or find something by accident.

stumbling block »    A hindrance, obstacle or impediment.

stump up »    To pay for something. Often indicating reluctance to pay.

such as »    Like, of the kind mentioned.

such-and-such »    A placeholder or generic thing.

suck face »    To kiss, especially deeply and for a prolonged time.

suck hind tit »    To be last in line.

suck hind tit »    To be the youngest or most neglected child.

suck hind tit »    To feed from an inferior source of food.

suck in »    To cause someone to become slowly more and more involved in a business or situation that is often not to that person's liking.

suck into »    To cause someone to become slowly more and more involved in a business or situation that is often not to that person's liking.

summer and winter »    Endured.

summer and winter »    To spend extended periods of time with; to test.

surprise surprise »    An indication that the unsurprising happened, especially contrary to someone's hopes or assertions.

swallow one's pride »    To set aside one's feelings of pride and adopt a more humble or appropriate stance.

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.

swing the lead »    To pretend to be unwell so that you do not have to work.

swings and roundabouts »    Offsetting gains and losses.

switch off »    To lose interest, and start thinking about something else.

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.

sword and sorcery »    Of or pertaining to a genre of narratives—including short stories, novels, television shows, films, and computer games—which combines wizardry and other fantastical supernatural elements with violent combat using medieval weaponry..

tail between one's legs »    A reaction to a confrontation, specifically one with excessive shame and hurt pride.

take a back seat »    To be second to someone or something; to be less important or have a lower priority.

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 bullet »    To purposely receive a gunshot that was intended for another.

take a gander »    To take a look; to check or examine.

take a stand »    To assert an opinion or viewpoint; to defend one's point of view or beliefs.

take against »    To stop liking someone. Become unfriendly.

take apart »    To soundly defeat someone, or a team.

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 care of the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves »    If you take care of little things one at a time, they can add up to big things.1750, Chesterfield, letter 5 Feb. (1932) IV. 1500:Old Mr. Lowndes, the famous Secretary of the Treasury, ?used to say?Take care of the pence, and the pounds will take care of themselves.1912, G. B. Shaw, Pygmalion ii. 132:Take care of the pence and the pounds will take care of themselves is as true of personal habits as of money.1979, R. Cassilis, Arrow of God, iv. xvii.:Little things, Master Mally. Look after the pennies, Master Mally, and the pounds will look after themselves.1999,

take for granted »    To give little attention to or to underestimate the value of, to fail to appreciate.

take in »    To absorb or comprehend.

take kindly »    To accept or condone.

take lying down »    To endure without complaint or protest.

take off »    To leave the ground and begin flight; to ascend into the air.

take one's lumps »    To endure through criticism or other adversity.

take one's lumps »    To receive physical abuse and to survive.

take one's time »    To go about something slowly and carefully.

take out of context »    To interpret something in a manner in which it was not intended to be understood, often deliberately.

take sides »    To ally oneself with a given opinion, agenda or group; to support one side or viewpoint in a competition or confrontation.

take someone's point »    To agree with what a person says; to understand a person's argument and be persuaded by it.

take something in one's stride »    Not to allow oneself to be set back, daunted, upset or embarrassed by unpleasant or undesirable circumstances.

take the cake »    To be especially good or outstanding.

take the fifth »    To decline to comment, especially on grounds that it might be incriminating.

take the offensive »    To attack instead of defending; to be bold and proactive.

take the red pill »    To understand the world in its previously unknown reality.

take the stand »    To testify as a witness in a trial.

take the wind out of someone's sails »    To discourage someone greatly; to cause someone to lose hope or the will to continue.

take things as they come »    To accept and deal with events as they occur, with a composed state of mind.

talk down »    To speak condescendingly or as though the listener is inferior.

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 out of turn »    To make a remark or provide information when it is inappropriate or indiscreet to do so, or when one does not have permission or the authority to do so.

talk over »    To persuade someone; to talk around.

talk somebody under the table »    With excessive talk or numerous arguments.

talk up »    In such a way as to make the thing or person sound better than it actually is.

talking head »    A pundit who discusses issues of the day, especially one on TV.

tar with the same brush »    To characterize using the same undesirable attribute, especially unjustly.

teething troubles »    Small problems such as are to be expected with some any new and untried system or product.

tell off »    To rebuke, to reprimand, or to admonish.

telling off »    A reprimand, reproach, or lecture.

tenon saw »    hand tool

that does it »    Expression of annoyance or frustration; indicates that one has reached the limit of one's patience or temper.

that's just me »    Indicates the expression of a personal opinion, but often used ironically as an understatement.

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 bee's knees »    Most excellent; surpassingly wonderful; cool.

the bends »    decompression sickness

the bigger they are, the harder they fall »    The larger something is, the more disastrous and spectacular its downfall

the end all-be all »    Something ultimate; the best part of something; the thing which solves all problems associated with something.

the end justifies the means »    Morally wrong actions are sometimes necessary to achieve morally right outcomes; actions can only be considered morally right or wrong by virtue of the morality of the outcome.

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..

the ends justify the means »    Alternative form of the end justifies the means.

the finger »    An obscene gesture, typically consisting of extending the middle finger at somebody.

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 icing on the cake »    Something wonderful at the end of something good.

the jig is up »    An expression used to mean "We have been caught out and have no defence", or if spoken to a person who's just been found out as the perpetrator of an offense, it means "You've been discovered.".

the long and short of it »    The gist; the essence or substance; the most important or salient features; said of a summary or digest.

the man »    The oppressive powers that be, including the government and corporations; the system, as coordinated outside of one’s control..

the map is not the territory »    Our models of the world, and our sensations of the world, are not the true world.

the pen is mightier than the sword »    More influence and power can be usurped by writing than by fighting.

the proof of the pudding is in the eating »    The only real test of something is as what it is intended to be used for.

the rabbit died »    A statement spoken to indicate one's own pregnancy, or that someone has found out they are pregnant.

the road to hell is paved with good intentions »    well-intended acts can lead to disaster

the salt of the earth »    wonderful

the sky is the moon »    A new modern combination of "the sky is the limit" and "shoot for the moon".

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.

the terrorists will have won »    Phrase used following a description of an activity to indicate that if that activity is not continued or carried out, those who seek to disrupt normal activities through terror will have succeeded, an which is an unacceptable result.

the upper hand »    An advantage or lead.

the whole nine yards »    And everything. Often used, like etc., to finish out a list.

the whole shooting match »    Everything; the entire collection, endeavor, or activity.

the whole world and his dog »    Everybody; too many people; a huge crowd.

the world is one's lobster »    (UK, humorous) intentional misrendering of the proverb "the world is one's oyster"

then again »    From another point of view; on the other hand; on second thought.

there and back »    One or for a round trip journey, literal or figurative.

there but for the grace of God go I »    A recognition that others' misfortune could be one's own, if it weren't for the blessing/kindness/luck bestowed by fate or the Divine.Man's fate is in God's hands.More generally, our fate is not entirely in our own hands.

there is an exception to every rule »    Usually said in a situation when the rule is incorrect and unusable.

there is nothing new under the sun »    There is nothing truly novel in existence. Every new idea has some sort of precedent or echo from the past.

there may be snow on the rooftop but there is fire in the furnace »    Even if a person is in his or her senior years, with gray hair, he or she can still have ambition and energy, especially sexual energy.

there's a sucker born every minute »    There are a great number of fools in the world, and there always be.

there's many a slip twixt cup and lip »    In any situation, however well planned, something can always go wrong.

there's no I in team »    A team game is focused on the team, not on the individual.

there's no point crying over spilt milk »    You should not be upset over something that cannot be undone.

thick and thin »    Both good and bad times.

thin end of the wedge »    Something that if allowed or accepted to a small degree would lead to systematic encroachment.

think about »    To ponder.

think better of it »    To change one's mind; especially to decide against.

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 over »    To ponder or reflect on a subject.

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.

think through »    To fully consider an action, and understand all its consequences.

think up »    To create in one’s mind; to invent..

third hand »    Not new, having more than one previous owner.

third string »    A unit of players that plays behind the first and second strings; a junior varsity team.

third string »    Of a decidedly lower quality or condition.

thorn in the flesh »    Ivar Specto. The Soviet Union and the Muslim World, 1917-1958.

three Rs »    The basic education any child can expect to receive, but not necessarily limited to reading, writing and arithmetic.

three Rs »    The basic education received in primary schools. Literally; reading, writing and arithmetic.

three sheets to the wind »    Drunk.

through and through »    Completely; entirely; fundamentally.

throw caution to the wind »    Do something despite the risks.

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 down »    To fight, incite to fight, or approach with the intent to fight; to make a stand.

throw down »    To accomplish or produce something in a grand, respectable, or successful manner; to "represent".

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 in at the deep end »    To introduce a person to a new situation without adequately preparing him or her.

throw money away »    To spend money foolishly or indiscriminately; to waste money without regard of the consequences.

throw one's cap over the windmill »    To act in a crazed manner.

throw one's hat in the ring »    To announce one's candidacy in a contest.

throw one's weight around »    To exercise influence or authority especially to an excessive degree or in an objectionable manner.

throw out »    To dismiss or expel someone from any longer performing duty or attending somewhere.

throw under the bus »    To betray or blame; to use as a scapegoat.

throw under the bus »    To discard or disown.

throw up »    To display a gang sign using the hands.

throwing money away »    The act of spending money foolishly; wasting money without regard of the consequences.

thus and so »    A generic thing; a placeholder name.

thus and such »    A placeholder or generic name for something.

tick off »    To reprimand.

tick over »    To run smoothly and without problems.

tickled pink »    Simple past tense and past participle of tickle pink.

tie someone's hands »    To render one powerless to act, to thwart someone.

tie up loose ends »    To deal with the minor consequences of a previous action; to tidy up, finish, or complete.

tiger team »    A specialized group tasked with testing the effectiveness of an organization's ability to protect assets by attempting to circumvent, defeat or otherwise thwart that organization's internal and external security.

tiger team »    An engineering or other group assembled to tackle especially difficult or critical problems, often outside the normal chain of command.

tight ship »    A well-organized and highly disciplined organization.

tilt at windmills »    To attack imaginary enemies.

tilt at windmills »    To go on a wild goose chase; to persistently engage in a futile activity.

time after time »    Again and again; repeatedly; every time; always.

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.

time and tide »    Shortened form of time and tide wait for no man

time and tide wait for no man »    action is necessary without delay

time heals all wounds »    Negative feelings eventually erode away

time is money »    When a person's time is not used productively; time is valuable and should not be wasted.

time out of mind »    A lengthy duration of time, longer than is readily remembered.

time out of mind »    The distant past beyond anyone's memory.

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.

tin god »    An individual that abuses or exceeds his authority over others, frequently in petty ways; for example a low-level manager in situational comedies and other entertainment.

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-off »    An obvious clue or indication.

tired and emotional »    Drunk.

to all intents and purposes »    For every functional purpose; in every practical sense; in every important respect; practically speaking.

to be sure »    Admittedly, undoubtedly, certainly.

to beat the band »    Very vigorously; at a frantic pace; to a high degree; in large quantities.

to each his own »    Every person is entitled to his or her personal preferences and tastes.

to hand »    accessible

to hell in a handbasket »    To a bad state of affairs quickly.

to say the least »    Used to suggest that what was previously stated was an understatement.

to tell the truth »    An attestation to the truthfulness and frankness of an associated statement.

to that end »    For that reason, with that goal, intending to produce that result.

to the victor go the spoils »    The winner of a conflict wins additional benefits, beyond just the subject of the conflict.

to thine own self be true »    The easiest person to deceive is oneself."This above all:to thine own self be true,and it must follow, as the night the day,Thou canst not then be false to any man." -William Shakespeare

today we are all »    An expression indicating that the speaker empathizes with members of an identifiable group that was the subject of a disaster, and projects that others empathize as well.

today we are all »    September 12, 2001: Jean-Marie Colombani, "Today, We Are All Americans", Le Monde.

tomato tomato »    Uses insignificant pronunciation difference to dismiss a correction to one's adherence to an alternative standard.

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 make a television program, piece of writing, etc. less offensive and so more suitable for a family audience.

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 many cooks spoil the broth »    If too many people try to take charge at a task, the end product might be ruined.

tooth and nail »    Viciously; with all one’s strength or power; without holding back..

top it all off »    To emphasize or underscore; to make something even better or worse.

top up »    To extend the credit of something.

touch a nerve »    To make a remark or perform a deed which produces a strong response, especially an emotional response such as anxiety or annoyance, because it calls to mind something which has been a source of concern or embarrassment.

touch down »    To land an aircraft.

touch of the tar brush »    Of South Asian or Afro-Caribbean in their background and/or in their appearance.

touch-and-go »    Precarious, delicate, dangerous, risky, sensitive or of uncertain outcome.

touchy-feely »    Having a fondness for physical contact with other people, especially to an excessive degree.

tough cookie »    A person who can endure physical or mental hardship; a hardened, strong-willed person.

tough out »    To endure.

tourner autour du pot »    To beat around the bush.

toy with »    Handling something in a careless or frivolous manner.

track down »    To hunt for or locate; to search for; to find.

travel junkie »    Who are using their time and money to seek out adventure holidays and travel.

treat them mean, keep them keen »    A woman will be more interested in a man if he is not kind to her.

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.

tried and true »    Well-established and tested; known to work or succeed based on extensive experience.

trigger-happy »    Having a tendency or desire to shoot a firearm irresponsibly before adequately identifying the target.

trip balls »    Experiencing severe drug-induced hallucinatory trip.

trip out »    To have as an image in one's mind.

trip to the woodshed »    An occasion on which a reprimand or punishment is administered.

true blue »    Indubitably loyal or faithful.

truth will out »    A mystery will always be solved, or a truth will always be discoveredTruth will eventually and inevitably be discovered.

try one's hand »    To attempt a skill, craft, or trade.

try out »    To undergo a test before being selected for a team etc.

tuck in »    To push the fabric at the bottom of a shirt under the pants.

tuckered out »    Simple past tense and past participle of tucker out.

tumble to »    To discover, or suddenly understand something.

tune in, turn on, drop out »    Pay attention to the new way of living; take drugs; abandon the established ways.

turn a blind eye »    To ignore or deliberately overlook, especially with respect to something unpleasant or improper.

turn a phrase »    To create a particular linguistic expression which is strikingly clear, appropriate, and memorable.

turn around »    An upset; a suprising comeback.

turn away »    To bend or turn from a fixed course.

turn back »    To reverse one's direction and retrace one's steps.

turn in one's grave »    To be appalled, offended or disgusted by something, despite being deceased.

turn into a pumpkin »    Used to indicate a curfew, or the time by which one must depart.

turn one's back »    To forsake, to abandon; to ignore.

turn out »    To result; end up.

turn out »    To attend; show up.

turn the air blue »    To speak a stream of bad language; to curse and swear.

turn the other cheek »    To accept a punishment or an injury and not act out revenge or retaliate.

twenty-twenty hindsight »    Perfect understanding of events only after they have happened.

twiddle one's thumbs »    To circle one's thumbs around one another, usually with the fingers interlaced, usually done idly while waiting or bored.

twist in the wind »    To be unassisted and without comfort in a situation likely to result in distress or failure.

twist in the wind »    To wait for an uncomfortably long period of time.

two can play that game »    The tactics and/or strategies of an enemy can be used against him.

two thumbs up »    A hand gesture indicating strong approval.

two-fisted drinker »    Either someone who can handle their liquor well, or an alcoholic clutching a drink in each hand.

two-second rule »    A rule of thumb for safe driving by which a driver must maintain a two-second distance from the vehicle in front.

under a cloud »    Under suspicion; subject to critical inspection.

under a spell »    Bewitched, held by the power of a magical spell.

under erasure »    Of a bit of text, written and strickenthrough; hence, figuratively in some sense both present and absent.

under fire »    Criticized or held responsible for something.

under fire »    Subjected to enemy attack.

under lock and key »    Imprisoned with little or no chance of escape.

under one's belt »    Already done; within one's experience; practiced.

under one's breath »    Softly, so as not to be heard.

under one's hat »    Concealed; confidential; secret.

under one's nose »    Directly in front of one; clearly visible.

under one's nose »    Obvious or apparent.

under one's thumb »    Completely controlled by someone; at someone’s command..

under one's wing »    Under one's protection, sponsorship, or tutelage.

under pressure »    Being subjected to physical pressure.

under pressure »    Subjected to pressure.

under sail »    With sails unfurled; powered by the wind.

under the gun »    The first player to act on the first round of betting in Texas hold 'em.

under the gun »    Under great pressure to perform.

under the impression »    Thinking or making assumptions, often incorrectly.

under the influence »    Drunk; intoxicated; affected by alcohol.

under the knife »    Undergoing a surgical procedure.

under the microscope »    Under close scrutiny or examination.

under the radar »    Without attracting notice; in an undetected or secretive manner.

under the table »    Secretly or without reporting, especially of payments made or business transacted.

under the weather »    Experiencing adversity.

under the weather »    Somewhat ill or gloomy.

under the weather »    Somewhat intoxicated or suffering from a hangover.

under the wire »    Across the finish line.

under the wire »    At the last minute; before the deadline; barely on time; nearly late.

under the yoke »    Under subjugation.

under way »    A vessel is said to be underway when she is not anchored, moored, aground, or beached[1]. Compare with make way.

under way »    In operation, in progress, commenced.

under wraps »    Secret or hidden.

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 front »    Open, honest; tending to disclose information; truthful.

up hill and down dale »    Here and there; everywhere.

up the ante »    To raise the stakes of a hand of poker.

up to eleven »    Beyond the maximum possible threshold.

up to snuff »    Adequate; of acceptable or quality; satisfying an appropriate standard.

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.

up-and-coming »    Emerging; aspiring; improving; beginning to attract attention or critical acclaim.

ups and downs »    Periods of positive and negative events, moods, or interactions; highs and lows.

urban fabric »    The physical aspect of urbanism, emphasizing building types, thoroughfares, open space, frontages, and streetscapes; while excluding without prejudice to this useful term, environmental, functional, economic and sociocultural aspects.

valley of death »    Death; or a place or period where death is impending.

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.

variable tandem repeat locus »    Any DNA sequence that exists in multiple copies strung together in various tandem lengths.

victory at sea »    Ocean conditions very windblown and messy, possibly to the point of being inimical to surfing and other water sports.

virgin territory »    Land that has never been explored or developed.

wade in »    To interrupt someone, or a situation, by doing or saying something abruptly, or forcefully, and usually without thinking about the consequences.

wail on »    To strike an opponent heavily and repeatedly in a fight.

wake up and smell the coffee »    To face reality and stop deluding oneself.

walk a tightrope »    To undertake a precarious course of action.

walk and chew gum at the same time »    To do something very easy.

walk around »    To walk with no real planned destination, but to just walk, to meander "around".

walk away from »    To abandon or leave; to shun.

walk on eggshells »    To be careful and sensitive, in handling very sensitive matters.

walk on eggshells »    To be overly careful in dealing with a person or situation because they get angry or offended very easily; to try very hard not to upset someone or something.

walk out on »    To abandon or desert someone, especially a spouse.

walk the line »    To mark or secure a boundary by walking along it.

walked out on »    To abandoned; to desert

walked out on »    To abandoned; to desert

walked out on »    To abandoned; to desert

wall in »    To enclose by surrounding with walls.

war bride »    A company or individual whose business is increased by warfare.

warm down »    Gentle excercise at the end of a training session before cooling off.

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.

wash one's hands of »    To absolve oneself of responsibility or future blame for.

wash out »    To lose traction while going around a turn, especially in cycling, motorsports and skiing/snowboarding.

wash up »    To clean the utensils, dishes etc. used in preparing and eating a meal.

wash up »    To wash one's hands and/or face, often around mealtimes.

wash up »    To be carried on to land by water.

washed out »    To be very tired and lacking energy.

waste away »    To lose energy and become weak and feeble.

watch over »    To guard and protect.

watch this space »    An indication that a development will follow.

water over the dam »    An event or set of events which has already happened and cannot be changed.

water under the bridge »    Something in the past that cannot be controlled or undone, but must be accepted, forgiven, or forgotten.

wax lyrical »    To become, or tend to become lyrical.

weak sister »    A person or thing which is the least robust or least dependable member of a group.

weak sister »    A person who is cowardly or indecisive.

weather the storm »    To reach the end of a very difficult situation without too much harm or damage.

weekend warrior »    A part-time soldier, or reservist.

weekend warrior »    A person who indulges in a sport or pastime on an infrequent basis, usually on weekends when work commitments are not present.

weigh in »    To undergo a weigh-in.

well begun is half done »    Much depends on the beginning of an endeavor.

wet behind the ears »    Inexperienced; not seasoned; new; just beginning.

wet blanket »    A person who takes the fun out of a situation or activity, as by pessimism, demands, dullness, etc.

whack-a-mole »    The practice of trying to stop something that persistently occurs in an apparently random manner at the point where the occurrence is noticed, such as terminating spammers' e-mail accounts or closing pop-up advertisement windows.

whale on »    To strike an opponent heavily and repeatedly in a fight.

what goes around comes around »    The status eventually returns to its original value after completing some sort of cycle.A person's actions, whether good or bad, will often have consequences for that person.

what you see is what you get »    The image corresponds to the reality.

what's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander »    If something is acceptable for one person, it is acceptable for another.

wheel around »    To transport someone or something to various locations by pushing a wheeled transporter such as a wheelchair or a wheelbarrow or trolley.

when all is said and done »    In the end; ultimately.

when in Rome, do as the Romans do »    behave as those around do

when, as, and if »    Used to indicate the timing and contingency of some obligation in contracts, especially financial.

whisper campaign »    A method of persuasion in which damaging rumors or innuendo are deliberately spread concerning a person or other target, while the source of the rumors tries to avoid detection.

whistle past the graveyard »    To enter a situation with little or no understanding of the possible consequences.

whistle-stop train tour »    Any travel that's quick and with only brief pauses.

white coat hypertension »    Elevated blood pressure measured by a medical practitioner and deemed to result from the patient's emotional response to the medical environment.

white hole »    A theoretically possible but physically highly unlikely singularity which would emit matter and energy; the antithesis of a black hole.

white lie »    A deliberate, untrue statement which does no harm or is intended to produce a favorable result.

white trash »    A poorly educated white person with low moral and social standards and low social status.

whitewash »    A lime and water mixture for painting walls and fences bright white.

who shot John »    A long and involved explanation; a thing of which an explanation would be long and involved.

whole shebang »    A building or house and everything in it.

wide awake »    Awake and very alert.

wild horses »    A force not subject to human control and normally stronger than a man.

wild-goose chase »    A futile search, a fruitless errand; a useless and often lengthy pursuit.

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.

willy nilly »    Seemingly at random, haphazardly.

win over »    To persuade someone, gain someone's support, or make someone understand the truth or validity of something.

wind back »    To wind a tape, cassette, or film, etc towards the beginning; to rewind.

wind back the clock »    Figuratively to return in time to an earlier period of history.

wind down »    Lower by winding something.

wind down »    To slow; to become calmer or less busy.

wind down »    Relax; get rid of stress.

wind up one's bottoms »    To finish a job.

window dressing »    A means of creating a deceptively favourable impression of something or someone; something for appearance only.

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.

window-shopping »    The browsing of shop windows without any intention of buying.

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.

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.

wits' end »    Limit of one's sanity or mental capacity; point of desperation.

wolf down »    Quickly and without regard for table manners.

word on the street »    The rumour or news going around on the street.

word on the wire »    The rumour or news going around on the Internet, in business, on the street, or in social circles.

work around the clock »    To work all day and all night without a break, because it is imperative to finish something.

work one's fingers to the bone »    Work especially hard, usually for an extended period.

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.

work the room »    To interact enthusiastically with the attendees at an event, by moving among them, greeting them, and engaging them in conversation.

work the room »    To interact with one's audience, taking queues from its reactions and adapting one's performance or words to elicit the audience's attention and enthusiasm.

world »    An individual or group perspective or social setting.

worm's-eye view »    A view of an object from below, from the ground.

worse for wear »    In poor physical condition due to long or heavy use.

worth one's while »    Good and important enough for one to spend time, effort, or money on.

wrap around one's fingers »    To make one susceptible to desire, in that their behavior or actions are influenced.

wrap it before you tap it »    wear a condom before sexual intercourse.

wrap up »    To fold and secure something to be the cover or protection for something.

wrap up »    To form a cylinder by rolling a sheet of something.

wrap up »    To wear more clothes as protection from the weather; to bundle up.

wring out »    To squeeze a wet material, either by twisting with one's hands, or by passing it through a wringer, to remove the water.

write down »    In a simple or condescending style.

write off »    To record an expenditure as an expense.

write out »    To write in full length or expanded form.

yellow journalism »    Material published in a broadcast or periodical, such as a tabloid newspaper or magazine, which is sensationalistic and of questionable accuracy and taste.

yellow press »    Newspapers which publish sensationalist articles rather than well researched and sober journalism.

you and whose army%3F »    You can't do all that on your own.

you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar »    It's easier to persuade others with polite requests and a positive attitude than with rude demands and negativity.

you can't make an omelette without breaking eggs »    In order to achieve something, it is inevitable and necessary that something should be destroyed.

you can't run with the hare and hunt with the hounds »    You can't have it both ways.

you can't teach an old dog new tricks »    It is impossible, or almost impossible, to change people's habits or traits or mindset.

you can't unring a bell »    Some things can't be undone.

you don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows »    You don't need an expert to tell you what you already know.

you get more with a kind word and a gun than you do with a kind word alone »    It is advantageous not to rely solely on being nice.

you get what you pay for »    In commercial transactions, the quality of goods and services increases as the prices increase, i.e., the more one pays, the better the merchandise.2003, Michael Blumenthal, "For Whom the School Bell Tolls," Time, 7 Dec.:Though it may sound unapologetically capitalistic to say so

you know it »    Indicates agreement, approval, encouragement.

you knows it »    Indicates agreement, approval, encouragement.

you name it »    Used after a short list to show that further examples are unnecessary; all kinds of things.

you never know what you've got till it's gone »    Good friends and acquaintances shouldn't be taken for granted.

you only get what you give »    There is a positive correlation between the effort one puts in and the benefits one receives.

you pays your money and you takes your choice »    Each person should make their own decisions.

you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours »    If you do me a favor then I will do you a favor; quid pro quo.

you snooze you lose »    If you are not alert and attentive, you will not be successful.

you're never too old to learn »    It is possible to learn new things, at any age; (implying) follow your desires and dreams

you've got to crack a few eggs to make an omelette »    In order to achieve something, it is inevitable and necessary that something should be destroyed.

yours sincerely »    A polite formula to end a letter, especially when the recipient’s name is known to the sender.

zero in »    To focus one's aim; to zoom in and center on something.

zone out »    To stop paying attention and think about something else, or to think about nothing.

zoom in »    So as to make it larger and possibly more detailed.

zoom out »    So as to make it smaller and possibly less detailed.

New:  We also know Zip Codes FYI!