ad fontes »
Go to the sources: An expression emphasizing the importance of conducting fundamental research and of consulting primary sources.
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add insult to injury »
To further a loss with mockery or indignity.
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against all odds »
Despite seemingly insurmountable opposition or probability.
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all hell broke loose »
A great disaster happened or chaos ensued.
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back to the drawing board »
Back to the beginning following an unsuccessful attempt.
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be of two minds »
To be undecided or unsure; to equivocate; to have multiple opinions.
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beer goggles »
The illusion that people are more attractive, brought on by alcohol consumption.
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beside oneself »
Overcome; consumed by an emotion.
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chump change »
An amount of remuneration, reward, or other monetary recompense considered to be insultingly small.
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city slicker »
One accustomed to a city or urban lifestyle or unsuited to life in the country.
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consume mass quantities »
To eat or drink abundant amounts of food or beverage.
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consume mass quantities »
To use large amounts of any resource.
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cop out »
To avoid or shirk, either by failing to perform, or by performing in a grossly insufficient, negligent, or superficial manner.
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copious free time »
A hypothetical time set aside for performing time-consuming tasks, however insinuating that the speaker really has no free time.
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cover one's ass »
To make preparations or take precautions to ensure that one is not blamed or punished for one's conduct.
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cut down »
To insult, to belittle.
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drain the swamp when up to one's neck in alligators »
(idiomatic) When performing a long and complex task, and when you've gotten utterly immersed in secondary and tertiary unexpected tangential subtasks, it's easy to lose sight of the initial objective. This sort of distraction can be particularly problematic if the all-consuming subtask or sub-subtask is not, after all, particularly vital to the original, primary goal, but ends up sucking up time and resources (out of all proportion to its actual importance) only because it seems so urgent.
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eat one's own dog food »
To use or consume the economic goods or services that oneself is producing; to be part of a closed household economy.
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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.
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eat up »
To consume completely.
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fall short »
To be less satisfactory than expected; to be inadequate or insufficient.
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fall through »
To be unsuccessful, abort, come to nothing/naught; to be cancelled; not to proceed.
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give as good as one gets »
To behave toward others in a manner resembling or commensurate with their behavior towards oneself, especially in a situation where one is insulted or otherwise ill-treated.
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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.
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green with envy »
Consumed by envy; envious to the point where it is noticeable to others.
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hang in the balance »
To be in a precarious situation, unsure of the future.
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hold one's liquor »
To be resistant to intoxication or to show few signs of intoxication, even after consuming a significant amount of alcohol.
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keep up »
To ensure that one remains well-informed about something.
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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.
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knacker's yard »
That area of a slaughterhouse where carcasses unfit for human consumption are rendered down to produce useful materials such as glue.
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lap up »
To consume by lapping.
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lay an egg »
To produce a failure or flop; to do something which is unsuccessful.
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leave to one's own devices »
To leave alone, unsupervised, without assistance.
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lemon law »
A law dealing with defective items, especially automobiles, and consumers' rights.
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like hot cakes »
Quickly, especially by purchase or consumption.
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live on »
To survive solely by consuming a certain thing.
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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.
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make a point »
To take care in doing something of something; to pay attention or ensure that something is done.
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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.
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match made in hell »
A very unsuccessful or conflicting combination of two people or things.
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name and shame »
So as to single them out for individual blame and censure.
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no prize for guessing »
Used to form expressions emphasizing the unsurprising nature of what follows.
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one step at a time »
Slowly and carefully, ensuring that each action has been completed successfully before taking the next.
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orphan drug »
But which is not manufactured or marketed because the demand is insufficient to cover the costs of supply.
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out of line »
Inappropriate or unsuitable, especially by reason of being unmannerly or indelicate.
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out of order »
Inappropriate or unsuitable.
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parting shot »
An insult or barbed comment issued as the speaker departs or the conversation comes to an end.
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pencil-neck »
An insubstantial person; a weakling.
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pencil-necked »
Insubstantial; weak.
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pencilneck »
An insubstantial person; a weakling.
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pickle »
Any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish.
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pissing contest »
An argument which is instigated, or exacerbated while consuming alcohol.
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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.
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put down »
To insult, belittle, or demean.
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put somebody in his place »
To bring somebody down; to humble or insult.
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red tape »
A derisive term for regulations or bureaucratic procedures that are considered excessive or excessively time- and effort-consuming.
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rub it in »
To add insult to injury; to emphasize one's strengths or another's weaknesses in a manner that degrades another.
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rumor mill »
A group or network of persons who originate or promulgate gossip and other unsubstantiated claims.
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sharp tongue »
The practice or characteristic of speaking to others in a harsh, critical, or insulting manner.
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short of »
Insufficiently equipped with.
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slag off »
To talk insultingly to or about someone or something.
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slob »
A term used to insult a lazy, obese person.
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snap someone's head off »
To suddenly and sharply rebuke or insult a person, especially in response to a harmless remark.
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surprise surprise »
An indication that the unsurprising happened, especially contrary to someone's hopes or assertions.
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tempus fugit »
time flies (used as an alternative to this phrase)."Meanwhile, the irreplaceable time escapes", expressing concern that one's limited time is being consumed by something which may have little intrinsic substance or importance at that moment.
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touch base »
To consult, visit, or communicate with.
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white marriage »
An unconsummated marriage.
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| BTW, Why won't you become an editor? |
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