a rising tide lifts all boats »
Benefits provided to a few may lead to conditions that are beneficial to all.
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all fur coat and no knickers »
Of superficial appearance and with no real substance beneath.
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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.
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bail out »
To remove water from a boat by scooping it out.
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boy in the boat »
Clitoris.
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button up »
To fasten all the buttons on a coat, or similar item of clothing, to keep warm.
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cheese it »
A minced oath used as a warning to stop, hide, or flee.
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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.
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come to a head »
To suddenly make mature or perfected that which was inchoate or imperfectly formed.
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cough up »
To expel from the lungs, throat, etc. by coughing.
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cut one's coat according to one's cloth »
Live according to your means.
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dog my cats »
Used as a mild oath, or as an expression of astonishment.
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even keel »
A situation in which the boat is level and balanced for a smooth ride.
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feel one's oats »
To feel energetic or frisky; to behave in a vigorous or bold manner.
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feel one's oats »
To feel important; to be empowered.
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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.
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frog in one's throat »
Any temporary physical difficulty in speaking.
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frog in one's throat »
Hoarseness or the need to cough.
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get somebody's goat »
To annoy, infuriate, bother, or incense.
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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.
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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.
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gongoozle »
To leisurely watch the passage of boats, from the bank of a canal, lock or bridge.
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gunboat diplomacy »
The pursuit of foreign policy objectives with the aid of conspicuous displays of military power.
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have a frog in one's throat »
To feel the need to cough; to have a tickle in one's throat; to have a scratchy or uneven voice.
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idiot mittens »
Mittens connected by yarn or string running through one sleeve, along the back and out the other sleeve of a coat, to prevent the mittens becoming lost. Generally worn by small children.
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in the same boat »
In the same situation or predicament; having the same problems.
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kick around »
To wander loose; to float around; to hang around.
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lion »
A stylized representation of a large cat, used on a coat of arms.
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lump in one's throat »
A feeling of emotional sadness. On the point of crying.
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lump to one's throat »
A feeling of emotional sadness. On the point of crying.
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miss the boat »
To fail to take advantage of an opportunity; to overlook or be too late to pursue an option or course of action.
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push the boat out »
To do something, especially spend money, more extravagantly than usual, particularly for a celebration.
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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.
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rock the boat »
To disturb the status quo or go against rules or conventions, as in an effort to get attention.
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run something up the flagpole »
To float an idea that one suspects might be controversial.
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sit out »
To lean out to the windward side of a sailboat in order to counterbalance the effects of the wind on the sails.
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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.
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sow one's wild oats »
To spread one's genes around by impregnating many females.
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sugarcoated »
Coated with sugar.
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sugarcoated »
Made superficially more attractive. This often implies the reality has faults that are being hidden.
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throw under the bus »
To betray or blame; to use as a scapegoat.
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upper crust »
The topmost layer of a bread, pastry dish, or other item with a hardened coating.
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whatever floats your boat »
What makes you happy; what stimulates you.
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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.
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