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.
|
an apple a day keeps the doctor away »
Apples are healthy and stave off illness.Eat healthy and you won't get sick.
|
an offer one can't refuse »
An offer from one side in any transaction with terms so attractive that the other side is almost guaranteed to accept.
|
an offer one can't refuse »
An offer from one side in any transaction with the results of failing to accept so unattractive that the other side is almost guaranteed to accept.
|
another nail in one's coffin »
One in a series of factors which lead, or purport to lead, to downfall.
|
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.
|
at the end of the road »
No longer in the competition. Voted off. Eliminated.
|
auction off »
To sell something at an auction.
|
avoir du pois lay »
Stealing brass weights off the counters of shops.
|
back off »
To move backwards away from something.
|
back off »
To become less aggressive, particularly when one had appeared committed to act.
|
back off »
To lower the setting of.
|
back office »
The IT and infrastructure support services for a company, separate from the public face of the business.
|
backfoot »
To put on the defensive; to put off balance.
|
backseat driver »
By extension, anybody offering unsolicited or unwelcome advice.
|
badge bunny »
A woman who is romantically attracted to police officers and who seeks out their companionship.
|
be off »
To leave.
|
be off »
To be working against a present or former addiction to.
|
be off »
To be away from.
|
beat off »
To drive something away with blows.
|
beat off »
To masturbate.
|
beat off »
To waste time.
|
beg off »
To avoid, or cancel some event that one has previously arranged with someone.
|
bill of goods »
A collection of items purchased or offered for sale.
|
bite off more than one can chew »
To try to do too much; to take on or attempt more than one is capable of doing.
|
bite someone's head off »
To severely berate someone.
|
blow off »
To pass gas; to break wind.
|
blow off »
To vent, usually, to reduce pressure in a container.
|
blow off »
To shoot something with a gun, causing it to come disconnected.
|
blow off steam »
To rant or shout in order to relieve stress; to vent.
|
boot camp »
A short, intensive, quasi-military program generally aimed at young offenders as an alternative to a jail term.
|
bouncing off the walls »
Moving hyperactively.
|
box-office bomb »
A motion picture that generates relatively low revenue at the box office, especially that which is less than the budget for the motion picture.
|
break ground »
To lift off the sea bottom when being weighed.
|
break off »
To end abruptly, either temporarily or permanently.
|
break off »
To remove a piece from a whole by breaking or snapping.
|
bridge »
A statement, such as an offer, that signals a possibility of accord.
|
bring off »
To succeed in doing something considered to be very difficult.
|
bring owls to Athens »
Forgive me, then, for bringing owls to Athens as a thanks-offering. — Goethe, in a letter to Wilhelm von Humboldt.
|
browned off »
Annoyed, upset, angry, bored, fed up, disgusted.
|
brush off »
An abrupt rebuff or dismissal.
|
buck off »
To cause to fall off.
|
bug off »
Used to tell somebody to leave them alone.
|
bugger off »
Go away.
|
bugger off »
An expression of disagreement or disbelief.
|
bump off »
To kill, especially to murder.
|
bunk off »
To play truant.
|
bunk off »
We all bunked off school yesterday to watch the football.
|
business girl »
A young woman employed in business or office work.
|
buzz off »
Used to tell someone to go away.
|
by the book »
In a manner which adheres strictly to rules, legal requirements, or official procedures.
|
by-the-book »
Adhering strictly to rules, legal requirements, or official procedures.
|
call off »
To recall; to cancel or call a halt to.
|
call off the dogs »
During a one-sided sports contest, to remove the first-string unit of a team from the game after dominating the opponent.
|
call off the dogs »
To ease up on after inflicting great punishment.
|
cap it all off »
To finish or complete something.
|
cap it all off »
To surpass or outdo something.
|
cap off »
To finish.
|
carry off »
Knowledge, confidence, or familiarity.
|
carry off »
To transport away.
|
cast off »
To discard or reject something.
|
cast off »
To let go a cable or rope securing a vessel to a buoy, wharf etc so that she may proceed.
|
cast off »
To finish the last row of knitted stitches and remove them securely from the needle.
|
catch big air »
Superlative of catch air; make a big jump high off the ground.
|
caught with one's pants down »
Caught off guard, unprepared, or in an embarrassing situation.
|
check is in the mail »
A common excuse used by debtors to put off creditors.
|
cheese off »
To annoy.
|
cheesed off »
Annoyed, upset, angry.
|
cherry pick »
To position oneself near the opponent's goal to attempt to receive an errant or intentional pass for an easy score, as in basketball or versions of soccer where offsides are not enforced.
|
chip off the old block »
Someone who takes after their parent.
|
chip on one's shoulder »
A tendency to take offence quickly.
|
close off »
To seal or block the entrance to a road, an area, or a building so that people cannot enter.
|
come off »
To become detached.
|
come unstuck »
To get into trouble, to have an accident or mishap, to go off the rails.
|
cop-out »
An excuse made in order to avoid performing a task or duty; a reason offered when someone cops out.
|
copy typist »
office worker
|
cordon off »
To protect from intrusion by enclosing in a rope barrier.
|
cross off »
To strike out; to cross out; to draw a line through.
|
cross off »
To finish; to mark something as complete.
|
crown jewels »
The jewelry that accompany the office of rulership in a monarchy. I.e., crown, scepter, signet ring, etc.
|
cry off »
To cancel something that one has previously arranged with someone.
|
cup of joe »
A cup of coffee.
|
cut off »
To remove via cutting.
|
cut off »
To isolate or remove from contact.
|
cut off »
To end abruptly.
|
cut off »
To interrupt.
|
cut off one's nose to spite one's face »
To harm oneself as a result of attempting to harm an adversary.
|
damp squib »
A firework that fails to go off, due to wetting.
|
dash off »
To leave a place quickly or briefly.
|
dash off »
To write quickly or informally.
|
diplomatic flu »
An illness feigned by one or more government officials or other public figures as an excuse for an absence really based on political reasons.
|
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.
|
doze off »
To fall asleep unintentionally.
|
drag one's feet »
To procrastinate, put off; to dawdle, avoid, or make progress slowly and reluctantly.
|
drift off »
To fall asleep in a gradual manner.
|
drink off »
To drink the entirety of in a short period; originally and especially, in a single gulp.
|
drive off »
To force to leave or go away.
|
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 off »
To fall asleep.
|
drop off »
To deliver; to deposit or leave.
|
drop off »
To fall.
|
drop off »
To lessen or reduce.
|
due course »
A. 1399, Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales.
|
dummy up »
To make a mock-up or prototype version of something, without some or all off its intended functionality.
|
dust off »
To remove dust from something.
|
dust off »
To use something after a long time without it.
|
easy as falling off a log »
Very easy.
|
eff off »
A censored form of the phrase f** off.
|
even money »
A bet which offers odds of 1 to 1.
|
face off »
The starting point, in a match of ice hockey. Two players face each other, for snatching the puck.
|
face off »
Either an actual or a figurative face to face confrontation, especially a bitter one.
|
fair off »
To clear.
|
fall off »
To become detached or to drop from.
|
fall off »
To diminish in size or value.
|
fall off »
A hip hop term; to completely lose the plot in terms of artistic direction.
|
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 off the turnip truck »
To be naive, uninformed, or unsophisticated, in the manner of a rustic person.
|
fall off the wagon »
To cease or fail at a regimen of self-improvement or reform; to lapse back into an old habit or addiction.
|
fend away »
To turn something away; to ward off.
|
fend off »
Away; to turn away; to defend against; to repel with force or effort.
|
fight off »
To succeed in defeating a challenge, or an attack.
|
fight off »
To resist, particularly an infection or an emotion.
|
finish off »
To finish completely.
|
finish off »
To kill.
|
fire drill »
An organised practice to prepare occupants of an office, school or other public building for evacuation in the event of a fire.
|
fire off »
To ask an unexpected question rapidly.
|
fire off »
To write a note or letter quickly.
|
fly off the handle »
To become very angry or enraged; to throw a fit or go crazy.
|
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.
|
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 »
Offspring.
|
get bent out of shape »
To take offense; to become angry, agitated or upset.
|
get in »
To be elected to some office.
|
get off »
Behaviour.
|
get off »
Consequences.
|
get off »
To become sexually aroused.
|
get off »
To complete a shift or a day's work.
|
get off »
To disembark from mass transportation, such as a bus or train.
|
get off »
To disembark.
|
get off »
To fall asleep.
|
get off »
To have sex.
|
get off »
To move from being on top of to not being on top of it.
|
get off »
To move to not being on top of it.
|
get off »
To stop touching or interfering with something or someone.
|
get off »
To stop using a piece of equipment.
|
get off lightly »
End up with a mild punishment.
|
get off one's high horse »
To stop acting in an imperious, overbearing or bossy manner.
|
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 someone's nose out of joint »
To become angry; to take offense or take exception.
|
get taken in »
To be unofficially fostered.
|
get the boot »
To be voted off a competition in a reality television show.
|
give somebody the brush-off »
To rebuff, snub or curtly reject someone.
|
go down »
To stop functioning, to go offline.
|
go in off »
To pot the cue ball accidentally after hitting the object ball.
|
go off »
To explode.
|
go off »
To explode metaphorically; to become very angry.
|
go off »
To begin clanging or making noise.
|
go off »
To depart; to leave.
|
go off »
To putrefy or become inedible.
|
go off »
To like less.
|
go off at score »
Of a horse, to break suddenly into a gallop; of a person, suddenly to say or do something impetuous.
|
go off half-cocked »
To take a premature or ill-considered action.
|
go off the boil »
Cease to boil when heat is no longer applied.
|
go off the boil »
To become less successful.
|
go off the boil »
To become of diminished intensity or urgency.
|
go off the boil »
To lose interest; to pall.
|
go out »
To be turned off or extinguished.
|
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.
|
golden hello »
A payment offered to an employee as an inducement to join, especially if currently working for a competitor.
|
goof off »
To dawdle; to engage in idle activity or inactivity.
|
grease payment »
A bribe or extorted money, usually relatively small in amount, provided to a low-level government official or business person, in order to expedite a business decision, shipment, or other transaction, especially in a country where such payments are not unusual.
|
group captain »
raf officer
|
hand down »
To forward to the proper officer .
|
hand off »
To pass or transfer something to someone.
|
hang out one's shingle »
To open an office or business, especially in a profession.
|
hang up »
ring off
|
hanging offence »
A crime so serious that it is punishable by means of death by hanging.
|
haul off »
To alter course so as to get farther away from an object.
|
haul off »
To draw back the arm in order to punch.
|
haul off »
To leave.
|
have a go »
Shout at or tell off unnecessarily or excessively.
|
have it off »
To engage in sexual intercourse.
|
hedge one's bets »
To place bets with a third party in order to offset potential losses.
|
high on the hog »
Well off; living comfortably or extravagantly.
|
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.
|
hold forth »
To extend or offer, propose.
|
hold off »
To delay someone or something temporarily; to keep at bay.
|
hold off »
To delay commencing an action (until some specified time or event has passed).
|
hot off the presses »
Freshly printed, minted, written, or created.
|
humble pie »
A pie made from the offal of deer or hog.
|
hurt someone's feelings »
To offend or hurt someone.
|
in the offing »
Nearby, soon to come, in the near future.
|
in the wind »
Impending or in the offing; imminent.
|
jump at the chance »
To immediately accept an offer.
|
jump off »
To participate in the final round of an equestrian showjumping event.
|
jump off »
To move from an elevated place by one jump.
|
jump the gun »
To begin a race too soon, before the starting gun goes off.
|
keep the wolf from the door »
To ward off poverty or hunger.
|
key off »
To take as a controlling input datum.
|
kick off »
To make the first kick in a game or part of a game.
|
kick off »
To start; to launch.
|
kick off »
To shut down or turn_off suddenly.
|
kick off »
To force the weaning of a bovine cow's calf by restricting the calf's access to its mother's udders. Used figuratively or literally.
|
kick off the team »
In sports, to dismiss an athlete from a team, usually for misconduct, poor academic performance or other offenses.
|
kill off »
To eliminate, or make extinct.
|
kill off »
To represent or portray as being dead.
|
knock it off »
Stop doing something; desist.
|
knock off »
An imitation, especially one of poorer quality.
|
knock on wood »
A self-directive to undertake the customary action to ward off bad luck.
|
knock on wood »
To take a customary action to ward off some misfortune that is believed to be attracted my a presumptuous statement.
|
knock out »
To complete, especially in haste; knock off.
|
knock somebody's socks off »
To impress greatly; amaze; stun.
|
knock-on effect »
The continued running of an engine after the ignition has been turned off; dieseling.
|
lay off »
From employment, e.g. at a time of low business volume, often with a severance package.
|
lay off »
To place all or part of a bet with another bookmaker in order to reduce risk.
|
lay off »
Alone.
|
lay off »
made redundant
|
let her rip »
To set off or allow to begin.
|
let off »
To cause to explode.
|
let off »
To forgive and not punish.
|
lick one's wounds »
He's just off licking his wounds. He'll be back to try again.
|
like water off a duck's back »
Without immediate or lasting effects.
|
line in the sand »
A defining moment, a cutoff point.
|
log off »
To depart from conversation; to say goodbye.
|
log off »
To log out.
|
long ways, long lies »
Someone who comes back from a far-off country can tell lies without fear of being contradicted.
|
look off »
To mislead by directing one's apparent attention away from one's true object of intent.
|
look off »
To put off by one's facial expression.
|
lubrication payment »
A bribe or extorted money, usually relatively small in amount, provided to a low-level government official or business person, in order to expedite a business decision, shipment, or other transaction, especially in a country where such payments are not unusual.
|
make off »
To run away; to exit.
|
make off with »
To steal something and run.
|
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.
|
naff off »
A mild version of f** off.
|
no comment »
An "official" refusal to relay any further information, as a response to a newspaper reporter's question.
|
no skin off one's back »
No harm to one.
|
no skin off one's nose »
No harm to one.
|
nod off »
To fall asleep, especially while in a seated position or in inappropriate circumstances.
|
off and on »
Intermittently.
|
off balance »
Not physical balanced; not having physical equilibrium.
|
off balance »
Surprised; perplexed.
|
off board »
Not on or in a means of transportation.
|
off board »
Not participating.
|
off chance »
A condition of not being likely or probable.
|
off licence »
drinks shop
|
off one's dot »
Off one's rocker; bananas; mad.
|
off one's game »
C. 1910, Ralph Henry Barbour, "The Dub" in The New Boy at Hilltop and Other Stories.
|
off one's game »
Performing in any activity below one's usual level; behaving in an irregular, inept, or awkward manner; feeling unwell.
|
off one's game »
Playing or competing below one's usual level of performance.
|
off one's own bat »
At one's own instigation.
|
off one's rocker »
Crazy; insane.
|
off the back foot »
From a defensive position.
|
off the bat »
From the start; immediately; right away.
|
off the beaten path »
In a secluded location; in a place which is not frequently visited or not widely known.
|
off the beaten track »
In a place or places not commonly visited.
|
off the chain »
Crazy and exciting; delirious and wild. By analogy to a frenetic dog when unleashed.
|
off the chain »
Free from work or direct supervision. In reference to slave labor, where workers are chained, or to the figurative chain of workers of an assembly line.
|
off the deep end »
Crazy, erratic, or irrational.
|
off the hook »
Of a telephone, having an open connection; not hung up.
|
off the hook »
Performing extraordinarily well.
|
off the hook »
Relieved of a duty, burden, responsibility, or pressure.
|
off the mark »
Inaccurate; not correct or appropriate.
|
off the radar »
Unlikely to happen, or be important in the near future or tending to escape detection or attention.
|
off the rails »
In an abnormal manner, especially in a manner that causes damage or malfunctioning.
|
off the rails »
Insane.
|
off the rails »
Off the intended path.
|
off the rails »
Out of control.
|
off the reservation »
Violating rules.
|
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.
|
off-color »
Considered dirty, vulgar or obscene.
|
off-roader »
A vehicle that is designed to drive off the road.
|
off-the-cuff »
Extemporaneous; without prior preparation; impromptu.
|
off-the-shelf »
As purchased or as commonly available, without modification or customization.
|
off-the-wall »
Greatly inappropriate.
|
off-the-wall »
Wildly unconventional; bizarre; absurd.
|
offer affordances »
To give elbow room or leeway for something to happen.
|
offer one's condolences »
To offer sympathy to someone.
|
on the back foot »
In a defensive posture; off-balance.
|
on the clock »
In the official time expired in a game or other sporting event.
|
on the clock »
In the official time remaining in a game or other sporting event.
|
one step forward, two steps back »
A situation in which progress is more than offset by adverse developments.
|
one-off »
Occurring once; one-time.
|
out of the way »
Improper or offensive.
|
palace politics »
The relationships and interactions of top-level officials, advisors and other powerbrokers within a government, especially as involving internal rivalry and intrigue.
|
palm off »
To attempt to pass off a counterfeit or inferior product as genuine.
|
pass off »
To happen.
|
pass off »
To misrepresent something.
|
pay off »
To bribe, especially to deter oversight.
|
pay off »
To become worthwhile after a lapse.
|
pee off »
Euphemistic variant of piss off.
|
peed off »
Simple past tense and past participle of pee off.
|
pencil pusher »
One who does routine office work; someone involved mainly in paperwork.
|
peter out »
To dwindle; to trail off; to diminish to nothing.
|
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.
|
pig in a poke »
Something whose true value is concealed or unknown, especially something offered for sale.
|
piss off »
To leave, to go away.
|
piss off »
To annoy, anger.
|
pissed off »
Annoyed, upset, angry.
|
polish off »
Or liquor.
|
polish off »
To remove by polishing .
|
pop off »
To leave, and return in a short time.
|
pop off »
To die suddenly.
|
pop off »
To kill someone.
|
pop off »
To release flatulence, in most cases, in short rapid succession.
|
prawn cocktail offensive »
A strategy of the Labour Party in winning over important people in the world of finance.
|
pull off »
To remove by pulling.
|
pull off »
To achieve; to succeed at something difficult.
|
put down »
To drop someone off, or let them out of a vehicle.
|
put down for »
To record that someone has offered to help, or contribute something.
|
put off »
To procrastinate.
|
put off »
To offend, repulse, or frighten.
|
put off »
postpone
|
put one's foot in it »
To make a mistake in public, or a social blunder, that is embarrassing, or offensive.
|
put the bee on »
To finish off, to beat.
|
rain cheque »
Any postponement, especially of an offer.
|
rat run »
A small road that people venture down when they want to sneak off the motorway and take a short cut.
|
rattle off »
To list or recite quickly.
|
rhyme off »
To list or recite quickly.
|
ring off »
To finish a telephone conversation and disconnect.
|
ring off the hook »
Of a telephone, to ring constantly or excessively.
|
rip off »
To pull off by ripping.
|
rip off »
To steal, cheat or swindle.
|
rip off »
To copy, especially illegally.
|
rip off »
To charge an exorbitant or unfair rate.
|
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.
|
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.
|
rub off on »
To adapt to a way of behaving after constant exposure to it.
|
run for office »
To seek political power.
|
run off »
To flee or depart quickly.
|
run off »
To make photocopies, or print.
|
run off »
To write something quickly.
|
run off »
To pour or spill off or over.
|
run off »
To leave someone without prior advice.
|
run off »
To chase someone away.
|
run off »
To operate by a particular energy source.
|
run off with »
To leave with someone with the intention of living with them or marrying them. Usually in secret because other people think it is wrong.
|
run off with »
To steal or abscond.
|
scare the pants off of »
To scare or startle thoroughly.
|
scrape off »
To remove something by a scraping action.
|
seagull manager »
A manager who comes into the workplace or office only on occasion, especially when a problem arises or to criticize or critique employees.
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send somebody packing »
To expel or eject somebody; to chase off or force out.
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set off »
To begin; to cause; to initiate.
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set off »
To cause to explode.
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set off »
To count an addition in one thing against a reduction in something else.
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set off »
To leave; to begin a journey or trip.
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shit or get off the pot »
To choose between taking action now, or foregoing the opportunity until a later date.
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shoot off at the mouth »
Don't let [presidential press secretary Ron] Ziegler shoot off at the mouth without our knowledge.
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shoot off at the mouth »
To boast, or brag, or talk too much.
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shoot off at the mouth »
To disclose some information that was supposed to be secret.
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shoot one's mouth off »
To make reckless or exaggerated statements.
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shoulder to cry on »
Someone offering emotional support to another in distress.
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show off »
To exhibit; to demonstrate one's skill, talent, etc. for its own sake.
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shrug off »
To ignore or disregard; to be indifferent.
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shuffle off this mortal coil »
To die; to divest oneself of one's mortal body.
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shut down »
To turn off or stop.
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sign in »
In order to get into the office after hours, you'll have to sign in at the security desk.
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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.
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sign on »
The time of day when a radio or television station begins broadcasting, usually after being off the air for several hours.
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slag off »
To talk insultingly to or about someone or something.
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sleep with the fishes »
To be killed and have one's body disposed off in the sea or other body of water.
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slip into something a little more comfortable »
To wear something suitable to be stripped off by a lover.
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smallpox blanket »
An apparently benevolent offering whose real intent is to disrupt, destabilize or weaken.
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smart off »
To show disrespect verbally.
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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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sneak off »
To leave a place, or a meeting, without being seen or heard.
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snipe hunt »
A prank in which a gullible victim is sent off on a fruitless search for a nonexistent item.
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sod off »
Go away.
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sound off »
To hold forth about something in an opinionated manner.
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spark off »
To initiate something by providing the necessary conditions.
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spring for »
To pay for; to offer money.
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square off »
To get ready for a fight.
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square off »
To get in the fighting position.
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stand off »
To stand some distance apart form something or someone.
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stand off »
To prevent any would-be attacker from coming close by adopting an offensive posture.
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start off »
To begin.
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start off on the wrong foot »
To begin badly; especially, to begin a relationship badly.
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stave off »
To prevent something from happening; to obviate or avert.
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step down »
To resign from office.
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sticker shock »
Disgust, shock, or fright upon learning the price of an item offered for sale.
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straw poll »
A survey of opinion which is unofficial, casual, or ad hoc.
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strip off »
To remove anything by stripping, e.g. items of clothing or paint from the side of a ship.
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strip off »
To be removed by stripping.
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strut one's stuff »
To behave, or to perform in a showy or ostentatious manner, especially in a way to impress others; to show off.
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stuffed shirt »
One who is overly official or officious; somebody in charge but not necessarily in power or effective.
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suck off »
To fellate a man until he ejaculates.
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swear off »
To quit or cease completely, or to promise to quit, as of a bad habit.
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sweep someone off their feet »
To seduce someone romantically.
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swings and roundabouts »
Offsetting gains and losses.
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switch off »
To turn a switch to the "off" position in order to stop or disable a device.
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switch off »
To lose interest, and start thinking about something else.
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switch off »
To alternate between; to trade.
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take a tumble »
To fall off something, or down something.
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take exception »
To take offense; to object or protest.
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take exception to »
Express offense at; to.
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take off »
To remove.
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take off »
To imitate, often in a satirical manner.
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take off »
To leave the ground and begin flight; to ascend into the air.
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take off »
To become successful, to flourish.
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take off »
To depart.
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take off »
To quantify.
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take off »
To absent oneself from work or other responsibility, especially with permission.
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take one's eye off the ball »
To lose one's concentration on what is most important.
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take one's hat off to »
To publicly praise or thank.
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take the offensive »
To attack instead of defending; to be bold and proactive.
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talk someone's ear off »
To talk excessively or far more than is wanted or appreciated.
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tape off »
To cordon.
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taper off »
To diminish or lessen gradually; to become smaller, slower, quieter, etc.
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tear a strip off somebody »
To scold vigorously.
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tee off »
To hit the first shot of the hole.
|
tee off »
To irritate, vex, or annoy.
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teed off »
Annoyed, upset, angry.
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tell off »
To speak to someone rudely, disrespectfully or angrily; to berate; to unleash one's fury verbally towards someone.
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tell off »
To rebuke, to reprimand, or to admonish.
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telling off »
A reprimand, reproach, or lecture.
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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.".
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the long arm of the law »
The body of law enforcement officers.
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the pick of the litter »
The absolute best one has to offer.
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thin-skinned »
Overly sensitive to criticism; quick to take offence; touchy.
|
throw a sickie »
To take a day off from work, supposedly because of ill health. The illness could be either real or feigned.
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throw for a loop »
To confuse or disorient; to throw off; to mix up.
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throw off »
To confuse; especially, to lose a pursuer.
|
throw off »
To introduce errors or inaccuracies; to skew.
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throw off balance »
To unsettle, to catch by surprise.
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tick off »
Sign with a tick.
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tick off »
To annoy, aggravate.
|
tick off »
To reprimand.
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time off »
A period of time where one is not required to work.
|
tip off »
To alert or inform someone.
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tip off »
information
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tip-off »
An obvious clue or indication.
|
tone down »
To make a television program, piece of writing, etc. less offensive and so more suitable for a family audience.
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top it all off »
To emphasize or underscore; to make something even better or worse.
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top off »
To fill completely; to fill or refill the final portion of something not empty.
|
torque off »
To annoy, distress, or anger.
|
torqued off »
Annoyed, upset, angry.
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totus porcus »
Completely; unreservedly: swallowed the official version totus porcus.
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touch judge »
rugby official
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touch off »
To start; to cause, especially used for unstable situations that may magnify if disturbed.
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tread lightly »
To proceed carefully; especially, to seek to avoid causing offense.
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turn in one's grave »
To be appalled, offended or disgusted by something, despite being deceased.
|
turn off »
To power down; to stop a device by switching it off.
|
turn off »
To repulse, disgust, or discourage.
|
turn off »
To leave a road; exit.
|
vote in »
To collectively approve a nominee into an office or position as a result of voting.
|
vote out »
To expel the holder of an office or other position through an act of voting.
|
wake up and smell the coffee »
To face reality and stop deluding oneself.
|
walk it off »
To deal with an negative emotional event without complaint; to take it like a man.
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walk it off »
To walk or pace in order to relieve a pain or cramp.
|
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.
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wall off »
To separate with a wall.
|
wank off »
To masturbate.
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wank off »
To sexually stimulate another's penis.
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ward off »
To parry, or turn aside.
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ward off »
To avert or prevent.
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warm down »
Gentle excercise at the end of a training session before cooling off.
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wear off »
To diminish in effect.
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wear off »
To disappear because of being abraded, over-polished, or abused.
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wooden-top »
Uniformed police officers.
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work one's arse off »
Work excessively or to the point of exhaustion.
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work one's butt off »
To work very hard or to excess.
|
work one's tail off »
Work excessively or to the point of exhaustion.
|
wrap up »
To finish off a task completely.
|
wrestling with a pig »
To engage in a pointless task that leaves one worse off for having made an honest attempt.
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write off »
To reduce an asset's book value to zero.
|
write off »
To record an expenditure as an expense.
|
write off »
To record an notional expense such as amortization or depreciation.
|
write off »
Figuratively, to assign a low value to something.
|
write off »
unrepairable car
|
yank off »
To remove something, like a piece of cloth or bread, by tearing it with one quick strong pull.
|
yank off »
To masturbate.
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| BTW, Why won't you become an editor? |
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