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.
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at a moment's notice »
Immediately; instantaneously; without need of warning.
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at hand »
Being at the moment the center of attention or the cause of trouble.
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at the moment »
As atm.
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babe magnet »
A person, especially a man, to whom women are attracted.
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baggage »
Heavy baggage; women and children. Also a familiar epithet for a woman; as, cunning baggage, wanton baggage, &c.
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balum rancum »
A hop or dance, where the women are all prostitutes. N. B. The company dance in their birthday suits.
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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.
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break a sweat »
January 2008, The Age - Walkovers blaze a trail for women's equal-pay theory.
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crack of dawn »
The first moment of daylight; sunrise.
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cut it fine »
To achieve something at the last possible moment, or with no margin for error.
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date with destiny »
An inevitable future event or encounter, especially one which is likely to be momentous.
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death knell »
A sign or omen foretelling the death or destruction of something.
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drug on the market »
Something which is overabundant at the moment and thus not in demand.
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eureka moment »
The moment of a sudden unexpected discovery.
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fair sex »
Women collectively.
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golden opportunity »
Ideal moment to do something.
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in the nick of time »
At the last possible moment; at the last minute.
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jump »
To propel oneself rapidly upward such that momentum causes the body to become airborne.
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lady's man »
A man who attracts women and enjoys their company.
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last trump »
The moment of God's final judgement on Earth.
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leave somebody high and dry »
To abandon somebody; to stop providing assistance at a crucial moment.
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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
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line in the sand »
A defining moment, a cutoff point.
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moment of truth »
A deciding instant; the time when a test determines or makes it apparent whether something will succeed.
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on the spot »
At that very moment; right away.
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on the spur of the moment »
On very short notice; spontaneously.
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on-the-spot »
In the right place at this very moment.
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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.
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road to Damascus »
A road to Damascus moment, or change, is an important point in someone's life where a great change, or reversal, of ideas or beliefs occurs.
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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.
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seize the day »
To enjoy the present and not worry about the future; to live for the moment.
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sexual congress »
Loose translation of the title of Aristophanes' play Ecclesiazousae, more literally translated as Assemblywomen.
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so quiet one can hear a pin drop »
Said during a lull in a normally bustling place or scene, or as the result of a sudden dramatic or tense moment.
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spur of the moment »
Impluse; short notice; a lack of planning.
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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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tomorrow is another day »
Tomorrow will bring new opportunities and a fresh start for one's endeavors.1600, author unknown, "Phillidaes Love-call to her Coridon, and his replying" (song), in England's Helicon, printed at London by I.R. for John Flasket:Phil. Yonder comes my Mother, Coridon,whether shall I flie?Cor. Under yonder Beech my lovely one,while she passeth by.Say to her thy true-Love was not heere,remember, remember,to morrow is another day:1896, Amelia E. Barr, A Knight of the Nets, ch. 8:"Well, well, my dear lass, to-night we cannot work, but we may sleep. . . . Keep a still heart tonight, and tomorrow is another day."1936, Margaret Mitchell, Gone with the Wind, ch. 63:"Tomorrow, I'll think of some way to get him back. After all, tomorrow is another day."2005, Fran Schumer, "JERSEY: In Princeton, Taking On Harvard's Fuss About Women," New York Times, 19 June (retrieved 18 Aug. 2009):"Half of me is depressed
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walk in the snow »
An occasion when a momentous career decision is made, especially a decision to resign or retire.
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weaker vessel »
A woman; women collectively.
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