We've found 1205 phrases for po (0.1 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 cat may look at a king »    Even a purported inferior has certain abilities, even in the presence of a purported superior

a chain is only as strong as its weakest link »    An organization (especially a process or a business) is only as strong or powerful as its weakest person. A group of associates is only as strong as its laziest member.

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 little bird told me »    Of information which was gathered from a source not to be overtly exposed.

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 question of »    The important question is; the necessary question is.

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.

a watched kettle never boils »    Alternative form of a watched pot never boils.

a watched pot never boils »    A process appears to go more slowly if one waits for it rather than engaging in other activities.

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.

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

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

across the pond »    On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.

act out »    To go through the process of a scene from a play, a charade or a pointless exercise.

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

Adds up »    To enhance. " powerlawofattraction.com">Law of attraction adds up to the success in life."

against all odds »    Despite seemingly insurmountable opposition or probability.

against the collar »    In a tight spot.

air out »    To expose to air; to leave open or spread out, as to allow odor or moisture to dissipate.

ale post »    A maypole.

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

all cats are grey in the dark »    In the dark, physical appearance is unimportant.

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

all holiday »    A saying signifying that it is all over with the business or person spoken of or alluded to/.

all important »    vital

all kidding aside »    Used to attempt to make a serious point in a jocular conversation.

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

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.

another nail in one's coffin »    One in a series of factors which lead, or purport to lead, to downfall.

answer back »    To issue echo characters, protocol responses, reflexive connection requests, etc.

answer for »    To be held responsible for.

answer on a postcard »    To give a brief answer or opinion.

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

arm to the teeth »    To equip thoroughly with weapons.

arse about face »    Something that is placed or arranged the opposite way to the way it should be.

as best one can »    In the best possible way, given the circumstances.

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.

as you sow, so shall you reap »    The personal consequences of one's actions are in proportion to the good or bad intentions towards others.

asleep at the switch »    Neglectful of an important task, responsibility, or opportunity.

assume the mantle »    To take on a specific role or position, along with any associated responsibilites.

at a glance »    Upon cursory examination; an abbreviated review.

at a loss for words »    Having nothing to say; stunned to the point of speechlessness.

at cross purposes »    Against one another; contrary in direction or goals.

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

at loggerheads »    Unable to agree; opposing.

at loose ends »    In an uncertain position or situation.

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

at the high port »    Or in a charge.

at the mercy of »    In the power of; defenceless/defenseless against.

at the ready »    Ready; in a state of preparation or waiting; in position or anticipation.

at the top of one's lungs »    Possible.

at this point in time »    Right now.

atom bomb »    nuclear weapon

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

avoir du pois lay »    Stealing brass weights off the counters of shops.

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

back burner »    A section of a stove used to keep some pots warm while one focuses on others.

back burner »    A state of low urgency; a state of low current importance.

back down »    To take a less aggressive position in a conflict than one previously has or has planned to.

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

back up »    To provide support or the promise of support.

back-burner »    Having low urgency; not currently important.

bad egg »    Someone whose behaviour is reprehensible or irresponsible; a rogue.

bad penny »    A person or thing which is unpleasant, disreputable, or otherwise unwanted, especially one which repeatedly appears at inopportune times.

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

bad taste in one's mouth »    A feeling of guilt, responsibility, or embarrassment as to cause nausea.

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

bag and baggage »    All one's possessions.

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

ballpoint pen »    writing implement

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.

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.

basket case »    One made powerless or ineffective, as by nerves, panic or stress.

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

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

battle cry »    By extension, a strong motto or purpose statement, especially in regards to winning a goal in sports, games or work.

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

be in a spot of bother »    To have a slight problem, to be in a predicament.

be left holding the baby »    To be left with the responsibility of resolving a problem.

be mother »    To pour out tea for others.

be the way to go »    Represent the best of all possible options or courses of action; pre-eminate over all other choices or alternatives.

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.

beam up »    To be teleported over a long distance by means of a specific imaginary technology, specifically from the surface of a planet to an orbiting starship.

beam up »    To teleport another person or object in the same manner.

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

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

beauty spot »    mole

bed of roses »    A comfortable or luxurious position.

been to the rodeo »    Exposed to conmen and hucksters; experienced.

believe in »    To ascribe some powers or other attributes to.

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

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 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.

beside the point »    Irrelevant, moot.

best bet »    The best proposal or plan.

best regards »    Used as a polite closing of a letter.

better an egg today than a hen tomorrow »    It is better to have a sure thing now than a possibility of more later.

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.

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

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

big cheese »    A very important figure, especially a high-ranking person in an organization.

big daddy »    Something or someone of importance.

big deal »    Something very important, difficult, or of concern.

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.

big gun »    Someone who is powerful or influential most often in plural form.

big shot »    A person with a reputation of importance or power.

big up »    To proclaim or exaggerate the importance of.

big wheel »    A person with a great deal of power or influence, especially a high-ranking person in an organization.

bigwig »    A person of importance to a group or organization.

blame Canada »    A catch phrase for shifting attention away from a serious social issue by laying responsibility with Canada.

bleeding edge »    Something very current, or modern where there may actually be a hazard or risk in using it, such as with potentially unstable software. The term relates to a sword.

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

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

blow one's chances »    To forfeit opportunities to achieve some goal.

blow out of proportion »    To overreact to or overstate; to treat too seriously or be overly concerned with.

blow smoke »    To speak with a lack of credibility, sense, purpose, or truth; to speak nonsense.

blow the whistle »    To disclose information to the public or to appropriate authorities concerning the illegal or socially harmful actions of a person or group, especially a corporation or government agency.

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.

blow up »    To become popular very quickly.

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.

booby prize »    A prize or status, often unwelcome, awarded as a joke or disincentive to the loser of a contest or for poor performance.

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 with a silver spoon in one's mouth »    Born rich or in a wealthy family.

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.

bottom line »    The summary or result; the most important information; the upshot; the net-net.

bottom of the ninth »    By extension, any last chance or final opportunity.

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.

bragging rights »    The prerogative to praise oneself for an accomplishment or for possession of a superior characteristic.

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

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

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

bridge »    A statement, such as an offer, that signals a possibility of accord.

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

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

bring down »    To make a legitimate rulership lose their position of power.

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

bring out »    To cause a visible symptom such as spots or a rash.

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

bring up »    To bring from a lower position to a higher position.

bring up »    To turn on power or start, as of a machine.

bring upon »    To cause to befall.

broad shoulders »    The ability to take criticism, or accept responsibility.

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

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

brown thumb »    Lack of skill at growing plants; something possessed by a poor gardener.

bugger up »    To break or spoil something, or make it inoperative, useless etc.

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

bum rap »    An undeservedly unfavorable portrayal or reputation.

bump up »    To give a more prominent place to; to advance position in queue.

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

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

burn one's bridges »    To destroy one's path, connections, reputation, opportunities, etc.

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 league »    A professional sports association at the lower levels of minor league organization.

bust a cap in someone's ass »    Alternative form of pop a cap in someone's ass.

busted flush »    A potential flush which ultimately was not filled.

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

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

butterfly upon a wheel »    An innocent person crushed by life's adversities.

buy time »    Purposefully cause a delay to something, in order to achieve something else.

by hook or by crook »    By any means possible; one way or another.

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

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 on »    To correct; to point out an error or untruth.

call out »    To arrange for a professional to call at your home for some purpose.

call up »    An order to report for military service.

camel through the eye of a needle »    Hyperbole to illustrate that something is almost impossible to do or to happen.

carry off »    To transport away.

carry the can »    To take responsibility, especially in a challenging situation.

case in point »    An example that illustrates a point.

cash in »    To profit from; to use an opportunity to maximum advantage, especially financially.

castle in the air »    A visionary project or scheme; a day-dream; an idle fancy; a pipe dream; any plan, desire, or idea that is unlikely to be ever realized; a near impossibility.

cat's cradle »    Any complicated structure which appears to be without purpose.

catbird seat »    Expression used to describe an enviable position, often one of great advantage.

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

catch out »    To discover or expose as fake or insincere.

catch-as-catch-can »    Intermittent; only when possible or when the opportunity presents itself.

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

center field »    The defensive position in the outfield in the middle, typically played by a player that can run fast.

chalkface »    A cliff or quarry exposing chalk, e.g. the White Cliffs of Dover.

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.

charge up »    To recharge, to give electrical power to something.

chase a rainbow »    To pursue something illusory, impractical, or impossible.

check in »    To announce or record one's arrival at a hotel, airport etc.

check out »    To obtain computer source code from a repository.

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

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.

cherry-pick »    To pick out the best, or most desirable items from a list or group, especially to obtain some advantage or to present something in the best possible light.

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

chicken feed »    Food given to poultry.

chickens coming home to roost »    Consequences visited upon someone who originally had appeared to escape them.

chip in »    To interrupt a discussion for the purpose of making a comment.

chip in »    To put into the pot the amount of chips or money required to continue.

chuck out »    To discard, to dispose of.

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.

class clown »    A student who frequently makes jokes or pokes fun; a wiseacre.

clean out »    To empty completely; to remove all money or possessions from.

clout list »    A usually secret list containing the names of people who are to be given special access, benefits, or influence in a political or social situation, especially as a result of having personal, professional, or financial relationships with those in authority.

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 of the walk »    W:The Pogues - w:The Irish Rover.

collect one's thoughts »    To become mentally composed, especially after being distressed, surprised, or disoriented; to become calm or organized in one's emotional state or thinking, as in preparation for a conversation, speech, decision, etc.

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

come full circle »    To complete a cycle of transition, returning to the point of origin.

come on »    To encounter, discover; to come upon.

come to »    To befall; to affect; to happen to; to come upon.

come to a head »    To rapidly come to a turning point.

come up »    To come to a higher position.

comfort woman »    A woman forced, or supposedly recruited, into brothels by the Japanese occupation forces during World War II.

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

company »    In legal context, an entity that manufactures or sells products , or provides services as a commercial venture. A corporation.

company »    In non-legal context, any business, without respect to incorporation.

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.

controlled substance »    Except for very limited professional testing purposes.

cook the books »    To manipulate accounting information, esp. illegally, by a corporation.

copious free time »    A hypothetical time set aside for performing time-consuming tasks, however insinuating that the speaker really has no free time.

corner the market »    To have exclusive possession; to possess something to a high or excessive degree.

corner the market »    To monopolize a resource or commodity, as with the intent of driving up prices.

corporation pop »    Water.

could not get elected dogcatcher »    Is unpopular.

count on »    To rely upon, trust, or expect.

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

crab mentality »    A way of thinking best described by the phrase "if I can't have it, neither can you." The metaphor refers to a pot of crabs in which one tries to escape over the side, but is relentlessly pulled down by the others in the pot.

cradle robber »    A person who marries or becomes romantically involved with someone who is much younger or who employs or otherwise engages a young person for a purpose inappropriate for his or her age.

crank up »    To increase, as the volume, power or energy of something.

crashpad »    Any place used for temporary lodging.

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

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 aisle »    To vote, unite, or otherwise co-operate with members of another political party in order to achieve governmental or political action.

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 floor »    To vote against one's own political party in parliament.

crown jewels »    A prized possession or asset.

cry the blues »    To complain, especially in order to obtain sympathy for one's own purportedly sad situation.

crying shame »    It's a crying shame that so much money has been wasted on this pointless political campaign.

curveball »    An unexpected turn of events initiated by an opponent or chance.

cut corners »    To do a less than thorough or complete job; to do something poorly or take short cuts.

cut it fine »    To achieve something at the last possible moment, or with no margin for error.

cut out »    Well suited; appropriate; fit for a particular activity or purpose.

cut to the chase »    To get to the point; to get on with it; to state something directly.

cutting edge »    The forefront, or position of greatest advancement in some field.

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

dawn of a new day »    A new beginning; a fresh start; an important, promising turning point.

dead »    Completely inactive; without power; without a signal.

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 to rights »    With sufficient evidence to establish responsibility definitively.

deadbeat dad »    A man, especially one who is divorced or estranged from his partner, who fails to provide monetary child support when he is legally required to do so.

deaf as a doorpost »    Stone deaf.

deafening silence »    A silence, or a lack of any response, that signifies disapproval or lack of any enthusiasm.

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 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.

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

devil is in the details »    The specific provisions of, or particular steps for implementing, a general plan, policy, or contract may be complicated, controversial, or unworkable.

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.

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

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.

dismal science »    Nickname for economics or for the field of political economy.

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 one's damnedest »    To do one's utmost; to make every effort or to try every possible approach or way.

do one's darnedest »    To do one's utmost; to make every effort or to try every possible approach or way.

does a bear shit in the woods »    Rhetorical question in response to a question where the answer is an emphatic yes.

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.

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

doorprikken »    To expose as false.

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

double talk »    Lying, especially in a formal political statement.

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.

draw back »    To retreat from a position.

drive home »    With tangible or powerful demonstration.

drive the porcelain bus »    To vomit, especially while drunk or hung over.

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 dime »    To make a phone call, usually means calling the police to report another's activities.

drop in »    One who arrives unannounced or without an appointment.

drop off »    To deliver; to deposit or leave.

drop the ball »    To fail in one's responsibilities or duties, or to make a mistake, especially at a critical point or when the result is very negative.

dry out »    To have excess water evaporate or be otherwise removed.

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

earn one's keep »    To perform satisfactory physical labor or to provide other worthy services in return for remuneration, lodging, or other benefits; to support oneself financially.

easy street »    A carefree situation or lifestyle, especially as resulting from possession of wealth.

eat humble pie »    To admit one's faults; to make a humiliating apology.

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

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.

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

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

engine room »    The source of power in a team or other group.

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

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.

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

evil twin »    A rogue wireless access point installed near a legitimate one for purposes of eavesdropping or phishing.

expose oneself »    To appear nude in public.

face off »    The starting point, in a match of ice hockey. Two players face each other, for snatching the puck.

faceplant »    Death or defeat in popular multiplayer online games.

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

factor space »    A space obtained from another by identification of points that are equivalent to one another in some equivalence relation.

factotum »    A person having many diverse activities or responsibilities.

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.

fail over »    To automatically switch processing from a failed component in a critical system to its live spare or backup component.

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

fall away »    To cease to support a person or cause.

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

fall in »    Of a soldier, to get into position in a rank.

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 on »    To experience; to suffer; to fall upon.

fall on one's sword »    To commit suicide by allowing one’s body to drop onto the point of one’s sword..

fall on one's sword »    To resign from a job or other position of responsibility, especially when pressured to do so.

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

fall upon »    To fall on; to experience; to suffer.

feather one's nest »    To achieve benefits, especially financial ones, by taking advantage of the opportunities with which one is presented; to amass a comfortable amount of personal wealth.

feel one's oats »    To feel important; to be empowered.

feet of clay »    To say that someone, who appears strong or invincible, in fact has a hidden weak point which could cause their fall.

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

field day »    A school day for athletic events; a sports day.

fifteen minutes of fame »    A very short time in the spotlight or brief flurry with fame, after which the person or subject involved is quickly forgotten.

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

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

fill the bill »    To satisfy a need; to serve a purpose; to fulfill specified requirements.

filter down »    Of information, or resources; to move slowly down to lower levels of an organisation, or population.

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

first among equals »    A person or position that if formally equivalent to others in a group, but is superior in some attribute.

first port of call »    The first place to go to start a process.

first port of call »    The first port that a vessel calls in at after the start of a voyage.

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

flipside »    A necessary consequence or corollary of something; especially one seen as opposite, or as pro versus con.

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 in the ointment »    Something which ruins or spoils everything else; a nuisance or problem; an unpleasant or disagreeable detail.

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

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 keeps »    To compete seriously, with a strong resolve to win or succeed, as in sports or business.

for the birds »    Worthless; pointless; not deserving serious consideration.

for the record »    For the purpose of being recorded.

for the time being »    Temporarily; until later.

forbidden fruit »    Illicit pleasure; something that one should not take or get involved with, such as an another person's spouse.

force of habit »    An act that has been repeated to the point where the performance of the act becomes automatic.

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

four poster »    bed

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

fox in the henhouse »    A relationships wherein a predator is granted free reign within the prey's home confinement, often used in the political sense.

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

frog in one's throat »    Any temporary physical difficulty in speaking.

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

from the get-go »    From the very beginning; from the outset; immediately upon starting.

from the word go »    From the very beginning; from the outset; immediately upon starting.

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

full of oneself »    Egotistical, believing oneself to be superior to others; preoccupied with one's own work, interests, point of view, etc.

full tilt »    As quickly as possible; very rapidly.

gang up on »    To join together in a gang in order to overpower someone else.

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 busy »    Start working, usually in opposition to idleness.

get down to brass tacks »    Deal with the important details.

get it »    To possess a preferred outlook on a given issue or issues.

get off »    To disembark from mass transportation, such as a bus or train.

get out of Dodge »    To leave; in particular to leave a difficult or dangerous environment with all possible haste.

give 110%25 »    Make the maximum possible effort.

give a sneck posset »    To fasten the door latch.

give a sneck posset »    To give someone a cold reception; to close the door on someone; to reject them.

give it one's best shot »    To make one's best effort or attempt; to try as hard as possible.

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

give the devil his due »    To acknowledge the positive qualities of a person who is unpleasant or disliked.

glimmer »    A faint or remote possibility.

go all out »    To reserve nothing; to put forth all possible effort or resources.

go for broke »    To try everything possible or do last thing possible in a final attempt.

go from zero to hero »    To become very popular after being unpopular.

go from zero to hero »    To change from negative outcome to positive outcome. To improve one's fortunes significantly.

go in off »    To pot the cue ball accidentally after hitting the object ball.

go on »    To continue; expand upon.

go over »    To create a response or impression.

go the whole hog »    To do something as entirely or completely as possible; to reserve or hold back nothing.

go to Canossa »    To submit to the pope.

go to pot »    To come to a bad end.

go to pot »    To decline or deteriorate.

going to the dogs »    In such a poor state that it should be left to the dogs.

golden opportunity »    Ideal moment to do something.

golden ticket »    A qualification, person or thing that can provide lucrative opportunities.

Gone to the bad »    soured, spoiled, turned rotten

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.

goose is cooked »    All hope is gone; there is no possibility of success.

grab bag »    Any random assortment, selection or possibility.

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

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

greasy spoon »    An inexpensive diner or other informal restaurant, especially one specializing in frying or grilling.

great unwashed »    A contemptuous term for the populace, particularly the working class.

green with envy »    Consumed by envy; envious to the point where it is noticeable to others.

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.

gunboat diplomacy »    The pursuit of foreign policy objectives with the aid of conspicuous displays of military power.

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

hair-splittingly »    With exceedingly small differences which are probably neither important nor noticeable to most people.

hand in »    To give something to a responsible person.

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

happy medium »    A balanced position between two opposite extremes.

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

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.

have a seat »    A polite directive to sit down.

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 one's wits about one »    To remain calm, composed, or aware.

have other fish to fry »    To have more important things to do.

heads or tails »    A game to bet upon a which side of a coin lays face up after it is thrown.

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.

hedge one's bets »    To place bets with a third party in order to offset potential losses.

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

here's to »    Denoting proposed salutation while drinking alcohol, toast.

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

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

hill of beans »    Something of no importance.

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

historical figure »    A person who lived long ago, usually of some historical note or importance.

hit on »    To discover, pinpoint; to think up; to realize; to invent.

hit the bottle »    To continually drink alcohol to excess, particularly in response to a setback.

hit the jackpot »    To realise a huge load of luck; to receive a more favorable outcome than imagined.

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 the rocks »    To be at a low point in one's pursuits.

hit the spot »    To be particularly pleasing or appropriate; to be just right.

hit upon »    To address.

hit upon »    To think of; to invent; to realize.

hocus pocus »    chicanery

hold all the aces »    To be in a strong position when one is competing with someone else, having all the advantages.

hold back »    To act with reserve; to contain one's full measure or power.

hold forth »    To extend or offer, propose.

hold off »    To delay someone or something temporarily; to keep at bay.

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 the fort »    To assume responsibility, especially in another’s absence..

hold the fort »    To maintain a secure position.

hold up »    To support or lift.

hold up »    To rob at gunpoint.

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 your fire »    Do not discharge your weapon. Used originally for weapons needing a spark or lighting of a fuse to ignite gunpowder, now sometimes used to mean any weapon launching a projectile.

home run »    A success; especially, a popular success.

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.

hopping mad »    Extremely angry; furious to the point of outburst.

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

Horsefeathers »    Absolute nonsense; poppycock

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.

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 »    A warm meal, usually cooked in a large pot, often similar to a stew or porridge; or, service of such a heated meal to soldiers.

hot potato »    A child's game in which players pass a ball or other item between them, with the object of avoiding being left holding the item when time expires.

hot potato »    An awkward or delicate problem with which nobody wants to be associated.

hot spot »    dangerous place; accident place

hot spot »    lively place

how are you »    An informal greeting, not requiring a literal response. Typical responses include.

how come »    Why; why is it; for what reason or purpose?.

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.

hunker down »    To stubbornly hold to a position.

if looks could kill »    A phrase said upon catching sight of someone's giving you a particularly nasty look of discontent or disapproval.

if pigs had wings they would fly »    (colloquial) Expresses speakers skepticism toward a hypothetical argument by another.

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.

if you lie with dogs you will get fleas »    It is important whom to choose as one's closest acquanitances.

impiastro »    Poultice.

in Dutch »    Written or spoken in the dutch language.

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 for an inch, in for a mile »    Given that one is partly involved in or committed to a project, action, position, etc., there is no reason to refrain from becoming fully involved or fully committed.

in hot water »    In trouble; in the position of arousing somebody's anger or displeasure.

in line »    Positioned in a straight line.

in line »    To assume a position in the future.

in one's pocket »    Subject to one's whims because of bribery.

in the black »    Having positive net income; having greater income than expenses; making a profit.

in the driver's seat »    Having the most important role in a storyline or recognition. Of primary importance.

in the fast lane »    In a lifestyle, employment position, or other set of circumstances where the rapid pace is exciting, frantic, or risky.

in the nick of time »    At the last possible moment; at the last minute.

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

in the sun »    Exposed to sunlight.

in the works »    Being planned or worked upon.

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

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

it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God »    The rich can afford more immoral behavior than the poor.

it never rains but it pours »    Unfortunate events occur in quantity.

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

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.

jump »    To employ a move in certain board games where one game piece is moved from one legal position to another passing over the position of another piece.

jump at »    To accept something enthusiastically. Usually an opportunity, or chance, or job etc.

jump down »    To leave an elevated position to a lower position by one jump.

jump in »    To enter something quickly. Usually a mode of transport.

jump on »    To board a public transport vehicle.

jump up »    To move from one position to a higher position by one jump.

keep an eye open »    To maintain vigilance for a possibly dangerous situation.

keep it up »    To maintain or continue a positive streak.

keep on »    To remain in an existing position.

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

keep one's eye on the ball »    To maintain one's concentration fixed on one important theme.

keep somebody posted »    To inform or to keep somebody up to date.

keep the wolf from the door »    To ward off poverty or hunger.

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.

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

kick oneself »    To reproach oneself for making a mistake or missing an opportunity.

kick up a fuss »    To show annoyance, or to complain loudly about something, often when it is of little importance in reality.

kill off »    To represent or portray as being dead.

kill the messenger »    To blame a problem on whoever reported it; to hold somebody accountable a problem because he/she brought attention to it.

kill the rabbit »    To get a positive test result from an old-fashioned pregnancy test.

king »    A powerful or influential person.

knock off »    An imitation, especially one of poorer quality.

knock up »    To put together, fabricate, or assemble, particularly if done hastily or temporarily. See also knock together.

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.

knowledge is power »    With knowledge and/or education, one's potential or ability to succeed in the pursuit of his objectives will certainly increase.

ladies first »    A phrase encouraging polite gentlemanliness, allowing the ladies to go before the men.

lame joke »    An attempt at humor which is perceived to have been used previously to the point of being cliche, or was never funny to begin with.

land of opportunity »    A nickname for the United States.

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.

larger-than-life »    Very imposing, renowned, or impressively influential.

last minute »    Point in time, too close to a deadline to reasonably begin a critical task.

last post »    military bugle call

laughing stock »    An object of ridicule, someone who is publicly ridiculed; a butt of sport.

lay down »    To lie down; to place oneself in a reclined or horizontal position, on a bed or similar, for the purpose of resting.

lead »    I would have the tower two stories, and goodly leads upon the top. — Bacon.

lead nowhere »    To have no purpose, to result in nothing.

lean on »    To depend upon for support.

leave somebody holding the bag »    To abandon somebody, leaving the responsibility or blame.

left field »    The defensive position in the outfield to the left.

legwork »    Skillful or vigorous use of the legs, as in dance or sports.

let down »    To disappoint; to betray or fail somebody.

let somebody down »    To fail somebody; to disappoint or to fail to uphold a commitment.

let-down »    A disappointment or anticlimax.

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.

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.

life's a bitch »    An expression of acceptance of misfortune.1950, Joy Davidman, Weeping Bay, page 184:She'd have been willing enough to use them, poor dead little bitch. Life's a bitch. Life's a bad joke.

lift a finger »    To make minimal effort; to help as little as possible.

lift up »    To elevate to a higher position.

like father, like son »    A son will have traits similar to his father upon reaching adulthood.

line in the sand »    A defining moment, a cutoff point.

line one's pockets »    To accumulate personal wealth, especially in an illegal or morally objectionable manner.

lion's share »    The majority; a large or generous portion.

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 by the sword, die by the sword »    One who uses violence can expect a violent response. It is better to try to use peaceful means wherever possible.(figuratively) One can expect dire outcomes from any vice; used to convey poetic justice.

live up »    To fulfil the expectations placed upon.

loaded word »    Any word, set phrase or idiom that has strong positive or negative connotations beyond their ordinary definition.

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 arm »    A pole tool used for handling things too far away to reach.

long arm »    Influence, far-reaching power.

long finger »    A state of postponement or procrastination.

long pork »    Human flesh.

longpig »    Human flesh when cooked in cannabalistic rituals in certain Pacific Islands, due to the allegeded similarity to cooked pork.

Loose cannon »    An uncontrolled or unpredictable person who causes damage to his own friends, faction, political party, etc.

low blow »    An unfair or illegal blow that lands below the opponent’s waist; a groin attack..

lower the boom »    To suddenly overpower, with "on".

lump in one's throat »    A feeling of emotional sadness. On the point of crying.

lump to one's throat »    A feeling of emotional sadness. On the point of crying.

mad money »    A sum of money, often relatively small in amount, kept in reserve to use for impulsive, frivolous purposes.

made in China »    Of poor or low quality.

made in Japan »    Of poor or low quality.

make a living »    To earn enough income to support oneself and, if applicable, one's family.

make a mountain out of a molehill »    To treat a problem as greater than it is; to blow something out of proportion; to exaggerate the importance of something trivial.

make a point »    To argue or promote an idea.

make a point »    To take care in doing something of something; to pay attention or ensure that something is done.

make a virtue of necessity »    To make the best of a difficult situation; to recast or portray an action or situation in which one has no alternatives as an action or situation which was deliberately chosen on its merits.

make hay »    To take advantage of an opportunity.

make hay while the sun shines »    To act while an opportunity exists; to take action while a situation is favorable.

make the cut »    To succeed; to be chosen out of a field of candidates or possibilities.

make the most of »    To profit as much as possible from.

make up »    To constitute; to compose; to form.

man proposes, God disposes »    Things don't always work out as they were planned.

man up »    To "be a man about it"; to do the things a good man is traditionally expected to do, such as: taking responsibility for the consequences of one's actions; displaying bravery or toughness in the face of adversity; providing for one's family, etc.

man up »    To staff adequately; to staff up; to successfully fill all needed labor positions.

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.

manoeuvre the apostles »    To rob Peter to pay Paul; that is, to borrow money of one man to pay another.

meatball surgery »    A nickname for surgery that is meant to be performed rapidly to stabilize the patient as quickly as possible.

melting pot »    Come together and are homogenized.

mess of pottage »    Something of trivial value, especially of immediate value.

mess up »    To cause a problem with; to introduce an error or mistake in; to make muddled or confused; spoil; ruin.

mess up »    To botch, bungle; to perform poorly on.

mess up »    To make a mistake; to do something incorrectly; to perform poorly.

mete out »    To distribute something in portions; to apportion or dole out.

middle ground »    A compromise position between extremes.

middle of nowhere »    Nowhere; any place lacking population, interesting things, or defining characteristics.

middle of the road »    Having a centrist attitude or philosophy; not extreme, especially politically.

middle of the road »    Of a type of melodic popular music that has wide appeal.

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.

mind over matter »    Willpower alone can overcome a physical problem.

mind the store »    To take active responsibility for a group or process, especially within an organization.

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.

miss out »    To miss an experience or lose an opportunity, etc. that should not be missed.

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.

miss the point »    To fail to grasp the meaning of an utterance.

moral high ground »    A position or point of view which is ethically superior or more reputable, in comparison to others which are under consideration.

moses basket »    portable cradle

mother hen »    An outspoken and overprotective woman dealing with others' affairs.

mouse potato »    A person who spends excessive amounts of time using a computer.

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.

muckety muck »    A person in a position of power, authority, or status.

mull over »    To think deeply about something; to ponder, deliberate or ruminate.

murder will out »    Secrets or hidden crimes will eventually be exposed or discovered.

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.

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.

needle in a haystack »    Something that is difficult or impossible to locate; something impossibly complex or intractable.

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 mind »    It is not important; do not fret.

new school »    A style, way of thinking, or method for accomplishing a task that is typical of the current era, as opposed to former eras.

no brainer »    Something that supposedly doesn’t take much intellectual thought. Whoever says that something is a no brainer is usually the one with no brains.

no comment »    A refusal to say the obvious impolite retort.

no comment »    An "official" refusal to relay any further information, as a response to a newspaper reporter's question.

no holds barred »    Without restrictions on holds or what opponents may do.

no matter how thin you slice it, it's still baloney »    Regardless of how many clever points or fine distinctions one makes, what one is saying is still false or is still nonsense.

no score »    In a sporting event, a score of zero to zero.

no two ways about it »    No other possible action, choice or option.

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 off »    To fall asleep, especially while in a seated position or in inappropriate circumstances.

nod's as good as a wink to a blind bat »    The idea/proposed action is inconsequential to the current situation.

not a pretty sight »    Something disappointing, disquieting, disreputable, or otherwise unworthy of admiration.

not cricket »    Unsportsmanlike.

not have a leg to stand on »    To lack support, as in an argument, debate, or negotiation.

not the end of the world »    It's of minor importance, at least not as important as it first seemed.

not to put too fine a point on it »    Used to apologise for a possibly impolite statement one is making.

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 »    Ambrose Bierce, The Collected Works of Ambrose Bierce, Vol. 8.

not touch something with a ten foot pole »    Francis Lynde, The Quickening.

not touch something with a ten foot pole »    To approach something or someone.

not touch something with a ten foot pole »    To avoid something at all costs; to refuse to associate with something; signifies a strong aversion.

now you're cooking »    A phrase, often given in response, meaning that the subject has switched to a more suitable or more efficient approach.

number one with a bullet »    Superlative; impossible to beat.

off board »    Not on or in a means of transportation.

off the back foot »    From a defensive position.

off the hook »    Relieved of a duty, burden, responsibility, or pressure.

off the radar »    Unlikely to happen, or be important in the near future or tending to escape detection or attention.

off the top of one's head »    Without great thought or investigation; extemporaneous; natural; offhand.

off-the-cuff »    Extemporaneous; without prior preparation; impromptu.

oh, well »    An expression of disappointment or resignation; too bad; pity.

old money »    The imperial system of measurement, as opposed to the metric system.

old money »    The monetary system used in the United Kingdom before decimalisation and consisting of pounds, shillings, and pence.

on board »    Agreeing or supporting.

on board »    On or in a means of transportation.

on hold »    Delayed; postponed.

on its merits »    Considering only intrinsic good points and bad points, without prejudice or other considerations, such as procedural ones.

on one's hands »    Being one's liability or responsibility; with which one is lumbered.

on one's watch »    During the period of time when one is in a position of authority or responsibility.

on opposite sides of the barricades »    Of starkly different, opposite views on an issue.

on purpose »    Purposefully; with intention; deliberately.

on spec »    Short form of "on speculation": Creating a work with the hope of selling it, as opposed to creating a work "on commission" for hire.

on the back foot »    In a defensive posture; off-balance.

on the bubble »    Holding the last qualifying position with qualification still in progress, and thus liable to lose that position.

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.

on the fly »    Spontaneously or extemporaneously; done as one goes, or during another activity.

on the make »    Actively seeking an opportunity for self-advancement; eager to ingratiate oneself to others in order to secure some advantage.

on the other hand »    From another point of view.

on the plus side »    Positively; from a favorable view or perspective.

on the point »    Very nearly; imminent; close.

on the pull »    Seeking the intimate company of a member of the opposite sex.

on the same wavelength »    In rapport or complete accord.

on the spot »    At that very moment; right away.

on the spot »    Having to answer or decide without warning or preparation.

on the spot »    In a particular place.

on the spur of the moment »    On very short notice; spontaneously.

on top »    In a dominant position.

on wheels »    Having wheels affixed to the bottom, and so transportable.

on-the-spot »    In the right place at this very moment.

one at a time »    Individually, as opposed to collectively; slowly or methodically, figuratively.

one in the eye for »    An event or achievement which is unpleasant for someone, especially for those who considered it impossible or unwelcome; an annoyance.

one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind »    Words spoken by Neil Armstrong when taking the first steps on the moon.

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-track mind »    That said to be possessed by someone who is obsessed with something or only able to think of one thing.

one-trick pony »    A performing animal that knows only one trick.

one-trick pony »    A person or group noteworthy for only a single achievement, skill, or characteristic.

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.

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.

opposites attract »    people who are completely different make ideal partners.

other half »    A spouse.

out of character »    Inconsistent with one's personality, disposition, or usual expected behaviour.

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 luck »    Experiencing a temporary misfortune.

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 proportion »    Not in a proper or pleasing relation to other things, especially in terms of size.

out of stock »    Temporarily unavailable for sale.

out of the question »    Impossible to even contemplate.

out on a limb »    in a precarious position

out the window »    A missed opportunity.

overkill »    A destructive capacity that exceeds that needed to destroy an enemy; especially with nuclear weapons.

pachyderm »    A member of the obsolete taxonomic group Pachydermata, grouping of thick-skinned, hoofed animals such as the rhinoceros, hippopotamus, elephant, pig and horse.

pachyderm »    Someone with thick skin. It is used for animals such as an elephant or a hippopotamus.

painting rocks »    Pointless or futile work organised by the government, supposedly to increase employment but in fact merely disguising the unemployment level.

palace politics »    The relationships and interactions of top-level officials, advisors and other powerbrokers within a government, especially as involving internal rivalry and intrigue.

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 .

parcel out »    To divide into portions or chunks; to ration.

pardon me »    Polite expression to get someone to repeat.

pardon me »    Sorry; said as an apology.

party pooper »    Someone who unnecessarily dampens fun.

pass the buck »    To transfer responsibility or blame from oneself onto another; to absolve oneself of concern for a given matter by claiming to lack authority or jurisdiction.

pay the freight »    To pay for the cost of transport.

peachy keen »    Extremely good, exactly right; all right. Often used in the negative or with an ironic or sarcastic connotation to mean the opposite.

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.

perp walk »    The intentional public display before news cameras of someone in police custody, especially someone famous or notorious, for the purpose of satisfying public interest, demonstrating the authorities' effectiveness, or shaming the person.

petits pois »    small peas

pick up »    To point out (a person's behaviour, habits or actions),in a critical manner.

pick up »    To meet and seduce somebody for romantic purposes, especially in a social situation, sometimes used with "on".

pig in a poke »    Something whose true value is concealed or unknown, especially something offered for sale.

pipe dream »    A plan, desire, or idea that will not likely work; a near impossibility.

piss up a rope »    To engage in futile or impossible activity.

pit against »    To set someone in opposition to someone else.

pitched battle »    A hostile engagement involving sustained, full-scale fighting between opposing forces in close combat.

play around »    To behave in a silly, or childish, or irresponsible way.

play down »    To make or attempt to make something seem less important, likely, or obvious.

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 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 hardball »    To use every means possible to achieve a goal, especially in disregarding the harm caused.

play possum »    To dissemble or to feign ignorance; to disguise or conceal something in order to deceive.

play possum »    To feign death; to remain quiet and still to escape attention or remain undetected; to lay low.

play possum »    To feign sleep, illness, etc.

play the ponies »    To bet on horse racing.

play the race card »    To assert that race or racism is responsible for a course of events, especially when race is not of particular significance to the issue in question; to attempt to inspire a particular reaction by raising the issue of race.

play up »    To make or attempt to make something appear more important, likely or obvious; to showcase or highlight.

plead the fifth »    To refuse to answer a question, or refuse to speak, especially when the response would reflect badly on the speaker.

poacher turned gamekeeper »    A person who now works against the same people they once supported.

pocket money »    child's allowance

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 of no return »    The point in any journey, process, or sequence of events when it is no longer possible to reverse course or stop the process.

point out »    To identify with a bodily gesture, notably by pointing a finger or implement.

point out »    To tell, remind, indicate to someone.

point the finger »    To accuse; to direct or imply blame.

point the finger at »    To accuse or blame.

poison »    A drink; liquor.

poison »    A substance that is harmful or lethal to a living organism.

poison »    Something that harms a person or thing.

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.

poison tree bears poison fruit »    Unethical actions in the service of good intentions will have immoral or unethical consequences.

polish off »    Or liquor.

polish off »    To remove by polishing .

polo shirt »    garment

pony in the barn »    An exciting and real prospect, something to be legitimately excited about.

poor power »    Limited ability.

pop a cap in someone's ass »    To shoot someone with a gun.

pop in »    To visit in an impromptu manner.

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.

pop one's clogs »    To die.

pop out »    To leave a room or building with the expectation of returning soon.

pop someone's cherry »    To deflower someone.

pop the cherry »    To break the hymen; to lose one's virginity.

pop the question »    To propose marriage.

pop up »    To appear without warning.

pop up »    To come up with a "pop" sound.

pop up »    appear suddenly

pope's nose »    The tail end piece of a cooked chicken.

popped the question »    proposed

pore over »    To examine something carefully and attentively.

pork sausages »    bangers

possession is nine-tenths of the law »    One who has possession of a thing has some right to it; a popular statement of the doctrine of adverse possession.

poster boy »    See poster child.

poster child »    One who is a prototypical or quintessential example of something.

poster girl »    See poster child.

Postpone »    to cancel until a future a time

pot calling the kettle black »    A situation in which somebody comments on or accuses someone else of a fault which the accuser shares.

potter »    God, the creator.

potter »    One who makes pots and other ceramic wares.

potter »    One who places flowers or other plants inside their pots.

potter about »    To potter, to be gently active doing various things in an almost aimless manner.

potter around »    To potter, to be gently active doing various things in an almost aimless manner.

potter's clay »    A nation or kingdom.

potter's clay »    A person or people created and shaped by God.

potter's clay »    I am the potter’s clay.

potter's clay »    The clay used by a potter.

potter's clay »    We are but potter’s clay.

potter's field »    A public place where strangers, paupers, and criminals are buried.

potty mouth »    The characteristic of regularly using vulgar language, especially strong profanities; a person having this characteristic.

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 oil on troubled waters »    To calm something or someone who is tenacious or misbehaving.

pour out »    To serve a drink into a cup or glass.

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 corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely »    The corrupting influence of power is total when one's power is total.Lord Acton see: Wikiquote

power point »    electrical socket

power up »    To turn the electrical power on to a device as a precondition to make it operational.

power up »    To become ready for operation as a result of the provision of electrical power.

powers that be »    The holders of power or the authorities in a given situation, especially as seen as being faceless or unreasonably bureaucratic.

prawn cocktail offensive »    A strategy of the Labour Party in winning over important people in the world of finance.

preprogram »    To predispose to certain thoughts or behaviours.

press the flesh »    To shake hands and socialize, especially in a political gathering.

prevail upon »    To convince; to persuade.

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.

puddle jumper »    A small passenger airplane, typically used for shorter connecting trips to smaller airports.

pull one's finger out »    To stop wasting time in preliminaries, and concentrate on the important task.

pull one's head in »    To withdraw as a turtle might; to discontinue support of a particular argument.

pull the plug »    To cease life support.

pull the plug »    To cease to support; to halt.

pull the plug »    To unplug or cut power.

punch bowl waterfall »    A plunging waterfall descending from a narrow stream into a pool.

put aside »    To ignore or intentionally forget something, temporarily or permanently, so that more important things can have one's attention.

put back »    To postpone an arranged event or appointment.

put forward »    To propose for consideration.

put off »    postpone

put on »    To place upon or atop.

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 best foot forward »    To show oneself in the best or most positive way possible; to make a favorable impression.

put oneself in someone's shoes »    To try to look at a situation from a different point of view; as if one were the other person. To empathise.

put the boot in »    To kick a fallen opponent.

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.

quote unquote »    Emphasizes the following word or phrase for irony, as used almost exclusively in spoken language.

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.

rags to riches »    In a biographical context, from poverty to exceptional wealth.

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 cheque »    Any postponement, especially of an offer.

rain on someone's parade »    To disappoint or discourage someone.

rained cats and dogs »    poured

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.

rearrange the deck chairs on the Titanic »    To do something pointless or insignificant that will soon be overtaken by events, or that contributes nothing to the solution of a current problem.

reckon upon »    To count upon or depend upon.

reckon upon »    To plan upon; to expect.

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 letter day »    Usually very positive, sometimes very negative.

red light »    Denial to proceed. Ruling out of any possibility.

reflect upon »    To reflect on.

reinvent the wheel »    To redo work unnecessarily when it has already been done satisfactorily; to rethink an already working system, technique, etc. in a pointless attempt to improve it.

rely on »    To be dependent upon.

ride tall in the saddle »    To act or conduct oneself in a manner that is imposing, impressive, resolute, or manly.

ride tall in the saddle »    To ride a horse in an erect, imposing manner.

right back »    Used in several informal constructions to indicate return -- especially imminent return to a point of origin.

ringside seat »    Any vantage point providing an excellent view.

rise from the ashes »    To make a comeback after a long hiatus. To come back into common use or practice. To come back into popularity. To come back to being a thing of today.

road apple »    Horse manure, especially when deposited on a road.

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.

rob the cradle »    To use a young person for a purpose inappropriate to his or her age.

rock bottom »    The very lowest possible level.

rose-colored glasses »    An optimistic perception of something; a positive opinion; seeing something in a positive way, often thinking of it as better than it actually is.

roses are red »    The start of a generic poem about love.

rough and ready »    Crude or unpolished, but still fit for use; good enough.

royal flush »    poker hand

rub in »    To irritatingly make a point.

rub off on »    To adapt to a way of behaving after constant exposure to it.

rubber-chicken dinner »    A formal dinner or event thrown by politicians to raise funds.

rugby league »    sport

rule out »    To reject an option from a list of possibilities.

rule out »    To make something impossible.

rules OK »    To be popularly accepted, or supported by the general majority of people.

run by »    To inform someone briefly of the main points of an idea.

run down »    To lose power slowly. Used for a machine, battery, or other powered device.

run for »    To try to obtain political position through the democratic voting process.

run for office »    To seek political power.

run for one's money »    A reasonable opportunity to succeed, perform acceptably, or escape harm, especially in a difficult situation.

run hot and cold »    To alternate between two opposite extremes, such as enthusiasm and disinterest or success and failure.

run into the ground »    To mismanage to the point of ruin.

run off »    To pour or spill off or over.

run oneself ragged »    To work or exert oneself to the point of exhaustion.

run out the clock »    To preserve a lead in a game by retaining possession, to waste time.

run something by »    To bring an idea or proposal to the attention of someone in order to obtain their opinion.

run something past »    To bring an idea or proposal to the attention of someone in order to obtain their opinion.

run something up the flagpole »    To float an idea that one suspects might be controversial.

run the gamut »    To encompass the full range or variety possible.

run up »    To bring a flag to the top of it's flag pole.

sabre-rattling »    A flamboyant display of military power as an implied threat that it might be used.

safe and sound »    Having come to no harm, especially after being exposed to danger.

say goodbye »    To wish someone farewell upon their leaving.

say so »    power of decision

scratch one's head »    To puzzle, ponder, or wonder about something.

scratch the surface »    To barely begin; to see or do only a fraction of what is possible.

screw the pooch »    To screw up; to fail in dramatic and ignominious fashion.

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 string »    In sports, a unit of players that plays behind the first string.

see a man »    A bland euphemism to conceal one's true purpose.

see a man »    To take one's leave for some urgent purpose, especially to go to the bathroom.

see someone's point »    To comprehend the meaning that someone is trying to convey.

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 ice to Eskimos »    To persuade people to go against their best interests or to accept something unnecessary or preposterous.

sell out »    To abandon one's supporters or principles to seek profit or other personal advantage.

send up »    To imitate someone or something for the purpose of satirical humour.

set aside »    To separate and reserve something for a specific purpose.

set for life »    Possessing sufficient resources, especially financial, to last a lifetime.

set of pipes »    A wind instrument incorporating multiple pipes, such as a panpipe or bagpipe.

settle upon »    To decide something over other options.

shanks' nag »    Transportation by foot. To "take a shanks' nag" means using one's own legs to walk.

shanks' pony »    Transportation by foot.

shift gears »    To change the gear by which motion is transmitted from a powered shaft to another shaft, especially in a motor vehicle.

shirtless »    Very poor.

shit or get off the pot »    To choose between taking action now, or foregoing the opportunity until a later date.

shoo-in »    A candidate or contestant generally agreed upon as the presumptive winner; somebody who is well-liked or widely agreed upon.

shoot down »    To the point of preclusion.

shoot off at the mouth »    To disclose some information that was supposed to be secret.

shoot the messenger »    To blame a problem on whoever reported it; to hold somebody accountable a problem because he/she brought attention to it.

shoot the moon »    To achieve the lowest score possible, such that the player is usually rewarded with bonus points.

short of »    Except; without resorting to; up to the point of.

shoulder to cry on »    Someone offering emotional support to another in distress.

show one's true colors »    To reveal how one really is, as opposed to how one has been portrayed.

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 make visible; to expose.

showstopper »    A performance or segment of a theatrical production that induces a positive reaction strong enough to pause the production.

shroud »    A rope or cable serving to support the mast sideways.

sick joke »    A joke which is in poor taste, especially one which depicts as amusing a situation which the listener considers to be tragic or disgusting.

sigh of relief »    A reassurance or support, something that reduces stress from an arduous activity.

silver bullet »    A bullet made of silver, usually with reference to the folkloric belief that such bullets are the only weapons which can kill a werewolf.

silver spoon »    Wealth passed down or inherited.

sit back »    To recline while still in a seated position, with one's back on the frame of the seat.

sit out »    To escape a hold while face-down by swinging one's legs around into the sitting position.

sitting pretty »    In a favorable situation, especially a situation in which one possesses an advantage.

skate on thin ice »    In a risky, potentially dangerous or delicate situation.

sleep on it »    To postpone a decision until the following day to avoid making a hasty choice.

sleep with the fishes »    To be killed and have one's body disposed off in the sea or other body of water.

sleeping policeman »    A speed bump.

slippery as an eel »    So crafty, or cunning that they cannot be caught by the police, although it is known that they are acting illegally.

slippery as an eel »    So slippery that it is almost impossible to hold with one's hands.

slop bowl »    One of the four components of the traditional tea set. Tea drinkers emptied their unwanted, cold tea into the slop bowl before refilling their cups with fresh, hot tea.

small fry »    One or more persons or things of relatively little consequence, importance, or value.

small potatoes »    One or more persons or things of relatively little consequence, importance, or value.

smallpox blanket »    An apparently benevolent offering whose real intent is to disrupt, destabilize or weaken.

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.

smoking gun »    Evidence, particularly of a crime, that is difficult or impossible to dispute.

snake oil »    A fraudulent, ineffective potion or nostrum; panacea.

snake oil »    A type of 19th century patent medicine sold in the United States that claimed to contain snake fat, supposedly a Native American remedy for various ailments.

snap someone's head off »    To suddenly and sharply rebuke or insult a person, especially in response to a harmless remark.

sneck posset »    A cold reception, closing the door on a visitor.

sneck posset »    A fastened latch.

sniff test »    An informal reality check of an idea or proposal, using one's common sense or sense of propriety.

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 much for »    An expression of disregard, or resignation; something said upon giving up, quitting, or disposing of something.

so there »    A defiant expression used to finish a poorly-made argument.

social death »    The alienation of certain people from society to the point of being forgotten, excluded, or ignored in society.

socialized medicine »    A politically charged term used to contrast such systems with free market alternatives and emphasize the perceived link to socialism.

soft shoe »    A kind of tap dancing performed in soft-soled shoes, popular in vaudeville.

soft spot »    A fontanelle.

soft spot »    A point of vulnerability in a defence.

soft spot »    A sentimental fondness or affection.

some days you get the bear, other days the bear gets you »    One cannot always overcome a powerful adversary.

some people »    Expresses disgust at the actions of a person; a response to a person doing something silly, bizarre, nonsensical or ill-mannered.

somewhere along the line »    At some unspecified time; eventually or once; at some point.

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.

spare the rod and spoil the child »    If one does not discipline a child, he or she will never learn obedience and good manners.

spectator sport »    A sporting activity which has a relatively high ratio of watchers to direct participants.

spectator sport »    An activity which consists of watching or observing.

spectator sport »    Something, especially a process or activity, which is a popular object of observation; an activity which a person prefers to watch rather than to participate in.

spell out »    From its component letters.

spit-and-polish »    Paying much attention to outward appearance.

spoil the ship for a hap'orth of tar »    To have something important fail for want of a small amount of money or effort.

spot check »    A cursory inspection or examination or the inspection or examination of a sample of something.

spot on »    Exact or correct.

spring in one's step »    Enthusiasm, energy or a positive outlook or cheerful attitude.

square off »    To get in the fighting position.

square up »    To get in the fighting position.

squaring the circle »    A hopeless or impossible task.

squint like a bag of nails »    To squint very much, as though one's eyes were directed as many ways as the points of a bag of nails.

stage of the game »    A point in the progress of an ongoing dispute or process.

stand for »    To advocate, to support.

stand in »    temporary substitute

stand in someone's shoes »    To see from another's point of view; to feel what another feels.

stand off »    To prevent any would-be attacker from coming close by adopting an offensive posture.

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 up »    To rise from a lying or sitting position.

stand up »    To bring something up and set it into a standing position.

standard fare »    The usual price for travel by air, rail, or another means of transport.

step up to the plate »    To initiate action; to assume a responsibility.

stick in the mud »    A person unwilling to participate in activities, often because he or she believes the activity is not wholly kosher; a party pooper.

stick one's neck out »    To take a risk, putting oneself in a vulnerable position.

stick up »    To rob at gunpoint.

sticker shock »    Disgust, shock, or fright upon learning the price of an item offered for sale.

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 »    A disputed issue or state of affairs that causes an interruption or outright impasse in progress towards some goal or resolution, especially in negotiation or argumentation.

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.

stop press »    The event or news article important enough to delay or interrupt the print, or require a reprint, of a publication, particularly of a newspaper edition.

stop the presses »    An imperative form used to introduce especially new, important, surprising, or recent developments.

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.

strange bedfellows »    An unusual combination or political alliance.

straw poll »    A survey of opinion which is unofficial, casual, or ad hoc.

stretch the truth »    To exaggerate, often to the point where the truth is obscured or lost.

strike while the iron is hot »    To act on an opportunity promptly; to avoid waiting.

stuffed shirt »    One who is overly official or officious; somebody in charge but not necessarily in power or effective.

stumble upon »    To discover or find something by accident.

stumble upon »    To meet somebody by chance.

success has many fathers, failure is an orphan »    Many will seek credit for success, few will accept responsibility for failure.

suck donkey balls »    To be terrible, of extremely poor quality.

supposed to »    Permitted.

supposed to »    Required.

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.

sweeten the pot »    To increase a wager.

sweeten the pot »    To make something more desirable.

swing for the fences »    To swing at the ball as hard as possible, with the aim of getting a home run, increasing the chance of missing the ball.

switch off »    To turn a switch to the "off" position in order to stop or disable a device.

switch on »    To turn a switch to the "on" position in order to start or enable a device.

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..

take a back seat »    To be second to someone or something; to be less important or have a lower priority.

take a bullet »    To purposely receive a gunshot that was intended for another.

take a powder »    To leave in a hurry; run away; scram; depart without taking leave or notifying anyone, often with a connotation of avoiding something unpleasant or shirking responsibility.

take a stand »    To assert an opinion or viewpoint; to defend one's point of view or beliefs.

take apart »    To dismantle something into it's component pieces.

take back »    To regain possession of something.

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 down »    To remove something from a hanging position.

take down »    To remove a temporary structure such as scaffolding.

take in »    To receive into your home for the purpose of processing for a fee.

take off »    To absent oneself from work or other responsibility, especially with permission.

take on »    To assume responsibility for.

take one's eye off the ball »    To lose one's concentration on what is most important.

take over »    To adopt a further responsibility or duty.

take over »    To relieve someone temporarily.

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 someone's point »    To grasp the essential meaning of what a person is saying.

take the Michael »    Alternative form of take the mickey, usually considered more polite.

take things as they come »    To accept and deal with events as they occur, with a composed state of mind.

take up with »    To be contented to receive; to receive without opposition; to put up with.

take upon »    To take charge of an item of business, or an obligation, as a personal initiative.

taking upon oneself »    venturing

talk a blue streak »    To talk for a long time, at great length, or to the point of tedium.

talk dirty »    To use profane language, especially sexual vulgarities for the purpose of arousal.

talk is cheap »    It is easy to make boastful or unrealistic statements which are not supported by actions or evidence.

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.

tall in the saddle »    Imposing, impressive; resolute; manly.

tartufo »    Hypocrite; tartuffe.

tear up the pea patch »    To put on a notable performance, especially in sports; to go on a rampage.

tell you the truth »    Used to positively assert the frank honesty of an associated statement of set of statements; equivalent to "to you tell the truth".

tempest in a teapot »    A major fuss over a trivial matter.

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.

ten foot pole »    See not touch something with a ten foot pole.

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 early bird gets the worm »    Whoever arrives first has the best chance of success; some opportunities are only available to the first competitors.

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 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 name of the game »    The overall purpose; the principal goal, or objective.

the pen is mightier than the sword »    More influence and power can be usurped by writing than by fighting.

the rabbit died »    A statement spoken to indicate one's own pregnancy, or that someone has found out they are pregnant.

the sky is the limit »    Nothing is impossible or out of reach

the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak »    (proverbs) For much as one wishes to achieve something, the frailties of the human body often make it impossible.

the thing of it »    The important point to consider.

the world is one's oyster »    All opportunities are open to someone, the world is theirs.

the world is one's oyster »    In order to achieve something in this world, one has to grab the opportunity.

then again »    From another point of view; on the other hand; on second thought.

there are plenty more fish in the sea »    There are many more potential opportunities available.

there are plenty of fish in the sea »    There are many more potential opportunities available.

there's no point crying over spilt milk »    You should not be upset over something that cannot be undone.

think about »    To ponder.

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.

third wheel »    A person or thing that serves no useful purpose.

those who will not when they may, when they will they shall have nay »    (archaic) One should take immediate advantage of an opportunity that may not be available later.

throw a sickie »    To take a day off from work, supposedly because of ill health. The illness could be either real or feigned.

throw away »    To discard or dispose of something.

throw cold water on »    To belittle or dismiss; to cast doubt upon; to debunk.

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 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 the book at »    To apply the harshest possible punishment to.

thumb one's nose »    To place a thumb upon the tip of the nose, usually while simultaneous wiggling one's fingers, in a gesture of disrespect.

thumbs up »    A gesture signifying approval or okay; a thumb pointing up out of a fist.

tide over »    To support or sustain someone, especially financially, for a limited period.

tie someone's hands »    To render one powerless to act, to thwart someone.

tight spot »    A difficult position.

timeserver »    A person who conforms to current opinions, especially for reasons of personal advantage; an opportunist.

tip of the iceberg »    Only the beginning; just a small indication of a larger possibility; a problem is much bigger than it seems.

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

to be the cat's whiskers »    To perform better than was generally supposed possible.

to the gills »    Entirely or extremely; to the greatest degree possible.

to the max »    To the maximum possible degree or extent.

to the point »    Relevant or pertinent; succinct; specific.

to the victor go the spoils »    The winner of a conflict wins additional benefits, beyond just the subject of the conflict.

today we are all »    August 12, 2008:, Robert Barnes, "McCain to Georgian President: "Today, We Are All Georgians"", Washington Post.

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

too hot to hold »    A place that has too much police activity to harbor a fugitive unnoticed.

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 off »    To fill completely; to fill or refill the final portion of something not empty.

top shelf »    Books, magazines, or movies that have adult content, or soft-core porn.

totus porcus »    Completely; unreservedly: swallowed the official version totus porcus.

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 cloth »    To be on the point of soiling oneself.

touch with a barge pole »    Get romantically involved with.

touch%C3%A9 »    An acknowledgement of the success, appropriateness or superiority of an argument, sometimes used sarcastically to mock one's opponent's absurd logic.

touch%C3%A9 »    Used in a conversation or debate to concede a point as true, often in response to a successful counter of one's own logic.

tourner autour du pot »    To beat around the bush.

track record »    An organization's, product's, or person's past performance reviewed in its entirety, usually for the purpose of making a judgment.

trash out »    To criticize the person spoken to in a rant.

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.

trigger-happy »    Having a tendency or desire to shoot a firearm irresponsibly before adequately identifying the target.

truth be told »    Used when admitting something one might otherwise lie about, e.g. to keep up appearances or be polite.

turn against »    To rebel or oppose something formerly supported.

turn against »    To rotate against or in opposition to something.

turn down »    To reposition by turning, flipping, etc. in a downward direction.

turn off »    To power down; to stop a device by switching it off.

turn on »    To power up; to start a device by switching it on.

turn on »    To rebel; to go against something formerly supported.

turn the corner »    To pass a critical point.

turn up »    To reposition by rotating, flipping, etc. upwards.

under a spell »    Bewitched, held by the power of a magical spell.

under fire »    Criticized or held responsible for something.

under one's wing »    Under one's protection, sponsorship, or tutelage.

under sail »    With sails unfurled; powered by the wind.

under the table »    Secretly or without reporting, especially of payments made or business transacted.

university of life »    The real world as a source of instruction, as opposed to a formal education.

unring a bell »    To perform the impossible.

up against »    Facing; challenging, or opposing.

up the ante »    To raise the stakes of a hand of poker.

up to eleven »    Beyond the maximum possible threshold.

ups and downs »    Periods of positive and negative events, moods, or interactions; highs and lows.

upset the applecart »    To spoil carefully laid plans or arrangements; to spoil something.

vice squad »    police department

victory at sea »    Ocean conditions very windblown and messy, possibly to the point of being inimical to surfing and other water sports.

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.

vote with one's feet »    To show a lack of support for something by departing or otherwise absenting oneself.

vote with one's feet »    To show support for something by going to or otherwise being present somewhere.

wail on »    To strike an opponent heavily and repeatedly in a fight.

walk out on »    To abandon or desert someone, especially a spouse.

walk the line »    To maintain an intermediate position between contrasting choices, opinions, etc..

walk the plank »    To be forced to resign from a position in an organization.

walk the talk »    To do what one said one could do, or would do, not just making empty promises. To walk one's talk is to be innocent of hypocrisy.

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.

waste breath »    To speak in a manner which is needless or futile; in discussion or argument to make points which are not appreciated or heeded.

wear down »    To have one's long hair styled in a free, low-hanging, unencumbered style; i.e., not in an up-do or ponytail.

wear off »    To disappear because of being abraded, over-polished, or abused.

wear out »    To deteriorate or become unusable or ineffective due to continued use, exposure, or strain.

wear rose-colored glasses »    To see the positive in things while being oblivious to the negative.

weekend warrior »    A person who indulges in a sport or pastime on an infrequent basis, usually on weekends when work commitments are not present.

well ain't that the catfish in the trap »    A sentence commonly spoken in the Southern United States. It can often be used in place of "well, I'll be damned". Used to express surprise.

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 you see is what you get »    The image corresponds to the reality.

what's the good of »    What is the purpose or advantage of.

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 it rains, it pours »    If a person encounters bad luck, more bad luck will follow.

whistle Dixie »    To engage in a pointless or unproductive activity; to do something without resolve, seriousness or commitment.

whistle past the graveyard »    To enter a situation with little or no understanding of the possible consequences.

whistle-blower »    One who reports a problem or violation to the authorities; especially, an employee or former employee who reports a violation by an employer.

whistle-stop train tour »    A tour in a political campaign that makes many brief stops in small communities.

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 trash »    A poorly educated white person with low moral and social standards and low social status.

win over »    To persuade someone, gain someone's support, or make someone understand the truth or validity of something.

within an ace of »    Very near; on the point of.

without fail »    Certainly; by all means; as a matter of importance.

wits' end »    Limit of one's sanity or mental capacity; point of desperation.

wooden spoon »    A spoon made from wood.

wooden spoon »    An ironic prize for finishing last in a competition.

wooden-top »    Uniformed police officers.

work one's arse off »    Work excessively or to the point of exhaustion.

work one's tail off »    Work excessively or to the point of exhaustion.

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.

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.

worth the risk »    The benefit of the success is more valuable than the problems caused by the potential loss.

wrap in the flag »    To claim one's cause deserves support for patriotic reasons or that one's own motives are patriotic.

wrestling with a pig »    To engage in a pointless task that leaves one worse off for having made an honest attempt.

write one's own ticket »    To be empowered to choose whatever job, financial arrangement, or course of action one desires.

write up »    To write about positively.

wrong side of the tracks »    . May refer to area where the working class, poor or extremely poor live.

you bet »    Expresses support, agreement, certainty or emphasis.

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 hang your hat on that »    It's something to put faith in, to rely upon or trust (when used in a positive connotation).

you can't always get what you want »    It is not always possible to get what is wanted.

you can't fight city hall »    (chiefly US) Nothing can be done to change the situation, because it is a governmental decision.I see they're going to build the airport after all. I suppose you can't fight city hall.

you can't get a quart into a pint pot »    What is being discussed is not possible.They've asked me to get to New York by five o'clock, but you can't get a quart into a pint pot!

you can't judge a book by its cover »    It is not possible to make reliable judgments about things or people by considering external appearances alone.

you can't make a silk purse of a sow's ear »    It is not possible to produce something refined, admirable, or valuable from something which is unrefined, unpleasant, or of little or no value.

you can't polish a turd »    (vulgar) Something inherently bad cannot be improved.

you can't take it with you »    It is not possible to take one's material wealth to whatever world may await one after death.1900, E. Phillips Oppenheim, A Millionaire of Yesterday, ch. 6:"The clause which

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 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 only get what you give »    There is a positive correlation between the effort one puts in and the benefits one receives.

you're never too old to learn »    It is possible to learn new things, at any age; (implying) follow your desires and dreams

your mileage may vary »    To express a possible difference in taste, "this is just my opinion, your opinion may be different".

yours sincerely »    A polite formula to end a letter, especially when the recipient’s name is known to the sender.

zoom in »    So as to make it larger and possibly more detailed.

zoom out »    So as to make it smaller and possibly less detailed.

BTW, Why won't you become an editor?