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.
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ahead of the game »
Having completed a task before it is due; ready, prepared, or anticipating.
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all set »
Ready; prepared.
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at the ready »
Ready; in a state of preparation or waiting; in position or anticipation.
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back up »
For the non-striker to take a few steps down the pitch, in preparation to taking a run, just as the bowler bowls the ball.
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batten down the hatches »
Prepare for trouble.
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calling card »
A prepaid card or credit card, usually electronically readable, used to pay the charges when making a telephone call.
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caught with one's pants down »
Caught off guard, unprepared, or in an embarrassing situation.
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circle the wagons »
To prepare to defend against an attack.
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clear the decks »
To prepare for action.
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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.
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cook up »
To prepare a heroin dose by heating.
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cook up »
To prepare a meal.
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cover one's ass »
To make preparations or take precautions to ensure that one is not blamed or punished for one's conduct.
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cover one's bases »
To be thorough; to prepare thoroughly or completely.
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cut in »
When painting, to paint edges, corners, or trim in preparation for rolling larger areas.
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draw a bath »
To fill a bathtub with water in preparation for taking a bath.
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drop the gloves »
To remove a prior impediment to action; to prepare for or engage in a dispute.
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fire drill »
An organised practice to prepare occupants of an office, school or other public building for evacuation in the event of a fire.
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flat-footed »
Unprepared to act.
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forewarned is forearmed »
Advance awareness of a situation, especially a risky one, prepares one to deal with it.1863, Charles Reade, Hard Cash, ch. 4:[W]hatever a young gentleman of that age says to you, he says to many other ladies; but your experience is not equal to your sense; so profit by mine . . . forewarned is forearmed.1885, G. A. Henty, Saint George for England, ch. 4:Sometimes, they say, it is wiser to remain in ignorance; at other times forewarned is forearmed.circa 1903, Lucy Maud Montgomery, "Why Mr. Cropper Changed His Mind":"Well, Miss Maxwell, I think it only fair to tell you that you may have trouble with those boys when they do come. Forewarned is forearmed, you know."
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from scratch »
From the beginning; starting with no advantage or prior preparation; starting from raw ingredients.
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full-fledged »
Having full qualification, credentials or preparation; entire; real.
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game face »
The expression of one who is prepared for or is facing a lot of difficult and/or undesirable work, especially when it is imminent.
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gear up »
To prepare for an activity.
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get ready »
prepare oneself
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gird up one's loins »
To prepare oneself for something demanding.
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good to go »
Ready for some specific task or ready for normal activity, especially after preparation or recovery.
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have it your way »
Do something the way you want to, but be prepared for the consequences.
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house cooling party »
A party to celebrate when a person decides to leave a house or flat, and sometimes to help prepare the space for the incoming residents.
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hunker down »
To take shelter; to prepare oneself for some eventuality; to focus on a task.
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in order »
Ready, prepared; orderly; tidy.
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legwork »
Work, especially research or preparation, that involves significant walking, travel, or similar effort.
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lie in wait »
prepare an ambush
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loaded for bear »
Mentally prepared for a daunting situation or confrontation.
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man up »
His station, prepared for departure of an aircraft, ship, etc.
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measure twice and cut once »
(literally, carpentry) One should double-check one's measurements for accuracy before cutting a piece of wood; otherwise it may be necessary to cut again, wasting time and material.1872, "Dressmaking," Hall's Journal of Health, vol. 19, no. 12, p. 280:Look at Carpenters! . . . In old times it was a proverb "Measure twice, and cut once."(figuratively, by extension) Plan and prepare in a careful, thorough manner before taking action.2008, Hilary Johnson, "Mergers rattle bank relations," Financial Week, 9 Nov. (retrieved 9 Nov. 2008):Mr. Paz noted that since the onset of the credit crisis, eBay, like other companies, hasn
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off-the-cuff »
Extemporaneous; without prior preparation; impromptu.
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on the defensive »
Prepared to defend or protect against criticism, attack or aggression.
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on the spot »
Having to answer or decide without warning or preparation.
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out of one's depth »
To be in a situation which one is poorly prepared or unprepared to handle.
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out of one's league »
In a situation in which one is mismatched with one or more others, whose accomplishments, preparedness, or other characteristics are on a significantly higher or lower level than one's own.
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out of the blue »
Unexpectedly; without warning or preparation.
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pack up »
To prepare for shipping, as a gift.
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plan on »
To expect; to prepare future actions based on.
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preprogram »
To predispose to certain thoughts or behaviours.
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preprogram »
To program something in advance.
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put up one's dukes »
Prepare to fight; literally, to raise your fists.
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roll up one's sleeves »
To prepare to work.
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run a bath »
To fill a bathtub with water in preparation for taking a bath.
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rustle up »
To quickly prepare something.
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sell ice to Eskimos »
To persuade people to go against their best interests or to accept something unnecessary or preposterous.
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set the stage »
To prepare; to establish the basis or required conditions.
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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.
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tack up »
To prepare a horse for riding by equipping it with tack.
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take a number »
Recognize that many others are in the same situation; recognize that one's concerns are not of high priority; be prepared to wait.
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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
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throw in at the deep end »
To introduce a person to a new situation without adequately preparing him or her.
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tune up »
To make preparations for vigorous exercise; to warm up.
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up in arms »
Angry; preparing for a fight.
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warm up »
To prepare for executing an already-learned activity by a limited amount of additional practice.
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wash up »
To clean the utensils, dishes etc. used in preparing and eating a meal.
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wing it »
To improvise; to make things up or figure things out as one goes; or to perform with little or no preparation.
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