We've found 1919 phrases for ra (0.116 seconds):

a bad workman always blames his tools »    It is not the tools we use which make us good, but rather how we employ them.

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 closed mouth gathers no feet »    One who does not speak can be certain he won't say anything embarrassing.

a drop in the bucket »    An effort or action having very little overall influence, especially as compared to a huge problem.

a gentleman and a scholar »    An admirable person.

a good man is hard to find »    Men who make good husbands or workers are rare.

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 life of its own »    An independent existence with some characteristics of life.

a man is known by the company he keeps »    People are similar in character to their friends.

a new broom sweeps clean »    New management will often make radical changes.

a number of »    Several of.

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 riddle wrapped up in an enigma »    Something very mysterious and hidden.

a scholar and a gentleman »    An admirable person.

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 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.

absence makes the heart grow fonder »    When someone or something is faraway, you realise how much you love (or miss) them or it.

abstract nonsense »    Details which involve diagram chasing.

according to »    Our zeal should be according to knowledge. - Thomas Sprat.

acid test »    A rigorous test or appraisal of the quality or worth of something.

across the board »    A racing bet where one bets that the same competitor will place in first, second and third.

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

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

admiral of the blue »    A landlord or publican wearing a blue apron, as was formerly the custom among men of that vocation.

against the grain »    Contrary to what is expected; especially, of behavior different from what society expects.

against the grain »    To sand or plane a piece of wood parallel or nearly parallel to the fibers such that splinters forming ahead of the tool originate below the cutting surface.

against the grain »    Unwillingly, reluctantly. It went much against the grain with him, i.e. it was much against his inclination, or against his pluck.

age before beauty »    A phrase said to allow older people to go before younger ones.

agree to disagree »    To tolerate each other's opinion and stop arguing; to acknowledge that an agreement will not be reached.

ahead of one's time »    Showing characteristics of changes yet to be; present in one's work before later advances in the field; coming earlier than could be generally accepted.

air rage »    Disruptive behaviour on an aircraft.

albatross »    Any of various large seabirds of the family Diomedeidae ranging widely in the Southern Ocean and the North Pacific and having a hooked beak and long narrow wings.

all cats are gray at night »    Variant of all cats are grey in the dark.

all cats are gray in the dark »    Variant of all cats are grey in the dark.

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

all fur coat and no knickers »    Of superficial appearance and with no real substance beneath.

all in all »    Generally; for the most part; mostly.

all it's cracked up to be »    As good as claims or reputation would suggest.

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 of the sudden »    Suddenly, rapidly.

all over the board »    Showing a wide range of values with no particular pattern.

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

all the time »    Always; constantly; for the complete duration.

all the way to Egery and back »    The long way; a roundabout route; a long distance to travel.

all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy »    Too much focus on one's career is often viewed unfavorably.Too much hard work and not enough leisure time can be unhealthy.

almighty dollar »    The dollar, satirically characterized as a being a god.

along the lines »    In a general direction or manner.

also ran »    unplaced horse

an apple a day »    Healthy eating and living using traditional temperate-zone fresh foods.

an offer one can't refuse »    An offer from one side in any transaction with terms so attractive that the other side is almost guaranteed to accept.

an offer one can't refuse »    An offer from one side in any transaction with the results of failing to accept so unattractive that the other side is almost guaranteed to accept.

and how »    Used to strongly confirm preceding utterance.

and then some »    Used to confirm preceding utterance, while implying that what was said or asked is an understatement.

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

answer for »    To guarantee.

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

apples and oranges »    Said of a comparison of items that are not comparable.

April showers bring May flowers »    April, traditionally a rainy period, gives way to May, when flowers will bloom because of the water provided to them by the April rains.By extension, that a period of discomfort can provide the basis for a period of happiness.

arm candy »    An attractive, seemingly romantic companion who accompanies a person in public simply so that one or both of the individuals can gain attention, enhance social status, or create an impression of sexual appeal.

around the bend »    Crazy, insane.

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

as a rule »    In general; most often.

as is »    In its present state or condition, especially as a contractual condition of sale.

as the crow flies »    In a straight line distance between two locations, as opposed to the road distance or over land distance.

ass over teakettle »    Frantically.

assault and battery »    . This legal distinction exists only in jurisdictions that distinguish assault as threatened violence rather than actual violence.

at all »    Indicating degree, quantity or frequency greater than zero; to the slightest degree, in any way, somewhat, rather.

at best »    In the most favorable of conditions; at the most.

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

at large »    In general; as a whole.

at risk »    vulnerable

at the end of one's tether »    At the limit of one’s patience; frustrated or annoyed..

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

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

autem mort »    A married woman; also a female beggar with several children hired or borrowed to excite charity.

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

babe magnet »    A person, especially a man, to whom women are attracted.

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

back out »    To withdraw from something one has promised to do.

back to the drawing board »    Back to the beginning following an unsuccessful attempt.

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.

back water »    A very remote, rural area.

bad egg »    disreputable character

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.

bad taste in one's mouth »    A feeling something is morally despicable as to cause nausea.

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

bag of rations »    A fussy or overly zealous military superior.

baggage »    Luggage; traveling equipment.

bail out »    To exit an aircraft while in flight.

balance out »    To counteract one another so as to be balanced.

balum rancum »    A hop or dance, where the women are all prostitutes. N. B. The company dance in their birthday suits.

bang straw »    A nick name for a thresher, but applied to all the servants of a farmer.

bang up job »    Something done very well; something performed above average or better than expected.

bank night »    An event where patrons are enticed to buy entry tickets into some venue, for example a movie theater, with the anticipation that they will be entered into a drawing to win an amount of money if their ticket is drawn and they are on-site at the time of the winning.

banyan day »    In British naval tradition, this originally referred to a day of the week when galley kitchens served no meat on board ship.

baptism by fire »    A change in initial attitude or ideals through a traumatic situation.

barnburner »    Liberal faction of the New York state United States Democratic Party in the mid 19th century.

barrel of laughs »    That which is immature, embarrassing, or disgraceful.

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.

bawdy basket »    The twenty-third rank of canters, who carry pins, tape, ballads, and obscene books to sell, but live mostly by stealing.

be in for »    To be able to expect or anticipate; to be about to suffer, generally said of something unpleasant.

be there or be square »    Used to encourage someone to go somewhere.

bear out »    To corroborate, prove, or confirm; to demonstrate; to provide evidence for.

beat someone's brains out »    To beat someone very severely.

beat the crap out of »    To beat really badly.

beat up »    To cause by some other means, injuries comparable to the result of being beaten up.

beauty is only skin deep »    What matters is a person's character, rather than his/her appearance.

beauty sleep »    C. 1900, Ralph Connor, The Man From Glengarry, ch. 23.

beauty sleep »    Extra sleep or a special nap.

beddable »    Sexually attractive.

beddable »    [...] feminine, great body great legs great taste, trained and beddable, Jesus, how beddable.

beefed out »    Having been improved greatly or upgraded; beefed up.

beefed out »    Muscular, often in an exaggerated way.

beer and skittles »    Something pleasurable.

beer goggles »    The illusion that people are more attractive, brought on by alcohol consumption.

beg off »    To avoid, or cancel some event that one has previously arranged with someone.

behind its time »    Showing characteristics of the past; present in one's work after later advances in the field; coming later than could be generally accepted.

bells and whistles »    Extra features added for show rather than function; fancy additions or features.

below par »    Not up to the average or normal standard.

below the belt »    Unfair; dirty; not according to the generally accepted rules.

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 one's elbow »    To drink alcoholic beverages, especially at a public house or bar.

bend over backwards »    To make a great effort; to take extraordinary care; to go to great lengths.

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.

best of both worlds »    A combination of two seemingly contradictory benefits.

better safe than sorry »    It is preferable to be cautious in one's choices and actions than to suffer afterwards.

better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all »    Having experience of love, even if it ended, is better than having no experience of love.Love is worthwhile despite the pain involved in separation.

beyond one's pay grade »    Beyond one's capability.

beyond one's pay grade »    Beyond one's level of authority.

beyond the pale »    Describing behaviour that is considered to be outside the bounds of morality, good behaviour or judgement in civilised company.

big boys »    Plural form of big boy.

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

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 kahuna »    A boss, leader, chieftain, or top-ranking person in an organization.

big mouth »    The mouth of someone who talks too much, especially by making exaggerated claims or by inappropriately revealing information.

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.

bird of one's own brain »    One's own idea or conception.

birds and bees »    Informal sex education, especially describing the sexual activity of animals rather than that of people.

birds of a feather »    People having similar characters, backgrounds, interests, or beliefs.

birds of a feather flock together »    People of similar character, background, or taste tend to congregate or associate with one another.

birds of the feather flock together »    People who are alike physically tend to congregate and socialize together, despite government efforts at forced integration.

bite me »    An expression of discontent or aggravation to another party.

bite someone's head off »    To severely berate someone.

bits and bobs »    A random assortment of things; small remaining pieces and things.

black »    Illegitimate, illegal or disgraced.

black-on-black »    A reference to interactions between black people .

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

blanket term »    A word or phrase that is used to describe multiple groups of related things. The degree of relation may vary. Blanket terms often trade specificity for ease-of-use; in other words, a blanket term by itself gives little detail about the things that it describes or the relationships between them, but is easy to say and remember. Blanket terms often originate as slang, and eventually become integrated into the general vocabulary.

blaze a trail »    To set precedent or do something novel; to break new ground.

blaze a trail »    To show the way or proceed rapidly.

blot out »    To make something undecipherable; to obliterate.

blow a fuse »    To lose one's temper; to become enraged.

blow chunks »    To be very bad, inadequate, unpleasant, or miserable; to thoroughly suck.

blow off steam »    To rant or shout in order to relieve stress; to vent.

blow over »    To pass naturally; to go away; to settle or calm down.

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.

blue moon »    The third full moon in a quarter that contains four rather than the usual three full moons.

blue state »    A state of the United States voting Democratic in a given election, or tending to vote Democratic in general.

boil down »    As an allusion to the cooking technique of reducing liquids by heat, one boils down a problem, argument, etc. to its most central elements.

bone dry »    Completely dry; without any trace of moisture.

bone up »    To study or cram, especially in order to refresh one's knowledge of a topic.

boot camp »    A short, intensive, quasi-military program generally aimed at young offenders as an alternative to a jail term.

boot camp »    Any short, intensive course of training.

boot camp »    Indoctrination, physical fitness training and basic instruction in service-related subjects for recruits in the Navy and Marine Corps.

boot up »    To start a computer using its bootstrap procedure.

booze can »    A nightclub or bar, especially one which operates illegally or is otherwise disreputable.

born on the Fourth of July »    Demonstratively patriotic.

bottle out »    To fail to perform a promised or planned action due to lack of courage.

bouncing off the walls »    Moving hyperactively.

box-office bomb »    A motion picture that generates relatively low revenue at the box office, especially that which is less than the budget for the motion picture.

boys will be boys »    It is hard, often fruitless, to attempt to curb the natural playfulness and tendency to mischief of most growing boys.1922, James Joyce, Ulysses Chapter 13But just then there was a slight altercation between Master Tommy and Master Jacky. Boys will be boys and our two twins were no exception to this golden rule.Even grown men usually remain somewhat boyish in heart"Boys will be boys", grinned grandpa while he joined his adult son playing with the fancy train-set he gave his grandson for Christmas while the kid was in school.

brace of shakes »    A very short time.

brace of shakes »    The time taken for a sail to shake or shiver twice as a ship comes into the wind.

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

brain fart »    A lapse in the thought process; an inability to think or remember something clearly.

brain fart »    Something ill-considered and said or done impulsively.

brain surgeon »    Someone very intelligent.

brain surgeon »    Someone who does brain surgery.

brain surgery »    Something that is overly complex, detailed or confusing.

brain surgery »    Surgery on any part of the nervous system, especially the brain; neurosurgery.

brain teaser »    puzzle

brain-dead »    Having an irreversible loss of brain function and cessation of brain activity.

brain-dead »    Having no useful thoughts; stupid; ditzy.

branch out »    To expand in the manner of branches.

branch out »    To attempt something new or different, but related.

brass farthing »    Something worthless or of small value.

brass monkey »    A cocktail of vodka, rum and orange juice, sometimes with the addition of galliano.

brass monkey »    A kind of inexpensive liqueur.

brass monkey »    An Australian beer.

brass monkey »    Said of the weather when it is very cold.

brass monkeys »    Very cold.

brass neck »    A person with gall.

brass neck »    Gall, shamelessness, cheek.

brass ring »    Figuratively, a prize or goal. Often used with respect to employment goals e.g. promotion, better job, etc.

brass-neck »    To behave boldly or shamelessly.

brass-necked »    Nervy; cheeky; shameless.

bread and butter »    That which is central or fundamental, as to one's business, survival, or income; a staple or cornerstone.

break a leg »    To perform well in a theatrical production or comparable endeavor.

break a sweat »    January 2008, The Age - Walkovers blaze a trail for women's equal-pay theory.

break in »    New function more naturally through use or wear.

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

break out »    To separate from a bundle.

break rank »    To march or charge out of the designated order in a military unit.

break up »    To break or separate into pieces; to disintegrate or come apart.

break up »    To break or separate into pieces.

break up »    To stop a fight; to separate people who are fighting.

break wind »    To flatulate; fart; to expel gases generated during digestion through the anus.

bridge »    A construction or natural feature that spans a divide.

bridge »    A device which connects two or more computer buses, typically in a transparent manner.

bridge »    A prosthesis replacing one or several adjacent teeth.

bridge »    An edge which, if removed, changes a connected graph to one that is not connected.

bridge »    Any of several electrical devices that measure characteristics such as impedance and inductance by balancing different parts of a circuit.

bright line »    A clear distinction in the context of a legal or moral judgment.

bring forth »    To create, generate, bring into existence.

bring forward »    To call up for consideration.

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

bring up »    To raise children.

brown bread »    Bread with a brown colour as distinct from white bread, wholemeal, granary or other specific types of bread.

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

buck up »    Cheer up; take courage; take heart.

bucket down »    To rain heavily.

bucket of bolts »    A piece of machinery that is not worth more than its scrap value, often of old cars.

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

build a better mousetrap »    To invent the next great thing; to have a better idea.

bulletproof »    Reliable, infallible, sturdy or error-tolerant.

bum rap »    A false accusation, or an injustice, especially one that leads to imprisonment.

bum rap »    An undeservedly unfavorable portrayal or reputation.

bump and grind »    A combination of movements resembling such a dance, as in road racing, whitewater kayaking, or exercising; any activity involving prolonged jarring or shaking.

bump and grind »    A sexually suggestive dance involving exaggerated hip movements, especially a striptease dance.

bump up »    To promote a person to a higher grade.

bunny hop »    A dance from the big band era, a variation of the conga.

buoy up »    To uplift, hearten, inspire or raise the spirits.

burn rubber »    To accelerate so rapidly from standstill that it leaves a mark of burnt rubber on the road from the tire.

burst someone's bubble »    To disillusion; to disabuse someone of a false notion or rationalization that has grown comfortable.

bush league »    A low-ranking or inferior level among groups, professions, organizations, etc.

bush telegraph »    A gossip network.

bush telegraph »    A system used by undeveloped societies in remote regions for communication over long distances, such as drum sounds, word-of-mouth relay, or smoke signals.

business before pleasure »    An admonishment that discharging one's obligations must take precedence over devoting time to pursuits meant solely for one's own gratification.

business end »    The part of a tool or other similar item, that is physically used for its operation, rather than the part which is held.

bust chops »    To nag; to berate or hound in an effort to elicit action.

buy straw hats in winter »    Of stocks, to buy when both demand and price is low, sell when demand and price is high.

buzz up »    To allow entrance into a building from a higher floor by triggering an electronic lock.

by and large »    Mostly, generally; with few exceptions.

by far »    To a considerably large extent, easily.

by leaps and bounds »    Rapidly. Said of making progress.

by the Grace of God »    By divine right.

by the Grace of God »    Used as part of the titles of royalty.

by the way »    Incidentally; a parenthetical statement not timely, central, or crucial to the topic at hand; foregone, passed by, something that has already happened.

by trade »    As a profession; professionally.

call in »    To withdraw something from sale or circulation.

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

calling card »    A small printed card which identifies the bearer, traditionally presented for introduction when making a social visit to a home or when attending a formal social event or business meeting.

calling card »    An attribute, object, or behavior which is distinctly characteristic of someone or something.

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

camel's nose »    A metaphor for a situation where the permitting of some small act will lead consequently to a larger undesirable act or circumstance.

can of worms »    A complex, troublesome situation arising when a decision or action produces considerable subsequent problems.

can't wait »    To eagerly anticipate; to find it unbearable to wait for a forthcoming pleasurable event.

cancel out »    To neutralize the effect of something.

cap over the windmill »    In a crazed manner.

captain of industry »    A prominent business person who owns or is the highest-ranking executive of one or more major firms, especially one who has considerable wealth and influence.

carpe diem cras »    seize the day tomorrow, make the most of tomorrow

carry a torch for »    [2] To harbor feelings of love despite not being in a relationship; generally unrequited or after a relationship has ended, and sometimes implying secret feelings. There is the implication of keeping hope alive.

carry a tune »    To produce music, especially to sing, with accurate pitch.

carry off »    To transport away.

carry on »    To act or behave; especially to act or behave so as to attract attention.

carry on »    To take baggage or luggage onto an airplane, rather than check it.

case in point »    An example that illustrates a point.

cash cow »    A product, service, or enterprise that generates ongoing, high net free cash flows.

cat that ate the canary »    A person whose appearance and behavior suggest guilt mixed with other qualities, such as satisfaction or feigned nonchalance.

cat's cradle »    A children's string game.

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

catch dust »    To be rarely used.

catch-as-catch-can »    A. 1681, John Fryer, Richard Chiswell, Robert Roberts, Robert White, A New Account of East-India and Persia, in Eight Letters, Being Nine Years Travels, Begun 1672 and Finished 1681.

cattle call »    An audition which is open to the public and thus draws a large number of applicants, many of whom are inexperienced.

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 between the devil and the deep blue sea »    Having a choice between two alternatives, both undesirable.

caught with one's pants down »    Caught off guard, unprepared, or in an embarrassing situation.

cause a stir »    To cause controversy, or raise a disturbance.

center field »    A central role in some activity that requires speed.

center field »    The part of a baseball field which is beyond the infield and straight ahead left if you stand on home plate and face the pitcher.

champ at the bit »    To show impatience or frustration when delayed.

chance'd be a fine thing »    Given to indicate that an aforementioned thing would be desirable but unlikely. Comparable to if I should be so lucky.

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.

charity mugger »    A person employed by a charity, or by an intermediary fundraising agency employed by the charity, who stands in the street and invites passersby to set up standing orders or direct debits to make regular donations to the charity.

charley horse »    A muscle cramp, usually in the thigh or leg.

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

che sara sara »    Used to express a personal philosophy of fatalism1892 March 17, Cigarette,

che sera sera »    Used to express a personal philosophy of fatalism1604, Christopher Marlowe, Doctor Faustus:Why then belike we must sin, / And so consequently die. / Aye, we must die an everlasting death. / What doctrine call you this ? Che, sera, sera: / What will be*, shall be; Divinity adieu. / These Metaphysics of Magicians, / And necromantic books, are heavenly.

cheaper by the dozen »    Things are handled more efficiently as a group, rather than individually.

check out »    To withdraw an item, as from a library, and have the withdrawal recorded.

check out »    Used to draw attention to something and stimulate excitement about it.

cheek by jowl »    In close proximity; crammed uncomfortably close together.

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

cheese down »    To coil the tail of a rope on deck so as to present a neat appearance.

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 select only the best from a range of options.

cherry picking »    Selecting only the best from a group or other range of choices.

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 somebody out »    To berate; to shout at someone.

chew the fat »    To chat idly or generally waste time talking.

chew the scenery »    To display excessive emotion or to act in an exaggerated manner while performing; to be melodramatic; to be flamboyant.

chomp at the bit »    To show impatience or frustration when delayed.

chuck it down »    To rain heavily.

chump change »    An amount of remuneration, reward, or other monetary recompense considered to be insultingly small.

circle the wagons »    To draw a wagon train into a circle to allow the wagons to provide cover when under attack.

circular firing squad »    A political party or other group experiencing considerable disarray because the members are engaging in internal disputes and mutual recrimination.

claim to fame »    That for which one has bragging rights; one's reason for being well-known or famous.

clay »    A mineral substance made up of small crystals of silica and alumina, that is ductile when moist; the material of pre-fired ceramics.

clean house »    To reform by removing undesirable personnel and procedures.

clean up »    To become clean, handsome, smart in appearance, e.g. for a special occasion, especially when it is out of character to be seen as such.

clear cut »    Straightforward, obvious, simple, or basic.

climb the walls »    To behave in a distressed or frantic manner; to feel very agitated.

climb up »    To make a gradual ascent or increase.

climb up »    To gradually ascend something.

clogs to clogs in three generations »    (UK) Wealth earned in one generation seldom lasts through the third (grandchild

close down »    To stop trading as a business.

close off »    To seal or block the entrance to a road, an area, or a building so that people cannot enter.

clothes don't make the man »    An aphorism meaning that you cannot judge a person solely by his appearance. Usually pertains to men.

cloud nine »    A state of happiness, elation or bliss; often used in the phrase on cloud nine.

cold comfort »    Much less reassurance, consolation, aid, or pleasure than one needs or desires.

cold shoulder »    A deliberate act of disrespect; a slight or snub.

cold turkey »    The physiological effects of such a withdrawal.

cold turkey »    The sudden and complete withdrawal of a dependent substance, especially of a drug.

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 across »    To give an appearance or impression; to project a certain image.

come down with »    To contract or get; to show symptoms of a minor illness.

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

come in »    Of a broadcast, such as radio or television, to have a strong enough signal to be able to be received well.

come on »    An expression of encouragement.

come out in the wash »    Of problems or difficulties, to work out, resolve, or become understood eventually and naturally.

come the acid »    To exaggerate.

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

come unhinged »    To become angered or crazy; to lose control of one's senses or sanity.

come unstuck »    To get into trouble, to have an accident or mishap, to go off the rails.

common ground »    A characteristic or interest shared by multiple people or systems.

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.

consume mass quantities »    To eat or drink abundant amounts of food or beverage.

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

cook up »    To manufacture; to falsify; to devise an elaborate lie.

cool down »    To become cooler, to be reduced in temperature.

cool down »    To cause something temperature to lower.

corporation pop »    Water.

correlation does not imply causation »    (statistics) The observed correlation between two parameters, say, the growth of a market and the growth of a neighbor's child may, in fact, have nothing to do with each other's causation.

cotton to »    To like; approve of, accept, or tolerate.

coug it »    To suddenly lose a contest through reversal of fortune, mistakes, or bad judgment. The phrase is analogous to "blow it", or "snatch defeat from the jaws of victory".

count sheep »    To attempt to go to sleep by thinking of something boring, traditionally by counting imaginary sheep.

cover one's ass »    To make preparations or take precautions to ensure that one is not blamed or punished for one's conduct.

cozy up »    With "to", to ingratiate oneself .

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.

crack a crib »    To break into a house.

crack down »    To enforce more stringently or more thoroughly.

crack down on »    To enforce laws or punish more vigilantly.

crack of dawn »    The first moment of daylight; sunrise.

crack on »    Task.

crack up »    To laugh heartily.

crack up »    To cause to laugh heartily.

crack up »    To become insane; to suffer a mental breakdown.

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.

cramp someone's style »    To restrict someone's free actions, or to give the impression of such.

crane fly »    daddy longlegs

crank out »    To produce in large volumes mechanically or as if by machine.

crank up »    To start something mechanical, an act that often used to involve cranking.

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

crap out »    To break down.

crash and burn »    To fail utterly.

crash course »    A quick, intense course of learning, especially one which is informal or hurried.

crashpad »    Any place used for temporary lodging.

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

cream of the crop »    The best or most desirable among some selection.

crocodile tears »    Plural form of crocodile tear.

cross my heart »    A declaration that the speaker is telling the truth.

cross off »    To strike out; to cross out; to draw a line through.

cross out »    To strike out; to draw a line through.

cross paths »    To be, by chance, in the same physical place at the same time, as a result of two completely separate journeys.

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

crush out »    To force out or separate by pressure.

cry off »    To cancel something that one has previously arranged with someone.

cry wolf »    To raise a false alarm; to constantly warn others about an imagined threat, thereby failing to get assistance when a real threat appears.

crying shame »    A situation that is considered to be a disgrace, or deplorable.

curate's egg »    A thing which has good and bad parts.

cut a wide swath »    To behave in an expansive, flagrantly showy, or pushy manner, especially in public venues; to exert sweeping influence.

cut a wide swath »    To clear a broad track through a grassland, woodland, geographical region, or other area, either by natural means or by human action.

cut and dried »    Simple, straightforward, clear, or certain.

cut in »    When painting, to paint edges, corners, or trim in preparation for rolling larger areas.

cut it out »    To stop; refrain from; halt.

cut of one's jib »    Someone’s general appearance or the implications thereof, especially in relation to making an impression or one’s style..

cut red tape »    To reduce bureaucracy.

cutie pie »    A small hand-held radiation meter.

damn with faint praise »    To provide praise that is so minimal or inconsequential as to actually amount to criticism.

days »    Plural form of day.

dead »    Broken or inoperable.

dead »    Figuratively, not alive; lacking life.

dead air »    An unintended interruption in a radio broadcast during which there is no sound; a similar interruption of a television broadcast in which there is neither sound nor a video signal.

dead end »    A path or strategy that goes nowhere or is blocked on one end.

dead heat »    A close race or contest in which no winner is apparent.

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 wood »    Dead limbs and branches still attached to a living tree.

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.

deathblow »    A strike or blow that leads to death, especially a coup de grace.

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 water »    A difficult or embarrassing situation.

deep water »    Waters suitable for deep-draft ships, especially ocean-going.

deer in the headlights »    A mental state of high arousal caused by anxiety fear, panic, surpriseand/or confusion, or substance abuse. The behavioral signs are like a deer subjected to a car's headlights, such as widely opened eyes and a lack of motor reactions.

deliver the message to Garcia »    ...grasp the demands and exactions of business life. He learns that the main thing to do is to "deliver the message to Garcia"....

deliver the message to Garcia »    Programmers are consistently dehumanized because so many do indeed deliver the message to Garcia only to be at best ignored.

den of iniquity »    A place of immoral behavior, usually of a sexual type.

desk jockey »    One who spends his or her time seated at a desk; especially one who is more concerned with procedure, paperwork, or administration than with its ultimate goal or practical consequence.

desperate times call for desperate measures »    In adverse circumstances actions that might have been rejected under other circumstances may become the best choice.

desperate times require desperate measures »    Alternative form of desperate times call for desperate measures.

developments »    Plural form of development.

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.

diamond in the rough »    A person whose goodness or other positive qualities are hidden by a harsh or unremarkable surface appearance.

dictated but not read »    Dictated, as to a secretary or stenographer, but not proofread by the person who dictated the text so annotated.

die »    Followed by from. General use, though somewhat more common in medical or scientific contexts.

die »    Followed by of. General use.

die »    Followed by with. Now rare as indicating direct cause.

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

dime a dozen »    So common as to be practically worthless.

dirty money »    Money that is illegally gained, illegally transferred or illegally utilized. Especially money gained through forgery, bribery, or thievery.

disc jockey »    radio presenter

discretion is the better part of valour »    It is often wise to refrain from seemingly brave speech or action.1597

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 a »    To emulate the behavior/behaviour that is generally attributed to the individual named.

do a slow burn »    To experience a gradually increasing feeling of anger or frustration.

do out »    to redecorate; to adorn

do someone proud »    To cause someone to feel pride, admiration, or satisfaction.

do up »    To redecorate a room etc.

do-or-die »    Requiring a determined or desperate effort to avoid the consequences of failure.

dog and pony show »    Originally, a small, traveling circus featuring animals as entertainment.

dog's life »    A miserable, unhappy existence.

dogs »    Plural form of dog.

dogs »    With the, a greyhound racing event.

don't shit where you eat »    (idiomatic, vulgar) One should not cause trouble in a place, group, or situation in which one regularly finds oneself.1998 April 14, Nelson Navarro, "Ever faithful, ever true," Manila Standard (Philippines) (retrieved 12 Aug. 2011):The guiding principle is Don't shit where you eat. Office romances are always destructive of morale and objectivity.2003 Oct. 8, Jonathan Valania, "Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Pussy," Philadelphia Weekly (retrieved 12 Aug. 2011):Limbaugh was scheduled to deliver the keynote speech at the NAB convention in, of all places, Philadelphia, thus violating the cardinal law of the animal kingdom: Don't shit where you eat.2006 Sept. 19, Michael Musto, "NY Mirror," Village Voice (retrieved 12 Aug. 2011):Mitchell refused to indulge in on-set romances with either gender. "You don't shit where you eat," he told me, plainly.

don't try to teach grandma how to suck eggs »    Don't presume to give advice to those who are more experienced.

double back »    To retrace one's steps; to go back where one has already gone.

double Dutch »    Sex using a condom and the contraceptive pill at the same time.

double entendre »    A phrase that has two meanings, especially where one is innocent and literal, the other risqué, bawdy, or ironic; an innuendo..

double entendre »    Plural form of double entendre.

double up »    To double the quantity, amount or duration of something.

down in the mouth »    Sad or discouraged, especially as indicated by one's facial appearance.

down pat »    Thoroughly practiced, rehearsed, or understood.

down the drain »    Wasted, squandered; irretrievable.

down the road, not across the street »    Along the radial artery rather than across the wrist from side to side.

down under »    In Australia.

down-to-earth »    Practical; realistic; pragmatic.

drag »    To act or proceed slowly or without enthusiasm; to be reluctant.

drag »    To move a mouse cursor while holding down a button on the mouse, often to move something on the screen.

drag »    To move slowly.

drag »    To pull along a surface or through a medium, sometimes with difficulty.

drag one's feet »    To procrastinate, put off; to dawdle, avoid, or make progress slowly and reluctantly.

drag out »    To extend or lengthen excessively.

drag out »    To haul or bring out forcefully or as though with force.

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.

drama queen »    Any exaggeratedly dramatic person.

drama queen »    Who behaves and speaks in an overly dramatic manner so as to garner attention.

draw a bath »    To fill a bathtub with water in preparation for taking a bath.

draw a blank »    To be unable to produce a required piece of information.

draw back »    To retreat from a position.

draw back »    To move backwards.

draw back »    To withdraw from an undertaking.

draw back »    To pull something back or apart.

draw on »    To sketch or mark with pencil, crayon, etc., on a given surface.

draw on »    To appeal to, make a demand of, rely on; to utilize or make use of, as a source.

draw on »    To advance, continue; to move or pass slowly or continuously, as under a pulling force.

draw on »    To approach, come nearer, as evening.

draw out »    To make something last for more time than is necessary; prolong; extend.

draw out »    To physically extract, as blood from a vein.

draw out »    To extract, bring out, as concealed information; elicit; educe.

draw out »    To use means to entice or force to be more open or talkative.

draw out »    To improve a losing hand to a winning hand by receiving additional cards.

draw stumps »    To cease doing something, at least for the day.

draw stumps »    To declare an end to the days play, and remove the bails and sometimes the stumps.

draw the line »    To set a boundary, rule, or limit, especially on what one will tolerate.

draw the short straw »    To select the shortest straw or other object while drawing straws.

draw up »    come to a halt

drawing near »    approaching

dress up »    To decorate; to prettify.

dress up »    To present in a favorable light.

dressing-down »    A reprimand or rarely, a thrashing.

dribs and drabs »    A series of negligible amounts.

drift off »    To fall asleep in a gradual manner.

drip »    To have a superabundance of valuable things. Usually followed by "with".

drive home »    With tangible or powerful demonstration.

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 line »    A note or telegram.

drop the writ »    To call a federal or provincial election.

drug on the market »    Something which is overabundant at the moment and thus not in demand.

drum up »    To generate or encourage; to campaign for.

druther »    Would rather; would prefer to.

dry eye »    Keratoconjunctivitis sicca , an eye disease caused by decreased tear production.

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

dry run »    A practice; a rehearsal.

due course »    A. 1735, Jonathan Swift, Gulliver's Travels.

dummy run »    A trial or practice before the real attempt.

dusty miller »    A formulaic phrase for a miller, related to the dust generated in the milling process.

dusty miller »    One of several species of plants with leaves of a dusty appearance: Centaurea cineraria, Senecio cineraria, and Lychnis coronaria.

dyed-in-the-wool »    Firmly established in a person's beliefs or habits; deeply ingrained in the nature of a person or thing.

e pluribus unum »    A national motto of the United States of America, meaning "From many, one", or "out of many, one", referring to the integration of 13 independent colonies into one country, and that has taken an additional meaning, giving the pluralistic nature of American society from immigration.

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 on the eyes »    Attractive; beautiful.

eat one's own dog food »    To test the beta programs that are in the test phase on one's own computers; to dogfood.

eat one's words »    To regret or retract what one has said.

eat one's young »    To betray a constituent or charge out of self-serving interests or desperation; savaging.

eat out »    To dine at a restaurant or such public place.

eff off »    A censored form of the phrase f** off.

egg on »    To encourage or coax a person to do something, especially something foolhardy or reckless.

egg somebody on »    To tease, provoke or encourage.

embarrassment of riches »    An abundance or overabundance of something; too much of a good thing.

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

end of the line »    Final cessation or discontinuance of a process, institution, or person, especially one which has existed for a considerable period of time; death.

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

esprit de corps »    A shared spirit of comradeship, enthusiasm, and devotion to a cause among the members of a group, for example of a military unit.

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 nook and cranny »    Everywhere.

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 duplicate or counterpart of something or someone that acts in a contrary, nefarious, or insidious manner.

extract the urine »    To mess around, cajole.

eye candy »    A very attractive person or persons, or the salient visible physical attributes of same.

eye candy »    Any object or sight with considerable visual appeal.

f** it »    An expression of frustration.

f** someone over »    To exploit somebody in a way which result in an advantage to oneself, at the cost of the other party gaining a considerable disadvantage.

f** this »    The phrase emphatically diminishes the activity or event referred to and expresses that the speaker will have no more to do with it.

f** with »    To mess with; to interact with in a careless or inappropriate way.

face off »    Either an actual or a figurative face to face confrontation, especially a bitter one.

face that would stop a clock »    A shockingly attractive face.

face that would stop a clock »    A shockingly unattractive face.

face value »    No more or less than what is stated; a literal or direct meaning or interpretation.

factotum »    A general servant.

factotum »    Jack of all trades.

fade out »    A type of transition used in movies usually at the end of a scene, in which the transition fades to black from the cut.

fade out »    decrease gradually

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

fair to middling »    Only tolerably good.

fall behind »    To be progressively below average in performance.

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 in with »    To accept a set of generally agreed rules, or a suggestion.

fall on one's face »    To fail, especially in a dramatic or particularly decisive manner.

fall over »    Of a computer program, to crash.

fall through the cracks »    To be missed; to escape the necessary notice or attention.

fall together »    To contract.

far out »    New, radical and extreme.

farm out »    To subcontract some task to another; to outsource.

fear »    Extreme veneration or awe, as toward a supreme being or deity.

fed up »    Frustrated, annoyed, tired .

federal case »    Any over-exaggerated ordeal.

feed a cold, starve a fever »    Eating more will cure the common cold, and eating less will cure a fever.1887, J. H. Whelan, "The Treatment of Colds.", The Practitioner, vol. 38, pg. 180:"Feed a cold, starve a fever." There is a deal of wisdom in the first part of this advice. A person with a catarrh should take an abundance of light nutritious food, and some light wine, but avoid spirits, and above all tobacco.1968, Katinka Loeser, The Archers at Home, publ. Atheneum, New York, pg. 60:I have a cold. 'Feed a cold, starve a fever.' You certainly know that.2009, Shelly Reuben, Tabula Rasa, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, ISBN 015101079X, pg. 60:They say feed a cold, starve a fever, but they don't tell you what to do when you got both, so I figured scrambled eggs, tea, and toast.

feed the dragon »    To buy or sell products labeled as "Made in China.".

feed the dragon »    To the People's Republic of China.

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

few and far between »    Rare and scarce.

field day »    A parade day.

fifth wheel »    A type of trailer hitch, which consists of a horseshoe-shaped plate on a multi-directional pivot, with a locking pin to couple with the kingpin of a truck trailer.

fifth wheel »    A very large trailer that is towed with a pickup truck.

fifth wheel »    A very large truck trailer; an 18-wheeler.

fight fires »    To deal with urgent matters and minor emergencies rather than longer-term work.

film out »    To transfer images or animation from videotape or digital files to a traditional celluloid film print.

filter down »    Of a liquid; to move slowly down to lower substrate levels.

fine print »    The details, restrictions, terms, or conditions, especially of a contract, often printed in very small type.

fire drill »    An organised practice to prepare occupants of an office, school or other public building for evacuation in the event of a fire.

fire off »    To ask an unexpected question rapidly.

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

first loser »    The second place finisher in auto racing competition.

first rate »    Superb, exceptional; of the best sort; very high quality.

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

fit into »    To be of similar cultural or social status as the members of a group of people.

fit to be tied »    Very agitated or distressed; enraged.

five-finger discount »    Theft or pilferage, typically of a small item; shoplifting.

flash in the pan »    A transient occurrence with no long-term effect.

flight of fancy »    An idea, narrative, suggestion, etc. which is extremely imaginative and which appears to be entirely unrealistic, untrue, or impractical; thinking which is very speculative.

flipside »    The B-side of a phonograph record.

flog a dead horse »    To attempt to get extra work out of a ship's crew during the dead horse period.

flogging the land »    Damaging agricultural land through excessive grazing or clearing.

flower »    The vulva, especially the labia majora.

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 face of »    To act in a manner highly contrary to; to counteract or contradict.

fly off the handle »    To become very angry or enraged; to throw a fit or go crazy.

fly the freak flag »    To behave in a unconventional or unrestrained manner; to exhibit the uninhibited side of one's personality.

fly-by-night »    A creatures which flies at night; a nocturnal flier or traveler.

fly-by-night »    Businesses that appear and disappear rapidly, or that give an impression of transience.

fly-by-night »    Traveling businessmen and tradesmen.

fold one's tent »    To withdraw, especially in a discreet manner; to disengage; to quit.

food chain »    A hierarchy.

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

fool's errand »    Such an undertaking, assigned as a prank.

fool's paradise »    A state of happiness due to illusion or false hope.

fools rush in where angels fear to tread »    A person who does not plan ahead and think matters through becomes involved in risky or unfavorable situations which prudent people avoid.

footloose and fancy free »    Able to do as one pleases, unconstrained by social ties or responsibilities.

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

for all the world »    Entirely, to all appearances.

for crying out loud »    Expresses frustration, exasperation, or annoyance.

for f**'s sake »    An expression of anger or frustration.

for good measure »    As a precaution; just in case; added as an extra.

for goodness' sake »    This interjection expresses frustration, exasperation, annoyance.

for heaven's sake »    Expresses frustration, exasperation, or annoyance.

for Pete's sake »    Expresses frustration, exasperation, annoyance.

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

for the love of »    Used to form interjections expressing exasperation.

for the most part »    Mostly; in general; usually.

for the time being »    Temporarily; until later.

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."

forked tongue »    The characteristic of deceptiveness; duplicity; untruthfulness.

fortune favors the brave »    Alternative form of fortune favors the bold.

fortune favours the brave »    Alternative form of fortune favors the bold.

forty winks »    Sleep, extra sleep, or a nap.

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

four-on-the-floor »    Characterised by a steady, uniformly accented beat with a 4/4 time signature.

four-on-the-floor »    Relating to a vehicle with a four-speed manual transmission mounted beside the driver on the floor of the vehicle.

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.

freak flag »    Unconventional or unrestrained behavior; extreme, nonconformist views; the side of one's personality which harbors a tendency toward such behavior or such views.

free range »    not intensively farmed

free rein »    The absence of constraints; freedom to make decisions.

fresh off the boat »    Newly arrived from a foreign place, especially as an immigrant who is still unfamiliar with the customs and language of his or her new environment.

friend with benefits »    A friendship with no reserves when it comes to the release of shared sexual tension thus leading to sexual fraternization.

frig it »    An expression of frustration similar to, but not as coarse as f** it.

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

from A to Z »    Covering a complete range; comprehensively.

from scratch »    From the beginning; starting with no advantage or prior preparation; starting from raw ingredients.

fudge the issue »    Adopt a solution to a specific problem which does not address the larger, more general problem of which the specific problem is an instance.

full of beans »    Incorrect; uninformed; exaggerating or expressing falsehood.

full of it »    Speaking nonsense; lying, exaggerating, or boasting.

full of shit »    Characterized by speaking nonsense or falsehoods.

full tilt »    As quickly as possible; very rapidly.

full-fledged »    Having full qualification, credentials or preparation; entire; real.

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.

game plan »    Any strategy devised to reach a given objective.

gandy dancer »    A railway laborer, especially a member of a crew which carries rails and affixes them to ties.

gapers' block »    A traffic jam resulting from motorists slowing to look at a motor vehicle collision or other roadside distraction.

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 a grip »    To relax; to calm down; to stop being angry; to come to one's senses or become more rational.

get away with »    To do something which is prohibited, forbidden or generally not allowed, and not be punished for the action.

get cracking »    To get started; to get busy.

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

get in »    To get into or inside something, literally or figuratively.

get it »    To "get what's coming to him/her"; to feel one's wrath; to receive punishment; to receive a retaliation; to receive a beating.

get it »    To understand, comprehend, or grasp.

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

get on somebody's case »    To lecture, berate, or complain to somebody, especially to find fault or criticize.

get one's marching orders »    To be dismissed disgracefully.

get someone's back up »    To annoy a person either deliberately or inadvertently.

get something over with »    To do something quickly and hastily; without procrastination, especially so as to have something unpleasant behind oneself.

get something straight »    To understand; to clarify.

get the chop »    To be eliminated from a competition in a reality television program.

get the drift »    To understand, at least at some basic or general level.

ghost train »    fairground attraction

give as good as one gets »    To behave toward others in a manner resembling or commensurate with their behavior towards oneself, especially in a situation where one is insulted or otherwise ill-treated.

give away the store »    To transact, trade, or negotiate badly, by paying, providing, or conceding too much to the other party.

give birth »    To produce new life into the world; to have a baby. Transitive when used with to.

give head »    To perform oral sex on another person.

give it the gun »    Literal meaning.

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

give over »    Usually as an imperative. To tell someone to stop molesting, fooling around, or saying silly things. Or sometimes to stop saying flattering things.

give some skin »    To greet or congratulate someone by slapping his or her palm; see slap me five.

give somebody what-for »    To admonish or berate; to speak angrily at somebody.

glad rags »    best clothes

go against the grain »    To defy convention; to do something in a manner that is unusual or out of the ordinary.

go along with »    To comply with something, even if reluctantly; to accept or tolerate.

go apeshit »    To behave in an extreme manner; to act without restraint, especially by becoming explosively angry.

go back on »    To be treacherous or faithless to; betray; as, to go back on friends.

go back to the drawing board »    To start again; to scrap a previous idea or plan and try again from the beginning.

go ballistic »    To become very angry and irrational.

go batshit »    To become completely irrational; to react in an irrationally extreme manner.

go blue »    Of states and counties, to be carried by a Democratic candidate in a given U.S. election.

go by »    To pass, to go past, without much interaction.

go by the board »    To be superseded, rejected, or obliterated; to pass by with little consequence; to amount to nothing.

go down »    To perform oral sex.

go down the pan »    To fail or degenerate rapidly.

go down the tubes »    To fail or degenerate rapidly.

go downhill »    To worsen or degenerate.

go Dutch »    To pay for one's own food and bills, or split the cost, when eating at a restaurant or going out for entertainment.

go for it »    A cry of encouragement.

go mad »    Used to indicate that the second verb represents an action that is out of character.

go native »    Of a contractor or consultant, to begin working directly as an employee for a company and cease to work through a contracting firm or agency.

go on »    To travel on; go by.

go on the rampage »    To behave violently or to riot.

go out of one's way »    To make an extra effort.

go south »    To become unfavorable; to decrease; to take a turn for the worse.

go the distance »    To have the endurance to see a difficult sustained challenge to its natural end without faltering.

go the extra mile »    To make an extra effort; to do a particularly good job.

go the way of the dinosaurs »    To go extinct or become obsolete; to fall out of common use or practice; to go off the firsthand market; to become a thing of the past.

go the way of the dodo »    To go extinct or become obsolete; to fall out of common use or practice; to go out of the firsthand market; to become a thing of the past.

go through hell »    To have a miserable experience.

go to pot »    To decline or deteriorate.

go to seed »    To deteriorate; to decline into an unkempt or debased condition.

go to the dogs »    To decline or deteriorate.

go to the mattresses »    To go to war; to use ruthless tactics; to act without restraint.

God works in mysterious ways »    Expressing confidence that a conundrum has a solution despite it not being apparent.Expressing that a seemingly unfortunate or unfavourable situation or change may be beneficial later or in the long run.Person A: It seems that I'm about to be fired from my job.Person B: Well, God works in mysterious ways - maybe it'll be the kick you need to apply to university...

going rate »    The current standard or usual price, rate, or salary for something.

golden handcuffs »    Any arrangement or agreement designed to provide extremely favorable benefits or pay, so as to discourage participant from wanting to leave, especially to retain a choice employee.

golden handshake »    A generous severance payment, especially as an inducement to leave employment.

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

good job »    Well done; congratulations!.

good old boy »    A friendly, unambitious, relatively uneducated, sometimes racially biased white man who embodies the stereotype of the folksy culture of the rural southern USA.

good on you »    An exclamation of encouragement or congratulation; well done.

good to go »    Ready for some specific task or ready for normal activity, especially after preparation or recovery.

good to go »    Ready for use or ready for normal operation, especially after repair or renewal.

grab and go »    To get something quickly.

grab bag »    A gift, purchase, etc. whose contents are concealed until after a selection is made.

grab bag »    Any random assortment, selection or possibility.

grace period »    A length of time during which rules or penalties do not take effect or are withheld.

grain of salt »    A bit of common sense and skepticism. Generally used in some form of to take with a grain of salt.

granary »    A fertile, grain-growing region.

granary »    A storage facility for grain or sometimes animal feed.

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

grand total »    The entire or final sum.

granny smith »    apple

grasp all, lose all »    one who wants everything, may lose it all

grasp at straws »    To guess randomly at or pursue any apparent option, as due to lack of options or information.

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

grass roots »    The essential foundation or source of something.

grass snake »    reptile

grass widow »    A divorcée..

grass widow »    A married woman whose husband is away.

grass widow »    A mother out of wedlock.

grass widower »    A divorcé..

grass widower »    A married man whose wife is away.

grate »    A horizontal metal grille through which water, ash, or small objects can fall, while larger objects cannot.

gratuitous violence »    The artificial depiction of excessive violence.

gratuitous violence »    Violence that is not justified.

gravy train »    A gorging on luxuries, since someone else foots the bill.

gravy train »    An occupation or any lucrative endeavor that generates considerable income whilst requiring little effort and carrying little risk.

gray area »    A part that is not clear or certain; something that is open to interpretation.

grease payment »    A bribe or extorted money, usually relatively small in amount, provided to a low-level government official or business person, in order to expedite a business decision, shipment, or other transaction, especially in a country where such payments are not unusual.

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

green about the gills »    Having the appearance of being ill.

green fingers »    A seemingly natural gardening ability.

green light »    A traffic light in its green state .

green thumb »    A natural skill for gardening.

greener pastures »    Any place or condition that is more favorable or beneficial.

group captain »    raf officer

grow a pair »    To be brave; to show some courage, especially in a situation in which one has so far failed to do so.

grunt work »    That is considered undesirable and therefore delegated to underlings.

guilt trip »    A feeling of shame or embarrassment, especially if self-indulgent, unwarranted, exaggerated or felt over a significant period of time.

gun it »    To accelerate or speed up quickly or suddenly.

gunshy »    Being afraid to use a gun.

gussie up »    To make fancy or attractive, as by artificial or contrived means.

gut feeling »    An instinct or intuition; an immediate or basic feeling or reaction without a logical rationale.

hair of the dog »    An alcoholic drink taken the morning after to cure a hangover or withdrawal symptoms.

half a mind »    A moderate inclination.

ham it up »    To act or emote, especially to overact or act badly.

hand down »    To transmit in succession, as from father to son, or from predecessor to successor.

hand in glove »    In very close cooperation.

hand in hand »    Naturally, ordinarily or predictably together; commonly having a correlation or relationship.

hand it to somebody »    To give somebody credit or praise.

hand off »    To pass or transfer something to someone.

hand-in-glove »    Closely cooperative.

hang a Ralph »    Make a right turn while driving a vehicle.

hang an arse »    To hang back, to be afraid to advance.

hang on »    To hold, grasp, or grip.

hard-nosed »    Guided by practical experience and observation rather than by theory.

hatchet job »    A treatment which serves primarily to disparage its subject; a piece of criticism which aims to destroy a reputation.

haul off »    To draw back the arm in order to punch.

have a fit »    To become suddenly enraged.

have a frog in one's throat »    To feel the need to cough; to have a tickle in one's throat; to have a scratchy or uneven voice.

have a green thumb »    A person with a green thumb, a natural skill for gardening.

have a handle on »    To be in control; to understand or grasp.

have a screw loose »    A phrase meaning that the subject is insane or irrational.

have a way with »    To be skilled, adept, or graceful in something.

have bats in one's belfry »    To be crazy or eccentric.

have egg on one's face »    To suffer embarrassment or humiliation; to damage one's reputation.

have had it up to here »    To have become very frustrated or angry; to have reached the limit of one's patience or forbearance.

have it made »    To have accomplished all there is to do; to have no further work or difficulty; to have achieved a lifestyle characterized by good fortune and comfort.

have one's head in the clouds »    To have fantastic or impractical dreams; to think impractically.

have one's heart set on »    To want or desire deeply, regardless of practicality or rationality.

have the blues »    To be depressed, to have a low morale.

head and shoulders »    To a considerable degree; better; outstanding.

head for the hills »    To travel to a higher elevation, especially to a rural region on vacation.

head honcho »    The person in charge; the highest-ranking person in an organization.

head over heels »    At top speed; frantically.

head scratcher »    A device used to scratch the head.

head scratcher »    A particularly puzzling or confusing event.

head scratcher »    December 2007, W:Daily News Tribune - Golden Globes nominations a head-scratcher.

head scratcher »    July 2002, Fox News - Attorney: Williams' Kids Near Compromise About Father's Remains.

head south »    Alternative form of go south; to decrease or become unfavorable; to take a turn for the worse.

head start »    For example, prior to the beginning of a race.

hear on the grapevine »    To hear rumors; to learn through friends of friends.

hear the grass grow »    To be very aware or discerning; to pay attention to every small detail.

hear the grass grow »    To have an extremely sensitive sense of hearing.

hear the grass grow »    To hear very well due to being in an exceptionally quiet environment.

hear through the grapevine »    To hear rumors; to learn through friends of friends.

heart of glass »    A very fragile romantic state.

heaven helps those who help themselves »    A maxim encouraging people to get involved in their own problems.

heebie-jeebies »    A general feeling of anxiety, fear, uneasiness, or nausea.

hell raiser »    wild pleasure seeker

hem and haw »    To discuss, deliberate, or contemplate rather than taking action.

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

hen's teeth »    Plural form of hen's tooth.

hen's tooth »    Anything not naturally occuring.

here you are »    Said when you hand something over to someone or do a favour to them, usually to draw the recipient's attention to the exchange; Equivalent to “thank you” when receiving something..

hide nor hair »    A trace, indication, or evidence, especially of a person.

high horse »    An appearance or sense of smug superiority.

high on the hog »    Well off; living comfortably or extravagantly.

high road »    A course of action which is honorable, dignified, or respectable.

hike up »    To raise or increase sharply.

his back is up »    He is offended or angry; an expression or idea taken from a cat; that animal, when angry, always raising its back. An allusion also sometimes used to jeer a crooked man.

hit home »    To be especially memorable or meaningful; to be fully understood, believed or appreciated.

hit the bricks »    To travel about, especially on foot.

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

hit the pavement »    Literal meaning.

hit the road »    To begin traveling in an automobile or other road vehicle.

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 rock »    To use crack cocaine.

hit the trail »    To leave or depart.

hold down »    To restrain; to check.

hold forth »    Talk at great length; expatiate; harangue.

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

hold on »    To hold, grasp, or grip.

hold somebody's hand »    To grasp or hold a person's hand.

hold with the hare and run with the hounds »    To remain neutral by attempting to placate two factions or both sides of a controversy.

holding pattern »    A path taken by an aircraft waiting to land.

hole in one »    Any rare, wonderful, or remarkable accomplishment.

home in on »    To focus or narrow down to something; to find or draw closer, as by trial and error or a gradual seeking process.

home is where you hang your hat »    Rather than feeling nostalgic or sentimental, one should simply accept any place where one happens to reside as one's home.1948, Ruth L. Yorck, "D.P.

homeless dumping »    The practice of hospital employees or emergency workers releasing homeless patients on the streets instead of placing them into the custody of a relative or shelter or retaining them in a hospital where they may require expensive medical care.

honest injun »    A phrase used to emphasize the truth of something.

honesty is the best policy »    Honesty is the most honorable and fulfilling way to live one's life.

honey trap »    The use of a seductive woman to entice a man into revealing secret information.

honorable mention »    An award or recognition given to something that does not make it to a higher standing but is worth mentioning in an honorable way.

hoover up »    Into a vacuum cleaner, irrespective of brand.

hoover up »    Quickly, especially by taking it into the mouth directly from the plate rather than using cutlery.

horse opera »    A theatrical production, film, or program on radio or television depicting adventures of characters in the American Old West; a western.

horse opera »    An equestrian show, as in a circus.

horses for courses »    The practice of choosing the best person for a particular job.

hot button »    A central issue, concern or characteristic, especially one that motivates people to make a choice.

hot desking »    The working practice of sharing desks or workstations between workers, as a means of saving space and resources.

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 »    Refers to a person, thing, or situation in such a state of disarray or disapproval by peers, often in reference to physical appearance, perceived to be disastrously embarrassing, pitiful, or beyond repair.

hot up »    To increase in temperature.

hotfoot it »    To hasten; to move rapidly.

hothouse »    An environment in which growth or development is encouraged; a hotbed.

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.

household name »    A brand name that is well known to the great majority of households.

household name »    A genericized trademark or anepronym.

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

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.

hum and haw »    Procrastinate and take a long time before doing something or taking a decision.

hunger is a good sauce »    (dated) Being hungry makes one less concerned about the taste of one's food.1854, Mark Lemon, Henry Mayhew, Tom Taylor, Shirley Brooks, Francis Cowley Burnand, Owen Seaman, Punch, Vol. XXVI, Punch Publications Ltd., page 74:His bread and cheese were somewhat dry, to be sure; his ale had become flat, and considerably warmer than was desirable; but hunger is a good sauce, and thirst is not particular.

idiot light »    Any warning light or indicator on the dashboard of a car, designed to alert the driver of problems, such as the parking brake being on or the oil being low.

idiot mittens »    Mittens connected by yarn or string running through one sleeve, along the back and out the other sleeve of a coat, to prevent the mittens becoming lost. Generally worn by small children.

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

if the shoe fits »    If it has all of the characteristics of a thing, it probably is that thing.

ignorance is bliss »    Lack of knowledge results in happinessSometime you are more comfortable if you dont know something.

in Abraham's bosom »    No longer living. Dead.

in black and white »    Having it displayed using shades of gray/gray rather than colour/color .

in black and white »    Using shades of grey/gray rather than colour/color.

in broad daylight »    In ample natural illumination, during the daytime.

in character »    Acting as the character, not as oneself.

in cold blood »    In a ruthless and unfeeling manner; premeditated and deliberate.

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 kind »    In the form of goods and service rather than money.

in line »    Positioned in a straight line.

in order »    In accordance with the procedural rules governing formal meetings of a deliberative body.

in process of time »    In the course of time; as time goes on; gradually; in due course.

in shape »    In a good state of physical fitness or bodily appearance.

in spades »    To excess, a lot, considerably; without restraint.

in the face of »    Despite, against, contrary to.

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 long run »    After a very long time; eventually; over a long period of time; more generally.

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

in thunderation »    In any set of circumstances whatsoever.

inside track »    Any advantage.

inside track »    The lane or track nearest to the interior.

it ain't the whistle that pulls the train »    Alternative form of it's not the whistle that pulls the train.

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 is easy to find a stick to beat a dog »    (rare or obsolete, proverb) If a person is determined to punish someone, they will find a way to do so.1596

it is not the whistle that pulls the train »    Alternative form of it's not the whistle that pulls the train.

it isn't the whistle that pulls the train »    Alternative form of it's not the whistle that pulls the train.

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

it takes all kinds to make a world »    Diversity is essential: the world would be incomplete if everyone were alike.He irons his clothes how?! That's crazy! Well, I guess it takes all kinds.

it takes two to tango »    Some things need the active cooperation of two parties; blame is to be laid on both parties in a conflict.

it's a long road that has no turning »    encouragement when things are not going well. Just as a long road eventually has a turning, problems also eventually have a solution, even though one might have to wait.

it's not the whistle that pulls the train »    Boasting and loud talk should not be mistaken for the work that produces real achievements; bravado is no proof of action.1956, James Reston, "Washington: It's Not the Whistle that Pulls the Train," New York Times, 1 July, p. E8:

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

it's one's funeral »    One's decisions or actions will bring undesirable consequences only on oneself.

itchy trigger finger »    A tendency to act in haste or without consideration.

ivory tower »    A sheltered, overly-academic existence or perspective, implying a disconnection or lack of awareness of reality or practical considerations.

jack it in »    An imperative to stop doing something that the speaker finds annoying.

jack of all trades »    One competent in many endeavors, especially one who excels in none of them.

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.

jack of all trades, master of none »    A person who has a competent grasp of many skills but who is not outstanding in any one.

jack up »    To raise, hoist, or lift a thing using a jack, or similar means.

jack up »    To raise, increase, or accelerate; often said of prices, fees, or rates. See also jack up the price.

jet set »    A set of wealthy people who travel for pleasure.

jet setting »    The actions of the jet set; travelling from one fashionable location to another by jet.

jet-setter »    A member of the jet set, a rich person who travels for pleasure.

jet-setting »    The actions of the jet set; travelling from one fashionable location to another by jet.

jolly someone along »    To make someone happy or compliant, as by encouragement or flattery.

jug ears »    Ears whose plane is markedly not parallel to the plane of the head.

jumble sale »    fundraising event

jump »    To employ a parachute to leave an aircraft or elevated location.

jump »    To propel oneself rapidly upward such that momentum causes the body to become airborne.

jump about »    To move erratically by jumping. Usually as a result of being excited.

jump around »    To move erratically by jumping. Usually as a result of being excited.

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

jump on »    To board a public transport vehicle.

jump on the bandwagon »    To profit from a craze; to join a trend.

jump rope »    The activity, game or exercise in which a person must jump, bounce or skip repeatedly while a length of rope is swung over and under, both ends held in the hands of the jumper, or alternately, held by two other participants. Often used for athletic training and among schoolchildren. Variations involve speed, chants, varied rope and jumper movement patterns, multiple jumpers and/or multiple ropes.

jump the gun »    To begin a race too soon, before the starting gun goes off.

jump the gun »    To trade securities based on information that is not yet public; to trade on inside information.

jump through hoops »    To put forth effort for the sake of appearance or demonstration.

jungle telegraph »    A gossip network; an informal communication system within a group or organization.

jungle telegraph »    A system used by primitive cultures in remote tropical regions for communication over long distances, such as drum sounds or a relay of runners.

just another pretty face »    Someone who is attractive, but not too distinguished.

keep a weather eye open »    To be alert; to concentrate on a matter in hand.

keep down »    To restrain or control.

keep from »    To prevent or restrain ; refrain or cause refrain.

keep it real »    In the imperative, an exhortation used as a departing salutation.

keep one's eye on the ball »    My ethos has always been to be very straight with people, tell it as it is. It doesn't often make people happy but I found that over a period of time it's better to be that way. So being straight, also being very focused on your objectives, keep your eye on the ball and not get deflected away from it.

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

keep one's mouth shut »    To keep a secret; to refrain from speaking indiscreetly or carelessly.

keep out »    To refrain from entering a place or condition.

keep out »    To restrain someone or something from entering a place or condition.

keep out of »    To restrain someone or something from entering a place or condition.

keep quiet »    To refrain from talking about something; to keep a secret.

keep straight »    To avoid confusing or mixing up something; to keep something clear or organized.

keep tabs on »    To monitor; to keep track of; to watch.

keep up »    To maintain; to preserve; to prevent from deteriorating.

keep up appearances »    To pretend to be all right or that everything is going well.

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.

kernel of truth »    A core accuracy at the heart of a claim or narrative which also contains dubious or fictitious elements.

kettle of fish »    A situation which is recognized as different from or as an alternative to some other situation, and which is not necessarily unfavorable.

kick off »    To force the weaning of a bovine cow's calf by restricting the calf's access to its mother's udders. Used figuratively or literally.

kill off »    To represent or portray as being dead.

kill the fatted calf »    To begin a festive celebration and rejoicing for someone's long-awaited return.

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

kind »    Favorable.

kiss of death »    Something that may seem good and favourable but that actually brings ruin to hopes, plans, etc.

kitchen table software »    Especially in the early years of personal computers, a set of computer programs developed by an entrepreneurial advanced amateur or self-employed professional computer programmer in his or her own home; software developed by a small business using the services of such programmers.

knee high to a grasshopper »    Short; especially relating to when the subject was a small child.

knock back »    To drink an alcoholic beverage swiftly or often.

knock on wood »    To take a customary action to ward off some misfortune that is believed to be attracted my a presumptuous statement.

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

knock up »    To gently hit the ball back and forth before a tennis match, as practice or warm-up, and to gauge the state of the playing surface, lighting, etc. See knock-up.

knuckle dragger »    A large, strong, and rather dimwitted person.

knuckle under »    To yield or cooperate when pressured or forced to do so.

la goutte d'eau qui fait d%C3%A9border le vase »    The final thing that is too much and forces a reaction; the straw that broke the camel's back.

laced-up »    Restrained; uptight.

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

lady's man »    A man who attracts women and enjoys their company.

landing strip »    A cultivated pubic hair pattern in which much of the pubic hair is removed, leaving only a central vertical line or rectangle.

landing strip »    A runway for aircraft, especially one which is auxiliary or temporary.

larger-than-life »    Of greater size or magnitude than is naturally or normally the case.

last-ditch »    Final, as a last resort; done in desperation.

late bloomer »    A person who lives a child's life comparatively later than their peers.

late bloomer »    A person who reaches puberty comparatively later than their peers.

lay down »    To sacrifice, especially in the phrase "to lay down one's life.".

lay off »    From employment, e.g. at a time of low business volume, often with a severance package.

lay open »    In Japan and South Korea, to publish a patent for initial public review, prior to the formal application for registration.

lay out »    To arrange in a certain way.

lay rubber »    To accelerate so rapidly from standstill that it leaves a mark of burnt rubber on the road from the tire.

lead »    A thin strip of type metal, used to separate lines of type in printing.

leaf through »    Rapidly reading short sections at random.

legwork »    Work, especially research or preparation, that involves significant walking, travel, or similar effort.

less is more »    That which is less complicated is often better understood and more appreciated than what is more complicated; simplicity is preferable to complexity; brevity in communication is more effective than verbosity.1855, Robert Browning, "Men and Women":Well, less is more, Lucrezia: I am judged.1954, "'Less Is More'," Time, 14 Jun.:The essence of Mies's architectural philosophy is in his famous and sometimes derided phrase, "Less is more." This means, he says, having "the greatest effect with the least means."2007, Gia Kourlas, "Dance Review: An Ordered World Defined With Soothing Spareness," New York Times, 3 Mar. (retrieved 22 Oct. 2008):The program, which features two premieres

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

let it be »    To leave something to follow its natural course.

letters after one's name »    A list of abbreviations, separated by commas, representing the academic qualifications and civil or military honours achieved by a person.

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.

licence to print money »    A means of generating a large income with little effort.

licence to print money »    The authority to print money, usually given to a central bank exclusively as the issuer of currency.

lick one's wounds »    To withdraw temporarily while recovering from a defeat.

like crazy »    To a great or excessive degree; with great speed, output, enthusiasm, etc.

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

like gangbusters »    Vigorously, rapidly, zealously, or forcibly; in a manner which has considerable impact.

like nobody's business »    In an extreme manner; rapidly; excessively; like crazy.

like the back end of a bus »    Very unattractive.

lily-livered »    Cowardly, lacking bravery.

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

link whoring »    The practice of going out of one's way to place links to one's website on someone else's webpage.

lion »    A large cat, Panthera leo, native to Africa, India and formerly to much of Europe. The term may apply to the species as a whole, to individuals, or to male individuals. It also applies to related species like mountain lions.

lion »    An individual who shows strength and courage, attributes associated with the lion.

liquid courage »    Alcohol drunk to induce a feeling of courage in the drinker.

listen up »    To listen closely; to pay attention. Often used in the imperative.

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 large »    To have a lavish or overly-extravagant lifestyle.

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

lock up »    To imprison or incarcerate someone.

long finger »    A state of postponement or procrastination.

long goodbye »    Nickname for Alzheimer's disease, especially for the final phase of the disease, during which the patient suffers a progressive decline of cognitive and motor skills and gradually loses the ability to recognize and to communicate with family and friends.[1]; nickname for the relationship between a person suffering from Alzheimer's disease and that person's family or friends.

long haul »    Travelling a long distance.

long shot »    Something unlikely; something that has little chance of happening or working. The term arose from the accuracy of early ship guns, which were effective only at close range and unlikely to hit the mark at any great distance.

long ways, long lies »    Someone who comes back from a far-off country can tell lies without fear of being contradicted.

look like »    To be similar in appearance to; resemble.

look to »    To seek inspiration or advice from someone.

look up to »    To show respect or admiration for.

look what the cat's dragged in »    Used as an ironic acknowledgement of someone's arrival, especially to imply that they are unwelcome or disagreeable in some way.

lose face »    To lose the respect of others, to be humiliated or experience public disgrace.

lose one's head »    To go crazy.

lose one's marbles »    To go crazy.

lose the plot »    To cease to be behaving in a predictable and/or rational manner.

lost errand »    A mission likely to fail.

lubrication payment »    A bribe or extorted money, usually relatively small in amount, provided to a low-level government official or business person, in order to expedite a business decision, shipment, or other transaction, especially in a country where such payments are not unusual.

lucky dip »    A game in which prizes are covered up and mixed together in a container, so that contestants can dip their hand into the container and randomly pull out a prize.

lucky dip »    A selection solely at random.

mad as a March hare »    Crazy, demented.

made in the shade »    In a condition characterized by comfort, success, easy living, or general well-being.

make a leg »    To make a deep bow with the right leg drawn back.

make a meal of »    To spend more time and energy on some task than it warrants; to make something overly complicated.

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 splash »    To do something that attracts attention.

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 amends »    To repair a relationship; to make up; to resolve an argument or fight; to make reparations or redress.

make an exhibition of oneself »    To embarrass oneself or others in public.

make for »    ????, translator unknown, author Galileo Galilei, Two Chief World Systems.

make hay »    To cut grass to turn into hay for animal feed.

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

make out »    To characterize as; often with to be.

make over »    To transfer ownership, especially by means of a legal document.

make someone's skin crawl »    To disturb or bother; to frighten or disgust.

make sure »    To verify; to recheck; to use extra care or caution.

make the grade »    To prove satisfactory; to be successful or worthy of merit.

make the welkin ring »    By extension of , to celebrate or revel.

make tracks »    To leave in a hurry.

make tracks »    To leave or depart; to go away.

man up »    His station, prepared for departure of an aircraft, ship, etc.

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.

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.

many hands make light work »    A large number of people co-operating can perform tasks easily.

mark down »    To write a memorandum about.

matter of course »    A natural or logical outcome.

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

meat rack »    A place where people can meet looking for sexual partners.

meat rack »    A rack used for storing meat.

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

meet up »    To meet somebody, by arrangement.

mercury »    A silvery-colored metallic chemical element, liquid at room temperature, with atomic number 80 and symbol Hg.

mess up »    To make unwanted mistakes in a given task, usually through distraction or obnoxious behavior.

mess up »    To discombobulate, utterly confuse, or confound psychologically; to throw into a state of mental disarray.

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

mike up »    To fit a microphone and transmitter to a person. Usually for television performers, or for police informers.

mince words »    To restrain oneself in a conversation by withholding some comments or using euphemisms.

mind you »    Used to draw attention to adjacent words.

misery loves company »    Misery is easier to bear when one is not the only one miserable.1995, Chris Abbott,

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

mix apples and oranges »    To mix two totally different things.

mixed bag »    By extension, a group of entities with few characteristics in common; an assortment.

mixed bag »    Something tending to have both good and bad results or characteristics; something having a mixture of advantages and disadvantages.

mixed message »    Any communication that is contradictory, inconsistent, or unclear, especially in its motive or intent.

mock up »    To create a model or demonstration; to create a preliminary version or sample.

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

more like it »    Better, more desirable.

moses basket »    portable cradle

mouth breather »    A person who is boorish, stupid, or otherwise unattractive.

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

move the goal posts »    To unilaterally change the rules, or terms of an agreement, especially in an unfair or underhand way.

muck about »    To do random unplanned work or spend time idly.

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

music to one's ear »    Some unexpected good news; a favorable outcome after some initial confusion or delay.

mutton dressed as lamb »    A mature woman dressed in a style more suited to a young woman, especially if a deliberate attempt to appear young.

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.

naked as a jaybird »    Stark naked; nude; especially, naked in a public setting and without embarrassment.

ñapa »    the little something extra

neck and neck »    Very close in progress, as in a race or contest.

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

nervous hit »    A production which receives generally favorably notice, but is not assured of success.

nest egg »    A natural or artificial egg placed in a bird's nest, to encourage the bird to lay its own eggs there.

never mind »    I withdraw my previous statement.

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.

nice guy »    An adult male who seeks sexual attraction and romantic intimacy, but only finds cordial friendship and platonic love.

nickel and dime »    Small time; operating on a small scale; involving small amounts of money; petty or cheap.

nightcap »    A beverage drunk before bed that is usually alcoholic.

nightcap »    A warm cloth cap worn while sleeping, often with pajamas. Nightcaps were common in northern Europe before central heating was available, when homes were cold at night.

nine day wonder »    Something that generates interest for a limited time and is then abandoned.

nine lives »    Durability; near immunity to damage.

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 dice »    An unfavorable result.

no frills »    Basic or simple; providing only what is necessary, without anything extra or fancy.

no slave to fashion »    A person whose style of clothing and appearance are unconventional, informal, or slovenly; a person who takes little interest in how he or she is dressed.

noarch »    Short for "no architecture". It is a term used mainly in package management systems to mark packages which are architecture independent. Such packages usually contain graphics, documentation or similar data that can be used on any architecture.

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

non-starter »    Someone or something who was listed to start in a race, but did not start in the race.

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

not a pretty sight »    Something visually unappealing, ranging from mildly unattractive to utterly disgusting in appearance.

not a sausage »    Jill: Not a sausage I'm afraid, I'm just visiting.

not all it's cracked up to be »    Not as good as claimed; falling short of expectations.

not at all »    Used similarly to you're welcome, as a conventional reply to an expression of gratitude.

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

not worth a brass farthing »    Worth nothing or next to nothing.

nothing to it »    Easy; simple or straightforward.

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

now you're talking »    A phrase indicating agreement with a previously stated suggestion to change a course of action.

nudge nudge wink wink »    A phrase added at the end of the sentence to hint that the speaker is referring to something else, euphemistically.

nugget of truth »    A small amount of truth in a generally untrue statement.

nuts and bolts »    The basic, inner workings of something; the fundamentals or basics; that which makes something operate, on a basic level.

odd and curious »    On the Isle of Man, the common or general man.

of course »    Acknowledges the validity of the associated phrase.

of course »    Asserts that the associated phrase should not be argued, particularly if it is obvious or there is no choice in the matter.

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

off one's game »    C. 1910, Ralph Henry Barbour, "The Dub" in The New Boy at Hilltop and Other Stories.

off one's rocker »    Crazy; insane.

off the beaten track »    In a place or places not commonly visited.

off the chain »    Crazy and exciting; delirious and wild. By analogy to a frenetic dog when unleashed.

off the chain »    Free from work or direct supervision. In reference to slave labor, where workers are chained, or to the figurative chain of workers of an assembly line.

off the deep end »    Crazy, erratic, or irrational.

off the hook »    Performing extraordinarily well.

off the mark »    Inaccurate; not correct or appropriate.

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

off the rails »    In an abnormal manner, especially in a manner that causes damage or malfunctioning.

off the rails »    Insane.

off the rails »    Off the intended path.

off the rails »    Out of control.

off the table »    Beyond consideration.

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

off the wagon »    No longer maintaining a program of self-improvement or abstinence from an undesirable habit, especially drinking alcohol.

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

oil burner »    A device whose operation causes apparent combustion of lubricating oil.

old hat »    Something widely or long practiced, known, or accepted; something conventional.

old money »    Families that have been wealthy for generations or members of such families.

old school »    Characteristic of a style, outlook, or method employed in a former era, remembered either as inferior to the current style, or alternately, remembered nostalgically as superior or preferable to the new style, the older denoting something that would be considered out of date or out of fashion to some, but as such, is considered by others as cool and hip.

on acid »    Exaggerated, bizarre or unpredictable.

on average »    Usually, typically; as a rule; as often as not.

on board »    On or in a means of transportation.

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

on purpose »    Purposefully; with intention; deliberately.

on second thought »    After reconsidering; on further consideration.

on steroids »    To a greater degree, exaggerating the characteristics of the previously named object.

on sufferance »    Unwillingly agreed to or barely tolerated.

on the blink »    Functioning erratically, malfunctioning; not working or not working well. Usually refers to a mechanical or electronic device.

on the brain »    Obsessively in mind.

on the clock »    Remunerated per unit of time.

on the clock »    Working at one's job; occupied in some manner during one's hours of remunerated employment.

on the double »    Rapidly or immediately.

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

on the go »    Actively traveling; busy; moving often.

on the ladder »    Figuratively a property ladder, owning property.

on the level »    Honest, sincere, straightforward.

on the loose »    Not incarcerated or in captivity; not under control.

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

on the mend »    Improving or undergoing restoration to a previous, more favorable condition.

on the outs »    On unfriendly terms; estranged.

on the pill »    Using oral contraceptives.

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

on the rag »    Menstruating.

on the right track »    Using the correct general approach to a particular task or problem; pursuing something in a promising way.

on the run »    Constantly traveling or moving from place to place.

on the same wavelength »    In rapport or complete accord.

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

on the straight and narrow »    Honest; proceeding according to rules and plans.

on the uptake »    In understanding or in the ability to absorb new information; especially in the phrases "quick on the uptake" and "slow on the uptake".

on the wagon »    By extension, maintaining a program of self-improvement or abstinence from some other undesirable habit.

on track »    On a well-defined promotion path in an organisation, usually tenure.

on track »    Proceeding as planned, as expected, or in a manner consistent with an established pattern.

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

once in a blue moon »    Very rarely; very infrequently.

once you go black, you never go back »    An expression assuming that once a person of another race gets in a sexual relationship with a black person they won't return to their own race.

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

one card shy of a full deck »    Mentally deranged; demented; insane.

one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind »    A cliché used to exaggerate an accomplishment or milestone..

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-man band »    A musician who plays several musical instruments at once.

one-night stand »    A single sexual encounter between two individuals, where at least one of the parties has no immediate intention or expectation of establishing a longer-term sexual or romantic relationship. As the phrase implies, the relationship lasts for only one night.

one-note »    Having only one opinion, outlook, tone, etc., especially as expressed repetitively; without variety or range.

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 person or group noteworthy for only a single achievement, skill, or characteristic.

one-upmanship »    The art or practice of successively outdoing a competitor.

onesie-twosie »    Individually or in very small groups, rather in larger batches.

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.

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

orange up »    To make more orange.

orange up »    To make more prominent by making orange or adding orange colour.

orange up »    To become more orange.

out of bounds »    Beyond the bounds of civility or morality; extremely unreasonable.

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

out of character »    Not acting; not "on"; behaving within one's natural personality rather than that of a character in a performance piece.

out of character »    Not in character; not successfully performing within the mindset of a given character in a theatrical performance. See also break character, drop character.

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 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.

out of place »    Not in the proper situation or arrangement, or inappropriate for the circumstances.

out of stock »    Temporarily unavailable for sale.

out of the blue »    Unexpectedly; without warning or preparation.

out of the mouths of babes »    The greatest wisdom comes from children, who are not afraid or weary of the world and its pressures.

out of whack »    Not working or operating properly.

out on one's ear »    Fired, dismissed or thrown out, especially for some wrongdoing or otherwise with disgrace.

out the window »    Made obsolete; altered drastically as a result of situational change.

outshout »    To merit the most attention or praise.

over and out »    Used to signal the end of a conversation, especially one conducted by CB radio or the like.

over the top »    Bold; beyond normal, expected, or reasonable limits; excessive; outrageous.

over the transom »    Said of an unsolicited work submitted for publication.

paint the town red »    To party or celebrate in a rowdy, wild manner, especially in a public place.

paint with a broad brush »    To describe a class of objects or a kind of phenomenon in general terms, without specific details and without attention to individual variations.

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

pan out »    By swirling dirt or crushed rock in a pan of water, in the manner of a traditional prospector seeking gold.

paper »    A sheet material used for writing on or printing on , usually made by draining cellulose fibres from a suspension in water.

paper »    A written document, generally shorter than a book , in particular one written for the Government.

paper »    Wrapping paper.

paper trail »    A written record, history, or collection of evidence.

paper trail »    The records left by a person or organization in the course of activities.

parade of horribles »    A parade featuring a progression of people wearing comic and grotesque costumes.

parade of horribles »    A rhetorical device employing a series of progressively more terrible results following from an act.

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

pare down »    To reduce by paring or a similar gradual process.

park the car in Harvard Yard »    A sentence used to illustrate that the Boston accent is non-rhotic; typically pronounced "pahk the cah in Hahvad Yahd".

parking lot »    A major thruway blocked by stop and go traffic.

parking lot »    An open area, generally paved, where automobiles may be left when not in use.

part and parcel »    An integral or essential piece; that which must be done or accepted as part of something else.

party animal »    A person known for frequent, enthusiastic attendance at parties, especially one whose partying behavior is exuberant or excessive.

party crasher »    Someone who attempts and often gains entry to a party or club to which they were not invited, often using social engineering techniques. The party crasher usually tries to blend into the party so as not to be kicked out.

pass out »    To graduate, usually marked by the ceremony at the end of their training.

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.

pass through »    To transit something.

pass through »    To infiltrate.

patriotism is the last refuge of scoundrels »    The appeal to patriotism is often used to distract the public from real issues.

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

pay the piper »    To pay a monetary debt or experience unfavorable consequences, especially when the payment or consequences are inevitable in spite of attempts to avoid them.

peace and quiet »    Tranquility; freedom from stress or interruptions.

peaches-and-cream »    Of facial complexion, smooth, with attractive yellow-pink coloring.

pearl of wisdom »    A succinct, insightful saying, piece of advice, or moral precept.

peel grapes »    To perform a menial task, eliminating trivial inconveniences.

peel out »    To start abruptly from a standing stop, accelerating rapidly, especially so as to produce skid marks.

pelt of the dog »    An immoderate, excessive quantity of alcohol drunk the morning after whilst suffering withdrawal symptoms or a hangover, which goes beyond alleviating the complaint to causing drunkenness; cf. hair of the dog.

penalty box »    That is assessed after an infraction.

people person »    Someone who is happier or more skilled at dealing with people rather than things or concepts.

perfect storm »    A situation where a calamity is caused by the convergence and amplifying interaction of a number of factors.

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.

peter out »    To dwindle; to trail off; to diminish to nothing.

pi%C3%A8ce de r%C3%A9sistance »    A masterpiece; the most memorable accomplishment of one’s career or lifetime..

pick on »    To bully or make fun of a victim; to bother or harass.

pick somebody's brain »    To seek information from someone knowledgeable; to ask questions of someone.

pick up »    To lift; to grasp and raise.

pick up »    To learn, to grasp; to begin to understand.

pick up speed »    accelerate

pick up the tab »    To accept a charge and pay for it, especially at a bar or restaurant.

piece de resistance »    A masterpiece; the most memorable accomplishment of one’s career or lifetime..

piece of ass »    A very attractive woman, when considered as a sex object.

piece of work »    A product or manufactured article, especially an item of art or craft.

pig out »    To eat voraciously or ravenously; to gorge oneself.

pile-up »    A traffic accident or collision involving multiple vehicles.

pipe down »    To be quiet; to refrain from being noisy.

piss and vinegar »    Exuberance or enthusiasm, especially to an excessive degree; bravado; youthful energy.

pissin like a race horse »    To urinate profusely.

pissing contest »    A boys' prankish competition to determine who can urinate the furthest up a wall.

pitched battle »    An intense, rancorous argument or confrontation.

play along »    To take part in a charade, deception, or practical joke.

play around »    To engage in sexual practices outside of marriage.

play ball »    To work together; to cooperate.

play fast and loose »    To be recklessly inaccurate, inappropriate, or otherwise ignoring guidelines and conventions.

play it by ear »    To play a song according to how it sounds, rather than from a written score.

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

play the ponies »    To bet on horse racing.

play the race card »    Donald A. Carson, Love in Hard Places p.94.

play the race card »    Mark Fuhrman, Murder in Brentwood p.153.

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.

plump up »    To shake or arrange so as to be fatter or more evenly distributed.

plus  »    (literally) The more it changes, the more it's the same thing (sometimes loosely translated as the more things change, the more they stay the same).Although the outward appearance may change, fundamentals are constant.

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.

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

pop off »    To release flatulence, in most cases, in short rapid succession.

potter »    One who makes pots and other ceramic wares.

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 the pavement »    To travel on foot; to walk or run.

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.

practice makes perfect »    If one practices an activity enough, one will eventually master it.

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.

preprogram »    To program something in advance.

pretty penny »    A considerable amount of money; a high price or a high income.

pretty pictures »    Image supplements in a presentation: graphs, charts, etc.

pretzel »    A toasted bread or cracker usually in the shape of a loose knot.

private branch exchange »    Telephone lines.

problem child »    A child who is particularly difficult to raise or educate, especially due to a lack of self-control and disruptive and antisocial behavior.

pronunciamiento »    A pronouncement or "declaration".

prove out »    To demonstrate the feasibility of.

proverbs come in pairs »    Alternative form of proverbs run in pairs.1979, Irving Howe, John Hollander, David Bromwich, Literature as Experience: An Anthology, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, ISBN 0155511130, page 325:Sometimes proverbs come in pairs, the first one providing the context, the second, the revision.

proverbs go in pairs »    Alternative form of proverbs run in pairs.1932, Bertrand Russell,

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.

pulcher »    Noble, honorable, excellent.

pull a »    To emulate a behaviour generally attributed to the individual named.

pull my finger »    A phrase used when playing a prank regarding flatulence, in which a mark is asked to pull the finger of the person playing the prank, who simultaneously flatulates so as to suggest a causal relationship between the pulling of the finger and the resulting expulsion of gas.

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 oneself up by one's bootstraps »    To begin an enterprise or recover from a setback without any outside help; to succeed only on one's own effort or abilities.

pull out »    To withdraw; especially of military forces; to retreat.

pull rank »    To assert one's authority over a subordinate who disagrees.

pull the other leg »    In imperative/precative form, used to imply that the speaker does not accept or believe what another has just said.

pull the other one, it's got bells on »    Monty Python's Holy Grail.

pump iron »    To lift weights; to engage in weight or strength training.

purple prose »    Extravagant or flowery writing, especially in a literary work.

push the boat out »    To do something, especially spend money, more extravagantly than usual, particularly for a celebration.

put all one's eggs in one basket »    Rather than diversifying.

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 by »    To perform an action without attracting attention.

put down »    To land an aircraft.

put forward »    To propose for consideration.

put into practice »    To take a theory and make it a practical reality.

put off »    To procrastinate.

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

put one's foot down »    To make a car go faster, accelerate.

put one's foot in it »    To make a mistake in public, or a social blunder, that is embarrassing, or offensive.

put one's foot in one's mouth »    To misspeak; to say something embarrassing or wrong.

put one's money where one's mouth is »    More generally, to take an obvious stake in the truth of a claim that one is making.

put someone down as »    To assume someone has a particular character from very little information.

put someone's back up »    To annoy someone deliberately.

put something into perspective »    To compare with something similar to give a clearer, more accurate idea.

put the hammer down »    To drive quickly; to step on the accelerator.

put through its paces »    To test completely; to exercise the full range of abilities or functions.

put up one's dukes »    Prepare to fight; literally, to raise your fists.

put up with »    To tolerate, suffer through, or allow, esp. something annoying.

put words in somebody's mouth »    To attribute to somebody something he or she did not say; to claim inaccurately that somebody said or intended something.

quantum mechanics »    The branch of physics which studies matter and energy at the level of atoms and other elementary particles, and substitutes probabilistic mechanisms for classical Newtonian ones.

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.

quick-and-dirty »    Of or pertaining to the creation or repair of software or hardware in a manner which permits operation within a brief period of time, although with compromised functionality or reliability.

quite a bit »    A considerable amount.

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

Rabbit »    Caught like a rabbit in the headlights.

rabble rouser »    Someone or something that tends to inspire mobs; something controversial or provocative.

rack one's brain »    To struggle to think of or remember something.

rag bagger »    A sailboat, usually a cruising sailboats which tend to carry and store lots of supplies along the deck, or any sailboat that looks like a neglected vessel, or messy vessel.

rag bagger »    A sailor who tends to sail on messy cruising vessels.

rag doll »    soft toy

rag the puck »    To proceed slowly at any activity in order to use up time; to stall for time.

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.

rag-chewing »    A phrase used by morse code operators for a longer than usual conversation, generally a conversation extending about 30 minutes.

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

rain cats and dogs »    To rain very heavily.

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 check »    To provide a service at a later date.

rain cheque »    Any postponement, especially of an offer.

rain cheque »    Any voucher or note issued by a store to allow a customer to get a special or sale price later if an item is out of stock.

rain dogs and cats »    To rain very heavily.

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

rain or shine »    Regardless of what the circumstances are, and how the weather is.

rain pitchforks »    To rain heavily.

rained cats and dogs »    poured

rainy day »    A difficult period of need, when things do not go right.

raise a hand »    To raise one's arm and hand.

raise a hand »    To volunteer.

raise a stink »    To complain; to demand attention or remedy for a problem.

raise Cain »    To behave in a disruptive manner.

raise Cain »    To cause trouble.

raise hell »    To cause a great disturbance.

raise one's hand »    To dare to question.

raise one's hand »    To volunteer.

raise somebody's hackles »    Make someone angry.

raise the bar »    To raise standards or expectations, especially by creating something to a higher standard.

raise the flag and see who salutes »    It generates, usually as a preliminary step.

raise the spectre »    To cause concern that something unfortunate might happen.

raise the stakes »    To increase in significance or risk.

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.

rake »    A lot, plenty.

rake »    A set of coupled rail vehicles, normally coaches or wagons.

rake »    The direction of slip during fault movement. The rake is measured within the fault plane.

rake »    The sloped edge of a roof at or adjacent to the first or last rafter.

ramp up »    To increase rapidly to a new value.

ramp up »    To be in the process of learning a new ability.

ramp up »    Of a project or operation, to start up.

rank and file »    Those lacking any particular title or status; those having no station.

raring to go »    Extremely eager or anxious to begin.

rat race »    An activity or situation which is congested with participants and which is hectic or tedious, especially in the context of a busy, modern urban lifestyle.

rat run »    A small road that people venture down when they want to sneak off the motorway and take a short cut.

rat running »    Present participle of rat run.

rattle off »    To list or recite quickly.

rattle someone's cage »    To demand attention; to nag, nudge, or remind.

reach an early grave »    To be sentenced to death before the age of 18.

reach an early grave »    To die young. To die before the age of 80.

reach an early grave »    To resign near the start for good.

read somebody the riot act »    To scold or berate somebody; to reprimand.

read somebody's lips »    To discern what somebody is saying by watching the shape of the mouth rather than by hearing the sounds of the words.

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.

rebound relationship »    A relationship proceeding a longterm relationship, usually short in duration and used to help mend the "broken heart".

rebrousser chemin »    To retrace one's steps, to turn back.

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 light »    A warning light, especially as a traffic signal indicating ‘stop’..

red mist »    Uncontrollable rage.

red state »    A state of the United States voting Republican in a given election, or tending to vote Republican in general.

red tape »    A derisive term for regulations or bureaucratic procedures that are considered excessive or excessively time- and effort-consuming.

rediscover fire »    To relearn fundamental concepts, principles or practices that had been previously well known and widely practiced at a prior time in human society.

redolent »    Fragrant or aromatic; having a sweet scent.

reflect on »    To think carefully about something, and give it due consideration.

ride roughshod over »    To act in a bullying or inconsiderate manner; to display disregard towards someone or something.

ride the rails »    To travel by railway train, trolley, etc.

ride the short bus »    To have a need for a special education program, as because learning disabled.

ride the short bus »    To participate in a special education program, such as for those with learning disabilities.

right as rain »    Correct; factually accurate.

right as rain »    Very good; healthy.

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

right on »    An expression of enthusiasm or encouragement.

ring out »    To make a phone call from an internal phone system to a general telephone network number.

rip off »    To charge an exorbitant or unfair rate.

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 movie »    A film in which much of the action takes place during a journey, especially one involving overland travel.

rob the cradle »    To marry or become romantically involved with a much younger person.

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

robber baron »    Especially in the 19th-century and early 20th-century, a business tycoon who had great wealth and influence but whose methods were morally questionable.

robber baron »    In Europe, an aristocrat who charged exorbitant fees or otherwise exacted money from people who journeyed across land or waterways which he controlled.

rocking horse shit »    A metaphor for something exceedingly rare or, more likely, nonexistent.

roll out the red carpet »    To extend the utmost hospitality; to treat someone as an honored guest; to welcome or host, especially in a showy or extravagant manner.

root up »    To dig or pull up by the roots; to deracinate.

ropable »    Upset; irate.

round the bend »    Crazy, mad or insane.

rub it in »    To add insult to injury; to emphasize one's strengths or another's weaknesses in a manner that degrades another.

rub out »    delete, erase

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

rule of thumb »    A general guideline, rather than a strict rule; an approximate measure or means of reckoning based on experience or common knowledge.

rule out »    To cross an item out by drawing a straight line through it, as with a ruler.

rule with an iron fist »    To rule with absolute authority or to the detriment of the people. To rule tyrannically.

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

rumor campaign »    A method of persuasion in which damaging rumors or innuendo are deliberately spread concerning a person or other target, while the source of the rumors tries to avoid detection.

run a bath »    To fill a bathtub with water in preparation for taking a bath.

run afoul of »    To contravene.

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

run for the roses »    Nickname for the Kentucky Derby horse race.

run off »    To operate by a particular energy source.

run on »    To operate with a particular energy source.

run on fumes »    By extension, to operate with few resources or little money.

run on fumes »    To operate a vehicle that is low on fuel.

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

run over »    To practice quickly, briefly.

run rampant »    To go unchecked or without control; to be wild or excessive.

run roughshod over »    To treat roughly or without care, respect, or moderation; to act without control; to damage.

run somebody ragged »    To exhaust; to demand excessive effort or work from somebody.

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

run through »    To pervade, of a quality that is characteristic of a group, organisation, or system.

rush hour »    The times of the day when traffic jams are commonplace, due mainly to people commuting to or from work.

rush hour »    busy travel period

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

sabre-rattling »    Any threat, such as one company threatening another with a lawsuit.

say goodbye »    To separate from someone.

say grace »    To recite a prayer of invocation or thanksgiving at meal time.

scare out of one's wits »    To frighten someone to such an extent that they behave irrationally.

scissorbill »    And railroad term for someone who refused to join the union or who openly colluded with management to thwart the union.

scotch mist »    fine rain

scrape off »    To remove something by a scraping action.

scrape the bottom of the barrel »    To use the least desirable parts of something.

scrape through »    To marginally manage to progress.

scrape together »    To collect, assemble or gather small amounts , from various sources, with some difficulty.

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

scratch that »    To disregard, omit, or ignore the previous statement.

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

scream »    A form of singing associated with the metal and screamo styles of music. It is a loud, rough, distorted version of the voice; rather than the normal voice of the singer.

scream »    An entertaingly outrageous person.

screen out »    To use a screen, grate, sieve or similar means to separate large from small objects or particles.

screen out »    Figuratively, to exclude.

screw back »    To cue the cue ball in such a way as to impart backspin. On impact, the ball will follow a reverse trajectory according to the spin.

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

sea change »    A profound transformation.

sea legs »    Ability to travel by ship without becoming seasick.

seat-of-the-pants »    Done by feel, guess, or trial and error rather than by careful planning, thought or technique.

second banana »    A comedian who plays a secondary or supporting role, especially as straight man and traditionally in vaudeville or burlesque theatre.

second childhood »    A childlike state in any adult, resulting from mental illness, trauma, or other conditions.

second childhood »    The period or state of cognitive decline of an elderly person, characterized by childlike judgment and behavior.

second nature »    A mindset, skill, or type of behavior so ingrained through habit or practice that it seems natural, automatic, or without a basis in conscious thought.

see the forest for the trees »    To discern an overall pattern from a mass of detail; to see the bigger picture, or the broader, more general situation. Generally used in the negative.

see you later »    A phrase used at parting, and not necessarily implying that the person being addressed will be seen later by the speaker.

sell »    To agree to transfer goods or provide services in exchange for money.

sell down the river »    To betray, especially in a manner which causes serious difficulty for the one betrayed.

send to Coventry »    To ostracize, or systematically ignore someone.

send up »    To make prices or temperatures etc. rise.

sent to Coventry »    Ostracised, ignored.

separate the wheat from the chaff »    To select only that which is of value.

serpentine »    Of, or having attributes associated with, the mythological serpent, such as craftiness or deceitfulness.

serpentine »    Of, pertaining to, or characteristic of snakes.

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

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

set one's cap at »    . Or, more generally, to choose something as a goal.

set straight »    To correct; to make right or true.

set up shop »    To physically arrange a shop or workplace.

settle for »    To accept or allow something, especially something not entirely desirable.

sex machine »    Someone with considerable sexual prowess.

sex up »    To make more palatable or acceptable to the general public; to improve the image or perception.

sex up »    To make more sexually attractive.

sexual congress »    Loose translation of the title of Aristophanes' play Ecclesiazousae, more literally translated as Assemblywomen.

shank-nag »    To travel on foot.

shanks' mare »    One's own legs used for walking; to "travel by shanks' mare" or "ride on shanks' mare" is to walk to your destination.

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

shanks' pony »    Transportation by foot.

shape up »    To take shape; to transform into or become.

shape up or ship out »    To either improve one's behavior or else be required to leave; to either improve one's performance in an activity or else withdraw from that activity completely.

sharp tongue »    The practice or characteristic of speaking to others in a harsh, critical, or insulting manner.

shell out »    To use a program's "shell escape" function to execute an unrelated command or to invoke a subsidiary, interactive shell.

shift gears »    To change pace or mode of operation.

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

shit-eating grin »    A broad smile indicating self-awareness that may suggest self-satisfaction, smugness, discomfort, or embarrassment.

shitstorm »    Considerable backlash from the public.

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

shoot 'em up »    A short story, novel, television show, film, computer game, or other narrative which depicts considerable gunplay.

shoot off at the mouth »    To boast, or brag, or talk too much.

shoot one's mouth off »    To make reckless or exaggerated statements.

shoot oneself in the foot »    To deliberately sabotage an activity in order to avoid obligation, though it causes personal suffering. Origins in first world war trench warfare.

shoot the breeze »    To chat idly or generally waste time talking.

shoot through like a Bondi tram »    To leave in haste.

short fuse »    The personality trait of being quick to anger.

short on looks »    Plain, unattractive.

short temper »    The personality trait of being quick to anger.

shotgun »    A one-story dwelling with no hallways or corridors, with the rooms arranged in a straight line. Mostly heard in the southern United States.

shotgun approach »    An approach in which the subject is indiscriminate and haphazard, using breadth, spread, or quantity in lieu of accuracy, planning, etc.

show off »    To exhibit; to demonstrate one's skill, talent, etc. for its own sake.

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

show up »    To appear, arrive, or attend, especially suddenly or erratically.

shroud »    The branching top of a tree; foliage.

shuffle »    A rhythm commonly used in blues music. Consists of a series of triplet notes with the middle note missing, so that it sounds like a long note followed by a short note. Sounds like a walker dragging one foot.

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.

sign in »    To take some action to access a secured program or web page on a computer; to log in.

sign of the times »    A symbol of an era; a zeitgeist.

sign off »    Term used to describe the closing of a radio or television station's studios and cessation of a broadcasting signal, usually during the overnight hours.

sign on »    The time of day when a radio or television station begins broadcasting, usually after being off the air for several hours.

silver bullet »    Any straightforward solution perceived to have great effectiveness or bring miraculous results.

silver-tongue »    The trait of being clever at speaking, often in a deceitful way.

since when »    Used to indicate doubt as to the veracity of a statement.

sing along »    A gathering or event where participants are encouraged to add their voices in song.

sing soprano »    To perform vocal music in a higher pitch than alto.

sing soprano »    To suffer castration or an injury to the testicles.

sing the praises of »    To commend someone's attributes to others.

singing soprano »    Castrated or injured in the testicles.

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

sit on »    To block, suppress, restrain.

sit on the fence »    To remain neutral on a certain topic, to not have a stance or opinion.

sit still »    To accept, tolerate, or acquiesce.

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

skeleton crew »    The minimum number of personnel needed to operate and maintain an item at its most simple operating requirements, such as a ship or business, during an emergency or shut down, and at the same time, to keep vital functions operating.

skinny as a rail »    Especially of a person, very skinny.

slip through the cracks »    To escape notice or lack sufficient attention.

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 slope »    A chain of events that, once initiated, cannot be halted; especially one in which the final outcome is undesirable or precarious.

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.

slow burn »    A gradually increasing feeling of anger or frustration.

slow down »    Decelerate.

slow up »    To slow, slow down, decelerate.

smell a rat »    To sense something suspicious.

smoke and mirrors »    A deceptive, fraudulent, or unconvincing explanation or description.

smooth operator »    A person who accomplishes tasks with efficiency and grace, especially one with verbal skills who is persuasive in interpersonal relationships, negotiation, etc.

smooth operator »    A skillful, manipulative person, con artist, or clever scoundrel.

snake in the grass »    A treacherous person.

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

snake oil »    Any product with exaggerated marketing but questionable or unverifiable quality.

snake oil »    Snake oil is a traditional Chinese medicine used to treat joint pain.

snazz up »    To improve appearance or appeal by increasing stylishness or functionality, or by adding other attractive features.

snipe hunt »    A prank in which a gullible victim is sent off on a fruitless search for a nonexistent item.

snow on the mountaintop »    Gray or white hair on one's head, especially as an indication of aging.

snow on the rooftop »    Gray or white hair on one's head, especially as an indication of aging.

so quiet one can hear a pin drop »    Said during a lull in a normally bustling place or scene, or as the result of a sudden dramatic or tense moment.

so so »    average

soap opera »    TV series

soapbox »    A crate for packing soap, or, by extension, any inexpensive crude platform raised above the surrounding level to give prominence to the person on it, especially when used for speeches.

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

soft as a grape »    someone who is limited in their ability

soft mick »    An extravagant person.

soft shoe »    A speech, explanation, sales pitch, or other set of remarks delivered in a restrained or conciliatory manner in order to persuade, distract, or otherwise influence someone.

soft spot »    A point of vulnerability in a defence.

soft touch »    A comfortable situation; an easy task or undemanding occupation, especially one which is comfortably remunerative.

softroader »    . This involves increased ground clearance with tyre, wheel, and suspension tweaks, skid plates and refers to mini SUV or wagons.

son of the morning »    A traveler.

song and dance »    An excessively elaborate story or excuse used to justify something.

sort out »    To organise or separate into groups, as a collection of items, so as to make tidy.

sort out »    To separate from the remainder of a group; often construed with from.

sour grapes »    A putting down or expression of disdain about something that one desires but cannot have.

spaghetti western »    Nickname for a motion picture produced by an Italian-based company and filmed in Europe, depicting a tale of cowboys and desperadoes set in the American Old West.

spanner »    A hand tool shaped like a small crank handle, for winding the spring of a wheel lock on a musket.

spare tire »    An extra wheel or tire carried as a replacement in case of a flat.

spare tyre »    An extra tyre carried in case one of the vehicle's tyres is damaged or deflated.

speak one's mind »    To state one's thoughts or opinions honestly or frankly.

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

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.

speed up »    To accelerate, to increase speed.

spice up »    To make more exotic, fun or extravagant.

spill one's seed »    To masturbate or to ejaculate when the penis has been withdrawn from one's partner.

spit it out »    To overcome reluctance to say something particular or to speak in general.

spit the dummy »    To a situation childishly, in an angry or frustrated manner.

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

splice the mainbrace »    To have a drink.

split up »    Separate, disassociate, cause to come apart.

sprain one's ankle »    To be pregnant.

spring fever »    A feeling of invigoration and restlessness associated with the arrival of the warm weather and renewal of nature in the spring season.

spruce up »    To dress or arrange smartly, elegantly, and neatly.

spruce up »    To refresh, revamp; to freshen or improve something, especially its appearance.

stab in the back »    An act of betrayal or treachery.

stamp out »    To get rid of, eradicate.

stand for »    To tolerate.

stand in »    temporary substitute

stand out »    To be obvious or conspicuous, in contrast to one's surroundings.

stand stock still »    Paul Travers' Adventures, by Sam T. Clover.

stand to reason »    To make sense; to seem logical, reasonable, or rational.

standard fare »    Menu items or dining options which are regularly available in a restaurant or other place where food is served.

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

start up »    To begin to operate.

steal somebody's thunder »    To detract from somebody's accomplishments or glory; to undermine.

step down »    To gradually reduce something, a little at a time, as an electronic step down transformer.

step in front of a moving train »    To sacrifice one's own life for a noble and loyal cause.

step on a rake »    To fall victim to a hazard.

step on a rake »    To step on the tines of a garden rake, causing the handle of the rake to rise from the ground rapidly, invariably striking the person walking in the face.

step on it »    To drive fast; to step on the accelerator.

step up »    To increase speed or rate.

step up »    accelerate

stepping razor »    A dangerous person, who is not to be messed with.

stick in someone's craw »    To cause lasting annoyance, irritation, or hard feelings.

stick in the mud »    More generally, one who is slow, old-fashioned, or unprogressive; an old fogey.

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

stiff upper lip »    The quality of being resolute and showing self-restraint, associated with stereotypical British people.

still water runs deep »    A person with a calm appearance has, or may have, considerable inner emotion, character, or intellect

still waters run deep »    A person with a calm appearance has, or may have, considerable inner emotion, character, or intellect.

stir-crazy »    By extension, restless, uncomfortable, or impatient due to inactivity.

stir-crazy »    Of a prisoner, mentally unbalanced due to prolonged incarceration.

stock phrase »    A phrase frequently or habitually used by a person or group, and thus associated with them.

stop someone in his tracks »    To prevent someone from continuing along a path or way, literal or figurative, he has begun going along.

stop the lights »    An interjection expressing exasperation or incredulity. or to illustrate the humour in a situation.

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

stop up »    To increase the aperture of a photographic lens, moving from an f/stop represented by a higher number to an f/stop represented by a lower number and causing more light to pass into the camera.

straight away »    Very soon; quickly; immediately.

straight face »    A face that is expressionless, especially not laughing.

straight from the horse's mouth »    Directly from the source; firsthand.

straight from the shoulder »    Done in a direct manner; blunt.

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.

straight out of the chute »    Something done immediately, or "from the beginning". Taken from rodeo routine: the bucking bronco, or bull, or the calf for the calf-roping contest is kept in a narrow pen, a chute, until it is released and dashes out to its fate.

straighten out »    To make straight.

straighten out »    To correct or rectify.

straighten out »    To eliminate confusion from or concerning.

straighten out »    To correct; to stop doing something wrong.

strange bedfellows »    An unusual combination or political alliance.

strap on a pair »    To be brave; to show some courage, especially in a situation where one has so far failed to do so.

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 through »    Partly obliterate text by drawing a continuous line through the centre thereof, usually to indicate the deletion of an error or obsolete information.

stumbing-block »    A hindrance, obstacle or impediment.

stumbling block »    A hindrance, obstacle or impediment.

suck up »    To adulate or flatter somebody excessively, generally to obtain some personal benefit or favour.

suffer fools gladly »    To be tolerant of stupidity or incompetence in other people.

sugarcoated »    Made superficially more attractive. This often implies the reality has faults that are being hidden.

surprise surprise »    An indication that the unsurprising happened, especially contrary to someone's hopes or assertions.

swear on a stack of Bibles »    To make a promise or give one's assurance with great conviction.

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.

sweet dreams »    Phrase said to someone before they fall asleep, wishing them a good sleep.

sweet hereafter »    Heaven; paradise as enjoyed in the afterlife.

sweeten the pot »    To make something more desirable.

sweetheart deal »    A transaction, contract, or other agreement in which one party provides particularly favorable terms to the other, especially in suspicious circumstances.

swim with sharks »    To operate among dangerous people.

swing for the fences »    To act in a way that might generate a very good result, but which also has a large chance of failing.

swing state »    A state which may vote Democratic or Republican, in a given election or generally; a purple state.

switch off »    To alternate between; to trade.

switch on »    To change one's expression or appearance as if by turning a switch.

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 crack at »    To attempt or try.

take a crap »    To defecate.

take a leaf out of someone's book »    To adopt an idea or practice of another person.

take a picture »    To photographically capture an image.

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 after »    In appearance or habit.

take away »    To remove something, either material or abstract, so that a person no longer has it.

take away »    To subtract or diminish something.

take back »    To retract an earlier statement.

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

take for granted »    To assume something to be true without verification or proof.

take for granted »    To give little attention to or to underestimate the value of, to fail to appreciate.

take heart »    Be courageous; regain one's courage.

take its toll »    To affect, especially negatively; to damage or degrade; to cause destruction.

take leave of one's senses »    To go crazy; to stop behaving rationally.

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

take one's hat off to »    To publicly praise or thank.

take out of context »    To interpret something in a manner in which it was not intended to be understood, often deliberately.

take out the trash »    To forcefully remove people from a place.

take out the trash »    To remove rubbish from a place.

take over »    To relieve someone temporarily.

take sitting down »    To tolerate, accept, or acquiesce; to take no action.

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

take something in one's stride »    Not to allow oneself to be set back, daunted, upset or embarrassed by unpleasant or undesirable circumstances.

take the bull by the horns »    To confront a difficulty, rather than avoiding it.

take the rap »    To be blamed or punished for something, especially for the actions of another.

take the wind out of someone's sails »    To discourage someone greatly; to cause someone to lose hope or the will to continue.

take to »    To adapt to; to learn, grasp or master.

take to »    To begin, as a new habit or practice.

take to task »    To lecture, berate, admonish, or hold somebody accountable for his or her actions.

take to the cleaners »    To take a significant quantity of a person's money or valuables, through gambling, unfavorable investing, fraud, litigation, etc.

take up »    That which takes up or tightens; specifically, a device in a sewing machine for drawing up the slack thread as the needle rises, in completing a stitch.

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.

talk out one's ass »    To speak authoritatively on a subject which one actually knows little about; to exaggerate.

talk turkey »    To talk or negotiate plainly, frankly, or seriously.

tall tale »    A greatly exaggerated, fantastic story.

taper off »    To diminish or lessen gradually; to become smaller, slower, quieter, etc.

tar with the same brush »    To characterize using the same undesirable attribute, especially unjustly.

tart up »    To modify or repackage a product, service, or idea to make it more attractive or easier to sell.

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

tell off »    To speak to someone rudely, disrespectfully or angrily; to berate; to unleash one's fury verbally towards someone.

tell the truth »    To speak frankly.

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".

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 a penny »    So common as to be practically worthless.

than a bygod »    Used with a comparative to express extreme heat or cold.

that does it »    Expression of annoyance or frustration; indicates that one has reached the limit of one's patience or temper.

that which doesn't kill you makes you stronger »    Used to express the sentiment that hardship or difficult experiences build moral character.

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 calm before the storm »    A period of peace before a disturbance or crisis; an unnatural or false calm before a storm.

the dogs bark, but the caravan goes on »    Life goes on, even if some will try to stop or talk against progress.

the end justifies the means »    Morally wrong actions are sometimes necessary to achieve morally right outcomes; actions can only be considered morally right or wrong by virtue of the morality of the outcome.

the end of one's rope »    At the limit of one’s patience, when one is so frustrated or annoyed that one can no longer take it..

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 grass is always greener on the other side »    Other circumstances seem more desirable than one's own but in reality are often not

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 man »    The oppressive powers that be, including the government and corporations; the system, as coordinated outside of one’s control..

the man in the street »    average person

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

the pits »    Something miserable or unpleasant.

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

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 straw that broke the camel's back »    A small and seemingly insignificant addition to a burden that renders it too much to bear; the small thing which causes failure, or causes inability or unwillingness to endure any more of something.

the terrorists will have won »    Phrase used following a description of an activity to indicate that if that activity is not continued or carried out, those who seek to disrupt normal activities through terror will have succeeded, an which is an unacceptable result.

the whistle does not pull the train »    Alternative form of it's not the whistle that pulls the train.

the whistle doesn't pull the train »    Alternative form of it's not the whistle that pulls the train.

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

there and back »    One or for a round trip journey, literal or figurative.

there but for the grace of God go I »    A recognition that others' misfortune could be one's own, if it weren't for the blessing/kindness/luck bestowed by fate or the Divine.Man's fate is in God's hands.More generally, our fate is not entirely in our own hands.

there may be snow on the rooftop but there is fire in the furnace »    Even if a person is in his or her senior years, with gray hair, he or she can still have ambition and energy, especially sexual energy.

there ya go »    Expressing exasperation.

there you go »    Expressing exasperation.

there you have it »    Used to introduce a speaker's interpretation of what has just transpired or been described.

there's more than one way to skin a cat »    A problem generally has more than one solution.

there's nowt so queer as folk »    Nothing is as strange as people can be.

think of England »    To tolerate or endure bad sex. Used in conjunction with "I just lie on my back and.." "I just go through the motions and..." etc.

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 degree »    Intensive rough interrogation in order to extract information or a confession.

third rate »    inferior

thrash out »    To discuss something so fully as to resolve a problem or conflict; to hammer out.

three Rs »    The basic education received in primary schools. Literally; reading, writing and arithmetic.

three-on-the-tree »    On an automobile, describing the gearshift lever of a steering column-mounted three-speed manual transmission.

through the roof »    Rapidly increasing.

throw a fit »    To become angry, enraged, or upset; to act or react with an outburst, as by shouting, swearing, etc.

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 down »    Admirably or forcefully.

throw down »    To accomplish or produce something in a grand, respectable, or successful manner; to "represent".

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 off »    To introduce errors or inaccuracies; to skew.

throw one's cap over the windmill »    To act in a crazed manner.

throw one's toys out of the pram »    To lose one's temper; to throw a tantrum.

throw shapes »    To act tough or put up a front. For example, to threaten a person by making "karate chops" at them, without actually doing harm or knowing karate.

throw under the bus »    To betray or blame; to use as a scapegoat.

tick off »    To annoy, aggravate.

tickle someone's fancy »    To amuse, entertain, or appeal to someone; to stimulate someone's imagination in a favorable manner.

time and material »    A form of contractual compensation involving payment for materials used and at agreed rates for the those involved in performing the services.

time out of mind »    A lengthy duration of time, longer than is readily remembered.

timeserver »    A device, node or program that distributes the correct time to clients in a network.

timing is everything »    Consideration of other events can greatly influence some desired outcome (such as an audience laughing to a comedian's joke).Telling the old joke about a butt-crack was not a good idea, just as the plumber arrived, Bob.You know what they say: "timing is everything." I'm sure we can find another plumber before the house floods.

tip of the hat »    A gesture of acknowledgement; often, an expression of gratitude.

tipping it down »    Raining heavily.

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

to be honest »    Frankly, honestly.

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

to beat the band »    Very vigorously; at a frantic pace; to a high degree; in large quantities.

to die for »    Very good; exquisite; excellent; particularly desirable.

to go »    Served in a package or takeout container so as to be taken away from a restaurant rather than eaten on the premises.

to tell the truth »    An attestation to the truthfulness and frankness of an associated statement.

to the letter »    Literally, exactly, to follow the rules as they're written.

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

tone down »    To make a television program, piece of writing, etc. less offensive and so more suitable for a family audience.

toot one's own horn »    To promote oneself; to boast or brag; to tout.

top drawer »    Of the highest quality.

toss-up »    A decision in which neither choice is clearly favorable or unfavorable, or for which the outcome does not matter.

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 down »    To land an aircraft.

touch of the tar brush »    Of South Asian or Afro-Caribbean in their background and/or in their appearance.

touchy-feely »    Driven by intuition or emotion, with a connotation of de-emphasis of rational thought or logic.

tough nut to crack »    A difficult or sticky problem.

track down »    To hunt for or locate; to search for; to find.

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

trailer park trash »    Lower-class people who live in trailer parks.

trailer trash »    Deleted from the movie trailer. Not included in theatrical run.

trailer trash »    Trailer park trash.

train wreck »    An inevitable disaster.

train wreck »    The aftermath of a train crash.

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

travel iron »    holiday accessory

travel junkie »    Who are using their time and money to seek out adventure holidays and travel.

trench mouth »    Acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis, a severe bacterial infection of the gums, typically characterized by inflammation, bleeding, deep ulceration, necrotized tissue, pain, fever, enlarged lymph nodes, fatigue, and halitosis.

trick of the trade »    A shortcut or other quick, or very effective way of doing things, that professional workers learn from experience.

trip out »    To have a fit, to become enraged.

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

try one's hand »    To attempt a skill, craft, or trade.

tube steak »    A frankfurter.

tune in »    To select a channel, station, etc., as on television or radio.

tune up »    To make preparations for vigorous exercise; to warm up.

turn a blind eye »    To ignore or deliberately overlook, especially with respect to something unpleasant or improper.

turn a hair »    To become afraid or visibly upset.

turn a phrase »    To create a particular linguistic expression which is strikingly clear, appropriate, and memorable.

turn back »    To reverse one's direction and retrace one's steps.

turn back »    To backtrack.

turn heads »    To garner a considerable amount of attention.

turn in one's grave »    To be appalled, offended or disgusted by something, despite being deceased.

turn into »    To transform into; become.

turn of phrase »    An artful phrasing of words.

turn off »    To repulse, disgust, or discourage.

turn on »    To attract, give pleasure, or encourage.

turn-on »    Something that attracts, gives pleasure, or encourages, especially sexually.

two can play that game »    The tactics and/or strategies of an enemy can be used against him.

two wrongs don't make a right »    (ethics) A wrongful action is not a morally appropriate way to correct or cancel a previous wrongful action.1915, William MacLeod Raine, The Highgrader, ch. 15:"But when it comes to taking what belongs to another

under erasure »    Of a bit of text, written and strickenthrough; hence, figuratively in some sense both present and absent.

under one's belt »    Already done; within one's experience; practiced.

under the radar »    Without attracting notice; in an undetected or secretive manner.

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

under way »    In operation, in progress, commenced.

under wraps »    Secret or hidden.

untar »    To extract a tar archive.

up for grabs »    Available for anyone to obtain, claim or win.

up in the air »    Literal: up in or into the sky or air.

up the ante »    To make something more desirable.

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

up the wall »    Crazy, mad.

up to scratch »    Sufficient; adequate; of acceptable or satisfactory quality.

up-and-coming »    Emerging; aspiring; improving; beginning to attract attention or critical acclaim.

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.

urban fabric »    The physical aspect of urbanism, emphasizing building types, thoroughfares, open space, frontages, and streetscapes; while excluding without prejudice to this useful term, environmental, functional, economic and sociocultural aspects.

venus flytrap »    insect-eating plant

wack out »    To become deranged.

wage war »    A figurative allusion to pay discrepancies.

wait for the other shoe to drop »    To await a seemingly inevitable event, especially one which is not desirable.

walk it off »    To walk or pace in order to relieve a pain or cramp.

walk the line »    To behave in an authorized or socially accepted manner, especially as prescribed by law or morality; to exercise self-control.

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

walk the line »    To participate in the procession at a graduation ceremony; to graduate.

wall off »    To separate with a wall.

waltz Matilda »    To travel with a swag; that is, with one's belongings wrapped in a cloth.

warm down »    Gentle excercise at the end of a training session before cooling off.

warm up »    To prepare for executing an already-learned activity by a limited amount of additional practice.

warts and all »    Of or pertaining to a description or other depiction which reveals the full range of characteristics of a person or thing, including the shortcomings and imperfections.

wash away »    To eliminate, in a figurative sense.

wash out »    To lose traction while going around a turn, especially in cycling, motorsports and skiing/snowboarding.

watch one's mouth »    In the imperative form, used as a warning to avoid or stop using inappropriate language, especially profanity, or disrespectful utterances.

watch out »    To be aware or conscious; to look closely or carefully; to use caution. Often used in the imperative.

watered-down »    Diluted; containing extra water.

way out of a paper bag »    A minimal level of competence or effectiveness, as used in phrases where one is unable to perform such.

way to go »    An expression of congratulations, encouragement, or approval.

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

wear one's heart on one's sleeve »    To be extremely transparent, open, or forthright about one's emotions.

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

wear out »    To exhaust; to cause or contribute to another's exhaustion, fatigue, or weariness, as by continued strain or exertion.

wear out »    To become exhausted, tired, fatigued, or weary, as by continued strain or exertion.

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.

wet boy »    A contractor assassin or hit man.

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.

what do I know »    Implies that a statement is based on a guess or assumption rather than on knowledge or evidence.

what doesn't kill you makes you stronger »    Used to express the sentiment that hardship or difficult experiences build moral character.

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.

when you're up to your neck in alligators, it's easy to forget that the initial objective was to drain the swamp »    Only because it seems so urgent.

when, as, and if »    Used to indicate the timing and contingency of some obligation in contracts, especially financial.

where there's muck there's brass »    (UK, Irish) There is money to be made in unpleasant dirty jobs.

whisper campaign »    A method of persuasion in which damaging rumors or innuendo are deliberately spread concerning a person or other target, while the source of the rumors tries to avoid detection.

whistle past the graveyard »    To attempt to stay cheerful in a dire situation; To proceed with a task, ignoring an upcoming hazard, hoping for a good outcome.

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

whistle-stop »    A small train station.

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

whistle-stop train tour »    Any travel that's quick and with only brief pauses.

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 lie »    A deliberate, untrue statement which does no harm or is intended to produce a favorable result.

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

whomp up »    To incite or generate.

wide of the mark »    Inaccurate.

wild horses »    Plural form of wild horse.

wild-goose chase »    A futile search, a fruitless errand; a useless and often lengthy pursuit.

willful ignorance »    A bad faith decision to avoid becoming informed about something so as to avoid having to make undesirable decisions that such information might prompt. It may also be shown as for a person to have no clue in a decision but still goes ahead in their decision.

willies »    Plural form of willy.

willy nilly »    Seemingly at random, haphazardly.

wind back the clock »    Figuratively to return in time to an earlier period of history.

window dressing »    A means of creating a deceptively favourable impression of something or someone; something for appearance only.

window dressing »    The decorative display of retail merchandise in store windows.

wing it »    To improvise; to make things up or figure things out as one goes; or to perform with little or no preparation.

winter rat »    An old, unattractive automobile, purchased for little money, to be driven during brutal Great Lakes winters while the owner's "good" car remains garaged and protected from corrosive road salt for the season.

wipe away »    To remove or erase with a wiping motion.

wipe out »    To physically erase something written.

wipe out »    To crash, fall over.

with flying colors »    Extremely well; in an exceptional, noteworthy, or extraordinary manner.

with open arms »    With enthusiasm, as if embracing.

wits' end »    A. 1911, John Muir, in John Muir and Michael P. Branch, John Muir's Last Journey: South to the Amazon and East to Africa, 2002, page 138.

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

work around the clock »    To work all day and all night without a break, because it is imperative to finish something.

work out »    To extract gradually.

work over »    To improve a prototype, or first draft.

work the room »    To interact enthusiastically with the attendees at an event, by moving among them, greeting them, and engaging them in conversation.

work the room »    To interact with one's audience, taking queues from its reactions and adapting one's performance or words to elicit the audience's attention and enthusiasm.

world »    Human collective existence; existence in general.

wrap around one's fingers »    To make one susceptible to desire, in that their behavior or actions are influenced.

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

wrap it before you tap it »    wear a condom before sexual intercourse.

wrap up »    To fold and secure something to be the cover or protection for something.

wrap up »    To finish off a task completely.

wrap up »    To form a cylinder by rolling a sheet of something.

wrap up »    To wear more clothes as protection from the weather; to bundle up.

wrap up »    To summarize or recapitulate.

write off »    Figuratively, to assign a low value to something.

write off »    unrepairable car

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

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

yellow journalism »    Material published in a broadcast or periodical, such as a tabloid newspaper or magazine, which is sensationalistic and of questionable accuracy and taste.

yellow press »    Newspapers which publish sensationalist articles rather than well researched and sober journalism.

yellow-bellied »    Uncourageous.

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 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 know it »    Indicates agreement, approval, encouragement.

you know what »    A phrase used to get someone's attention before announcing something.

you knows it »    Indicates agreement, approval, encouragement.

you made your bed, now sleep in it »    A moralizing rejection said to someone looking for an easy out, especially of a situation they put themselves into.

you never know what you've got till it's gone »    Good friends and acquaintances shouldn't be taken for granted.

you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours »    If you do me a favor then I will do you a favor; quid pro quo.

you shouldn't have »    Used to express gratitude at unnecessary generosity, especially when receiving a gift.

you've got to crack a few eggs to make an omelette »    In order to achieve something, it is inevitable and necessary that something should be destroyed.

zero in on »    To concentrate or focus one's attention on at task.

Search from any page on the Web with Abbreviations.com AutoSearch. It's free!