against the grain »
Contrary to what is expected; especially, of behavior different from what society expects.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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beat someone's brains out »
To beat someone very severely.
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beddable »
[...] feminine, great body great legs great taste, trained and beddable, Jesus, how beddable.
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bird of one's own brain »
One's own idea or conception.
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boot camp »
Any short, intensive course of training.
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boot camp »
Indoctrination, physical fitness training and basic instruction in service-related subjects for recruits in the Navy and Marine Corps.
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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.
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brain fart »
A lapse in the thought process; an inability to think or remember something clearly.
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brain fart »
Something ill-considered and said or done impulsively.
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brain surgeon »
Someone very intelligent.
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brain surgeon »
Someone who does brain surgery.
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brain surgery »
Something that is overly complex, detailed or confusing.
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brain surgery »
Surgery on any part of the nervous system, especially the brain; neurosurgery.
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brain teaser »
puzzle
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brain-dead »
Having an irreversible loss of brain function and cessation of brain activity.
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brain-dead »
Having no useful thoughts; stupid; ditzy.
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bucket down »
To rain heavily.
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chase a rainbow »
To pursue something illusory, impractical, or impossible.
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chuck it down »
To rain heavily.
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circle the wagons »
To draw a wagon train into a circle to allow the wagons to provide cover when under attack.
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cut it out »
To stop; refrain from; halt.
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discretion is the better part of valour »
It is often wise to refrain from seemingly brave speech or action.1597
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down the drain »
Wasted, squandered; irretrievable.
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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.
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dyed-in-the-wool »
Firmly established in a person's beliefs or habits; deeply ingrained in the nature of a person or thing.
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fly the freak flag »
To behave in a unconventional or unrestrained manner; to exhibit the uninhibited side of one's personality.
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footloose and fancy free »
Able to do as one pleases, unconstrained by social ties or responsibilities.
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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.
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free rein »
The absence of constraints; freedom to make decisions.
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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"
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get off »
To disembark from mass transportation, such as a bus or train.
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ghost train »
fairground attraction
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go against the grain »
To defy convention; to do something in a manner that is unusual or out of the ordinary.
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go apeshit »
To behave in an extreme manner; to act without restraint, especially by becoming explosively angry.
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go to the mattresses »
To go to war; to use ruthless tactics; to act without restraint.
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grain of salt »
A bit of common sense and skepticism. Generally used in some form of to take with a grain of salt.
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granary »
A fertile, grain-growing region.
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granary »
A storage facility for grain or sometimes animal feed.
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gravy train »
A gorging on luxuries, since someone else foots the bill.
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gravy train »
An occupation or any lucrative endeavor that generates considerable income whilst requiring little effort and carrying little risk.
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hold down »
To restrain; to check.
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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.
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in spades »
To excess, a lot, considerably; without restraint.
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it ain't the whistle that pulls the train »
Alternative form of it's not the whistle that pulls the train.
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it is not the whistle that pulls the train »
Alternative form of it's not the whistle that pulls the train.
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it isn't the whistle that pulls the train »
Alternative form of it's not the whistle that pulls the train.
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it never rains but it pours »
Unfortunate events occur in quantity.
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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:
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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.
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keep down »
To restrain or control.
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keep from »
To prevent or restrain ; refrain or cause refrain.
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keep one's mouth shut »
To keep a secret; to refrain from speaking indiscreetly or carelessly.
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keep out »
To refrain from entering a place or condition.
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keep out »
To restrain someone or something from entering a place or condition.
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keep out of »
To restrain someone or something from entering a place or condition.
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keep quiet »
To refrain from talking about something; to keep a secret.
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laced-up »
Restrained; uptight.
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mince words »
To restrain oneself in a conversation by withholding some comments or using euphemisms.
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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.
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on the brain »
Obsessively in mind.
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paper »
A sheet material used for writing on or printing on , usually made by draining cellulose fibres from a suspension in water.
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pass out »
To graduate, usually marked by the ceremony at the end of their training.
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pick somebody's brain »
To seek information from someone knowledgeable; to ask questions of someone.
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pipe down »
To be quiet; to refrain from being noisy.
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pump iron »
To lift weights; to engage in weight or strength training.
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rack one's brain »
To struggle to think of or remember something.
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rain cats and dogs »
To rain very heavily.
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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.
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rain check »
To provide a service at a later date.
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rain cheque »
Any postponement, especially of an offer.
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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.
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rain dogs and cats »
To rain very heavily.
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rain on someone's parade »
To disappoint or discourage someone.
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rain or shine »
Regardless of what the circumstances are, and how the weather is.
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rain pitchforks »
To rain heavily.
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rained cats and dogs »
poured
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rainy day »
A difficult period of need, when things do not go right.
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ride the rails »
To travel by railway train, trolley, etc.
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right as rain »
Correct; factually accurate.
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right as rain »
Very good; healthy.
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scotch mist »
fine rain
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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.
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sit on »
To block, suppress, restrain.
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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.
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sprain one's ankle »
To be pregnant.
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step in front of a moving train »
To sacrifice one's own life for a noble and loyal cause.
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stiff upper lip »
The quality of being resolute and showing self-restraint, associated with stereotypical British people.
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the whistle does not pull the train »
Alternative form of it's not the whistle that pulls the train.
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the whistle doesn't pull the train »
Alternative form of it's not the whistle that pulls the train.
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tipping it down »
Raining heavily.
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train wreck »
An inevitable disaster.
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train wreck »
The aftermath of a train crash.
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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
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warm down »
Gentle excercise at the end of a training session before cooling off.
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wear out »
To deteriorate or become unusable or ineffective due to continued use, exposure, or strain.
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wear out »
To exhaust; to cause or contribute to another's exhaustion, fatigue, or weariness, as by continued strain or exertion.
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wear out »
To become exhausted, tired, fatigued, or weary, as by continued strain or exertion.
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when it rains, it pours »
If a person encounters bad luck, more bad luck will follow.
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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.
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whistle-stop »
A small train station.
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whistle-stop train tour »
A tour in a political campaign that makes many brief stops in small communities.
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whistle-stop train tour »
Any travel that's quick and with only brief pauses.
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| BTW, Why won't you become an editor? |
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