a miss is as good as a mile »
A failure remains a failure, regardless of how close to success one has actually come.
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abide by »
To remain faithful to something or someone; to stand to; to adhere.
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abide with »
To remain or live with someone.
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bits and bobs »
A random assortment of things; small remaining pieces and things.
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bitter end »
That part of an anchor cable which is abaft the bitts and thus remains onboard when a ship is riding at anchor.
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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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burn down »
To completely burn, so that nothing remains.
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collect dust »
To remain untouched and unused for a long period of time.
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dirty laundry »
Unflattering facts or questionable activities that one wants to remain secret, but which some other may use to blackmail with.
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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.
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familiarity breeds contempt »
The more acquainted one becomes with a person, the more one knows about his or her shortcomings and, hence, the easier it is to dislike that person.1894, H. Rider Haggard, The People Of The Mist, ch. 25:This was the beginning of evil, for if no man is a hero to his valet de chambre, much less can he remain a god for long in the eyes of a curious woman. Here, as in other matters, familiarity breeds contempt.
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forewarned is forearmed »
Advance awareness of a situation, especially a risky one, prepares one to deal with it.1863, Charles Reade, Hard Cash, ch. 4:[W]hatever a young gentleman of that age says to you, he says to many other ladies; but your experience is not equal to your sense; so profit by mine . . . forewarned is forearmed.1885, G. A. Henty, Saint George for England, ch. 4:Sometimes, they say, it is wiser to remain in ignorance; at other times forewarned is forearmed.circa 1903, Lucy Maud Montgomery, "Why Mr. Cropper Changed His Mind":"Well, Miss Maxwell, I think it only fair to tell you that you may have trouble with those boys when they do come. Forewarned is forearmed, you know."
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have one's back to the wall »
To have no other options remaining.
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have one's wits about one »
To remain calm, composed, or aware.
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head scratcher »
July 2002, Fox News - Attorney: Williams' Kids Near Compromise About Father's Remains.
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