a good voice to beg bacon »
Said in ridicule of a bad voice.
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according to »
Based on what is said or stated.
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age before beauty »
A phrase said to allow older people to go before younger ones.
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and then some »
Used to confirm preceding utterance, while implying that what was said or asked is an understatement.
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apples and oranges »
Said of a comparison of items that are not comparable.
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are your ears burning »
Said of somebody who was not present but was the topic of discussion.
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at that »
In addition to what has been said; furthermore; moreover.
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be in for »
To be able to expect or anticipate; to be about to suffer, generally said of something unpleasant.
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bite one's tongue »
An admonishment to someone who has said something unfeeling or harsh.
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brain fart »
Something ill-considered and said or done impulsively.
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brass monkey »
Said of the weather when it is very cold.
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by leaps and bounds »
Rapidly. Said of making progress.
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don't hold your breath »
"Don't wait." Said cynically to suggest that what has just been mentioned to is unlikely to happen soon or at all.
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easy come, easy go »
Easily won and easily lost; usually said when resigned to a loss.
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eat one's words »
To regret or retract what one has said.
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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
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get it over with »
To do or finish, especially said of something unpleasant.
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goodbye cruel world »
A call said before taking a stiff drink, especially a shot of vodka.
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has-been »
A formerly popular or influential person whose popularity or effectiveness has peaked and is now in decline. Typically said of professionals or celebrities whose primary success is behind them.
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hear, hear »
Let us hear and applaud the previous speaker; I endorse the previous statement; Expression of support, agreement, or enthusiasm for what has just been said.
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hen's teeth »
Anything very rare or impossible to obtain is said to be like finding hen’s teeth.
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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..
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highway robbery »
Said of excessive or exorbitant prices.
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hold one's tongue »
To keep quiet; especially, to leave something unsaid.
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if looks could kill »
A phrase said upon catching sight of someone's giving you a particularly nasty look of discontent or disapproval.
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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,
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jack up »
To raise, increase, or accelerate; often said of prices, fees, or rates. See also jack up the price.
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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).
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me three »
Used to express agreement, after someone has already said "me too".
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member for Barkshire »
Said of one troubled with a cough, vulgarly styled barking.
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neither fish nor fowl »
Said of something not easily categorized or not fitting neatly into any established group.
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no spring chicken »
Said of a person who is no longer particularly young.
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not leave one's thoughts »
Said when one keeps thinking about something.
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on the line »
On a level with the eye of the spectator; said of a picture, as hung in an exhibition of pictures.
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one-track mind »
That said to be possessed by someone who is obsessed with something or only able to think of one thing.
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or what »
Or something else; allows for the existence of an unexpressed alternative to what was said.
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over the transom »
Said of an unsolicited work submitted for publication.
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pardon me »
Sorry; said as an apology.
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pinch and a punch for the first of the month »
Said the first day of a new month, accompanied by a pinch and a punch to the victim.
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play the same tape »
To repeat exactly what one previously said or did.
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pull the other leg »
In imperative/precative form, used to imply that the speaker does not accept or believe what another has just said.
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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.
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said and done »
Agreed to and accomplished or finished.
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skin and bones »
Said of one who is emaciated; very skinny, as from lack of nutrition.
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so much for »
An expression of disregard, or resignation; something said upon giving up, quitting, or disposing of something.
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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.
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stand corrected »
Said to acknowledge someone who corrects something that one says or writes that was not correct.
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sweet dreams »
Phrase said to someone before they fall asleep, wishing them a good sleep.
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take down »
To write a note. Usually to record something that is said.
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take it or leave it »
It is said when a situation has to be accepted without change.
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take it to the bank »
Said to emphasize that something is known for sure.
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tell it to Sweeney »
I do not believe what you said.
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tell it to the marines »
I do not believe what you said.
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that'll be the day »
Said in reply to something that one believes will never happen.
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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."
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the long and short of it »
The gist; the essence or substance; the most important or salient features; said of a summary or digest.
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there is an exception to every rule »
Usually said in a situation when the rule is incorrect and unusable.
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three skips of a louse »
Said about some trifling or insignificant matter.
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throw enough mud at the wall, some of it will stick »
Try the same thing (or similar things) often enough, and, even if the general standard is poor, sometimes one will be successful.2001, And still no one is shouting stop. read in The Kingdom archives at [1] on 02 Nov 06,Many team managers are of the philosophy that if you throw enough mud at the wall some of it will stick. They believe that team preparation is all about physical fitness. They run the players into the ground and they believe they will be "flying on the day".2001, Robert McCrum, Let them eat cake, in The Observer 16 Dec 01, read on Guardian Unlimited site at [2] on 02 Nov 06,Australian publishing boomed and in the past 10 years the country's literary culture has undergone a mini golden age, capped by Carey's triumph at the 2001 Booker Prize. As one Australian arts administrator said to me many years ago: 'Listen, mate, if you throw enough mud at the wall, some of it will stick.'2001, Chris Collin, Re: 2-cp speys on The Strathspey Server mailing list archive at [3] on 02 Nov 06,I am finding that "if you throw enough mud at the wall, some of it will stick". It doesn't always work of course (especially on the nights when the class is mostly the beginners), but the class seems to thrive on the challange.2005, Ray Craft (poster on The right scale blog), Fitzhooie and his Burden, read at [4] on 02 Nov 06,Prosecutors everywhere have bad habits of overcharging lots of cases, knowing that if the throw enough mud at the wall some of it will stick.2005, Sean Kelleher, Spike Milligan: His part in our downfall in Business 07 Aug 05, read at [5] on 02 Nov 06,As long as there is negligible regulation and enforcement anyone can actually try and do the job...Weak regulation allows the industry to build strategies on full time recruitment. The theory goes: throw enough mud at the wall, some of it will stick.c2005, Everything You've Learned About Marketing Is Wrong, read on LINC Performance website at [6] on 02 Nov 06,They have the money to continue to believe in the repetition side of the equation. You throw enough mud at the wall, some of it will stick. But it still isn
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top of the morning »
A generic greeting said to someone in the morning.
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under way »
A vessel is said to be underway when she is not anchored, moored, aground, or beached[1]. Compare with make way.
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walk the talk »
To do what one said one could do, or would do, not just making empty promises. To walk one's talk is to be innocent of hypocrisy.
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wash over »
Said of the way an emotion affects one suddenly.
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when all is said and done »
In the end; ultimately.
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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.
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