a closed mouth gathers no feet »
One who does not speak can be certain he won't say anything embarrassing.
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a dumb priest never got a parish »
(Irish) Those who fail to speak up fail to get what they want.
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actions speak louder than words »
It is more effective to act directly than to speak of action.
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all talk and no action »
Speaking, promising, or boasting much, but doing little
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been there, done that »
An assertion that the speaker has personal experience or knowledge of a particular place or topic and is now bored.
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been there, done that, bought the T-shirt »
Expresses the speaker's complete familiarity with a situation, with overtones of cynicism or exhaustion.
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believe you me »
An emphatic form of "believe me"; you [the subject] had better believe me [the speaker].
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blow smoke »
To speak with a lack of credibility, sense, purpose, or truth; to speak nonsense.
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call a spade a spade »
To speak the truth; to say things as they really are.
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cite chapter and verse »
To speak authoritatively, providing detailed factual information.
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copious free time »
A hypothetical time set aside for performing time-consuming tasks, however insinuating that the speaker really has no free time.
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cross my heart »
A declaration that the speaker is telling the truth.
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darn tootin' »
Absolutely correct; speaking the truth.
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double talk »
Speaking in a mixture of real English and English-sounding gibberish, for humorous effect.
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drama queen »
Who behaves and speaks in an overly dramatic manner so as to garner attention.
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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.
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far be it »
A disclaimer stating that the person speaking will not do something.
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flap one's gums »
To speak idly; to talk without effect.
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for all intents and purposes »
For every functional purpose; in every practical sense; in every important respect; practically speaking.
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for my money »
Used to mark a statement made by the speaker as an opinion or something not known with certainty.
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frog in one's throat »
Any temporary physical difficulty in speaking.
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full of it »
Speaking nonsense; lying, exaggerating, or boasting.
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full of shit »
Characterized by speaking nonsense or falsehoods.
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give somebody what-for »
To admonish or berate; to speak angrily at somebody.
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have a word with »
To talk or speak with.
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have the floor »
To have permission or time to speak, especially in a formal situation.
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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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hit on »
To flirt with; to approach and speak to (someone), seeking romance, love, sex, etc.
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hold that thought »
Used to acknowledge that one's attention needs to be diverted from what an speaker was saying.
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if pigs had wings they would fly »
(colloquial) Expresses speakers skepticism toward a hypothetical argument by another.
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in vino veritas »
drunken folks speak truth, one tells the truth under the influence of alcohol
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it's about time »
Used to express impatience at the eventual occurrence of something that the speaker or writer considered to be long overdue.
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jack it in »
An imperative to stop doing something that the speaker finds annoying.
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jumped-up »
Describes a person who thinks he is superior in some way that the speaker disagrees with. For instance, of a higher class, or has more authority than they have in reality.
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keep one's mouth shut »
To keep a secret; to refrain from speaking indiscreetly or carelessly.
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look daggers »
To stare sharply at someone to indicate disapproval without actually speaking.
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man of few words »
A man who doesn't speak much, or speaks only for a short period of time.
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mouthful of marbles »
An indistinct, muffled or garbled manner of speaking.
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nudge nudge wink wink »
A phrase added at the end of the sentence to hint that the speaker is referring to something else, euphemistically.
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on about »
Speaking about, talking of.
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open one's big mouth »
To speak about things, when it would be better to stay silent.
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parting shot »
An insult or barbed comment issued as the speaker departs or the conversation comes to an end.
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pipe up »
To speak up.
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plead the fifth »
To refuse to answer a question, or refuse to speak, especially when the response would reflect badly on the speaker.
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preach to the choir »
Speaking as if to convince a person or group of something which that person or group already believes.
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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 one's foot in one's mouth »
To misspeak; to say something embarrassing or wrong.
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queer one's pitch »
To make a task more difficult for the speaker.
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see you later »
A phrase used at parting, and not necessarily implying that the person being addressed will be seen later by the speaker.
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sharp tongue »
The practice or characteristic of speaking to others in a harsh, critical, or insulting manner.
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silver-tongue »
The trait of being clever at speaking, often in a deceitful way.
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speak for »
To speak on somebody's behalf.
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speak for »
To claim, reserve, or occupy.
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speak for oneself »
Expressing disagreement with an opinion expressed by another.
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speak for oneself »
To provide an opinion only on one's own behalf.
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speak of the devil »
An expression sometimes used when a person mentioned in the current conversation happens to arrive on the scene.
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speak of the devil and he appears »
Alternative form of speak of the devil.
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speak one's mind »
To state one's thoughts or opinions honestly or frankly.
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speak out »
To assert or promote one's opinion; to make one's thoughts known.
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speak to »
To give evidence regarding something; to attest for.
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speak to »
To address a particular topic.
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speak to »
To resonate with, to strike a chord in.
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speak up »
To talk more loudly or plainly.
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speak up »
To make oneself or one's opinions known; to advocate or assert oneself.
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speak with a forked tongue »
To speak deceptively; to be duplicitous or untruthful.
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spill one's guts »
To confess, or to divulge secrets, typically speaking freely and at length after a change of motive or an incentive.
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spit it out »
To overcome reluctance to say something particular or to speak in general.
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squeaky wheel gets the grease »
The person who complains or speaks up most loudly receives the redress or attention which he or she seeks.
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talk a mile a minute »
To speak quickly or excessively.
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talk down »
To speak condescendingly or as though the listener is inferior.
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talk of the devil »
Alternative form of speak of the devil.
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talk out one's ass »
To speak authoritatively on a subject which one actually knows little about; to exaggerate.
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talk the talk »
Speak like an expert, claim to be knowledgeable about something.
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talk through one's hat »
To speak lacking expertise, authority, or knowledge; to invent or fabricate facts.
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tell off »
To speak to someone rudely, disrespectfully or angrily; to berate; to unleash one's fury verbally towards someone.
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tell the truth »
To speak frankly.
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the nose knows »
Despite the addressee's belief that the speaker was unaware of something, the speaker, in fact, was already aware.
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there you have it »
Used to introduce a speaker's interpretation of what has just transpired or been described.
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to all intents and purposes »
For every functional purpose; in every practical sense; in every important respect; practically speaking.
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today we are all »
An expression indicating that the speaker empathizes with members of an identifiable group that was the subject of a disaster, and projects that others empathize as well.
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tongue-tied »
Unable to speak; at a loss for words.
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turn the air blue »
To speak a stream of bad language; to curse and swear.
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unwashed masses »
Of people who are considered by someone to be somehow uneducated, uninformed, godless, or in some other way unqualified for inclusion in the speaker's elite circles.
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waste breath »
To speak in a manner which is needless or futile; in discussion or argument to make points which are not appreciated or heeded.
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weigh in »
To bring in one's weight, metaphorically speaking, to bear on an issue.
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whistle in the dark »
To speak of something despite having little knowledge of it.
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