accident of birth »
Reference to the fact that various benefits or detriments to the life of a person arise from the circumstances into which that person was born, these being entirely beyond his control.
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account for »
To explain by relating circumstances; to show that some one, thing or members of a group are present or have been processed.
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all bark and no bite »
Full of big talk but lacking action, power, or substance; pretentious.
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all fur coat and no knickers »
Of superficial appearance and with no real substance beneath.
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all hat and no cattle »
Full of big talk but lacking action, power, or substance; pretentious.
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all mouth and no trousers »
Superficial, engaging in empty, boastful talk, but not of real substance.
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all mouth and trousers »
Superficial, engaging in empty, boastful talk, but not of real substance.
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all over but the shouting »
The substance of the contest is complete, leaving only the cheering.
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all the way to Egery and back »
The long way; a roundabout route; a long distance to travel.
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as best one can »
In the best possible way, given the circumstances.
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as the crow flies »
In a straight line distance between two locations, as opposed to the road distance or over land distance.
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at arm's length »
At a distance, away from one's body.
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at bay »
Unable to come closer; at a distance.
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beam up »
To be teleported over a long distance by means of a specific imaginary technology, specifically from the surface of a planet to an orbiting starship.
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box the compass »
To make a complete reversal in stance or opinion.
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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.
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business as usual »
The normal course of an activity, particularly in circumstances that are out of the ordinary.
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by oneself »
Alone; without assistance, accompaniment, or help from others.
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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.
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clay »
A mineral substance made up of small crystals of silica and alumina, that is ductile when moist; the material of pre-fired ceramics.
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clock up »
To accumulate a large distance.
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cold turkey »
The sudden and complete withdrawal of a dependent substance, especially of a drug.
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controlled substance »
Except for very limited professional testing purposes.
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country mile »
A long way, a great distance.
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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.
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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.
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desperate times call for desperate measures »
In adverse circumstances actions that might have been rejected under other circumstances may become the best choice.
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different as chalk and cheese »
Two things which are superficially alike but very different in substance.
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do a bunk »
To escape or flee under incriminating circumstances.
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drug of choice »
Substance that a suspect is addicted to.
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far and wide »
Over a great distance, or large area; nearly everywhere.
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from here to ya-ya »
A very long distance.
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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.
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get high »
To intoxicate oneself with drugs or other substances.
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go the distance »
To have the endurance to see a difficult sustained challenge to its natural end without faltering.
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go the distance »
To participate in a boxing match for its maximum number of rounds.
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hell or high water »
Highly adverse circumstances; acts of God.
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helping hand »
Any assistance, help or aid.
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home stretch »
The final part of a distance or the final effort needed to finish.
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in the fast lane »
In a lifestyle, employment position, or other set of circumstances where the rapid pace is exciting, frantic, or risky.
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in thunderation »
In any set of circumstances whatsoever.
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instance in »
To cite an instance; to adduce an example.
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it is what it is »
This circumstance is simply a fact and must be accepted or dealt with as it exists.
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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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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.
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keep on truckin' »
To continue or persist, regardless of circumstances or setbacks; to keep trying or striving.
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keep one's cards close to one's chest »
To avoid revealing one's thoughts, circumstances, or plans.
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leave somebody high and dry »
To abandon somebody; to stop providing assistance at a crucial moment.
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leave to one's own devices »
To leave alone, unsupervised, without assistance.
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long haul »
Travelling a long distance.
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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.
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middle ground »
The middle distance.
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nod off »
To fall asleep, especially while in a seated position or in inappropriate circumstances.
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not on your life »
Absolutely not; under no circumstances.
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on one's own »
Alone; by oneself; without the companionship or assistance of others.
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one swallow does not a summer make »
One sighting or instance of an event does not necessarily indicate a trend.
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one swallow doesn't make a summer »
One sighting or instance of an event does not necessarily indicate a trend.
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one-upmanship »
A succession of instances of outdoing a competitor.
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out of place »
Not in the proper situation or arrangement, or inappropriate for the circumstances.
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over my dead body »
Under no circumstances; absolutely not.
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pi%C3%A8ce de r%C3%A9sistance »
A masterpiece; the most memorable accomplishment of one’s career or lifetime..
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piece de resistance »
A masterpiece; the most memorable accomplishment of one’s career or lifetime..
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pitch in »
To help out; lend assistance; contribute; to do one's part.
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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.
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poison »
A substance that is harmful or lethal to a living organism.
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rain or shine »
Regardless of what the circumstances are, and how the weather is.
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rough trot »
A series of difficult circumstances.
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sell a bargain »
A species of wit, much in vogue about the latter end of the reign of Queen Anne, and frequently alluded to by Dean Swift, who says the maids of honour often amused themselves with it. It consisted in the seller naming his or her hinder parts, in answer to the question, What? which the buyer was artfully led to ask. As a specimen, take the following instance: A lady would come into a room full of company, apparently frightened, crying out "It is white, and follows me!" As soon as someone responded "What?" she sold him the bargain, by saying "Mine arse".
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set back »
To remove from or allow distance.
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shuffle »
An instance of walking without lifting one's feet.
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sit on the fence »
To remain neutral on a certain topic, to not have a stance or opinion.
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smoke signal »
A method of long-distance communication sometimes used in ancient and undeveloped societies, consisting of messages conveyed by means of columns or intermittent puffs of smoke.
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stand back »
To maintain a safe distance from a hazard.
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stand off »
To stand some distance apart form something or someone.
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state of affairs »
A specific situation; a set of circumstances.
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stone's throw »
A short distance, roughly equivalent to how far a person can throw a stone.
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swallow one's pride »
To set aside one's feelings of pride and adopt a more humble or appropriate stance.
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sweetheart deal »
A transaction, contract, or other agreement in which one party provides particularly favorable terms to the other, especially in suspicious circumstances.
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take something in one's stride »
Not to allow oneself to be set back, daunted, upset or embarrassed by unpleasant or undesirable circumstances.
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take the shadow for the substance »
To be easily deceived, credulous, superficial.
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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.
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the grass is always greener on the other side »
Other circumstances seem more desirable than one's own but in reality are often not
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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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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.
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two-second rule »
A rule of thumb for safe driving by which a driver must maintain a two-second distance from the vehicle in front.
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when the cat's away the mice will play »
In the absence of a controlling entity, subordinates will take advantage of circumstances.
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you make the bed you lie in »
A person's circumstances are normally the result of his or her own actions.
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zoom along »
To proceed quickly a long distance.
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