We've found 1944 phrases for ta (0.131 seconds):

a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush »    It is preferable to have a small but certain advantage than a mere potential of a greater one.

a cat may look at a king »    Even a purported inferior has certain abilities, even in the presence of a purported superior

a closed mouth gathers no feet »    One who does not speak can be certain he won't say anything embarrassing.

a day late and a dollar short »    Action that was taken too late and too feeble to be of any use.

a different ballpark »    Something totally unrelated or of a vastly different scale or scope.

a good beginning makes a good ending »    Good beginnings promise a good end; start off on a good note to reap the benefits at the end.

a house is not a home »    A home is not merely a building but requires inhabitants and a friendly atmosphere.

a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step »    even the longest and most difficult ventures have a starting point

a leopard cannot change its spots »    One cannot change one's own nature.1597, William Shakespeare, Richard II Act i, Scene 1 (First Folio):King. Lyons make Leopards tame.Mowbray. Yea but not change his ?pots.1611, King James Version of the Bible, Jeremiah 13:23:Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots?1820, Walter Scott, Ivanhoe Chapter 32:End now all unkindness. Let us put the Jew to ransom, since the leopard will not change his spots, and a Jew he will continue to be.1918, Johnston McCulley, Thubway Tham's Inthane Moment:The leopard cannot change his spots, old boy.

a question of »    The important question is; the necessary question is.

a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down »    An otherwise unpleasant situation can be pleasant when a pleasant aspect is deliberately introduced.1999, Eli Yassif, The Hebrew Folktale: History, Genre, Meaning, Indiana University Press, ISBN 0253335833, page 372,One is known as the "sweetening parable," that is to say a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down. Thus, when the aim is to preach to the people, to guide them along the "bitter," arduous path of upholding burdensome precepts and prohibitions, a tale can lighten the load, make the "medicine" easier "to swallow."2001, Maureen Reagan, First Father, First Daughter: A Memoir, Little, Brown, ISBN 0316736368, page 319,It put some fun into the tedious business of preparing for a presidential debate. A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, right?2004, John Hoover, How to Work for an Idiot: Survive & Thrive... Without Killing Your Boss, Career Press, ISBN 1564147045, page 11,If a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, a barrel of laughs can wash down the big pills you might need to swallow.

abide by »    To remain faithful to something or someone; to stand to; to adhere.

about turn »    An about face; a military command to a formation of soldiers to reverse the direction in which they are facing.

above board »    Honestly, reputably.

above the salt »    Of high standing or honor.

abstract nonsense »    Details which involve diagram chasing.

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.

accident waiting to happen »    A thing or situation which is almost certain to eventually lead to an accident.

according to »    According to the directions, the glue takes 24 hours to dry.

according to »    Based on what is said or stated.

account for »    To explain by relating circumstances; to show that some one, thing or members of a group are present or have been processed.

ace in the hole »    A hidden or secret strength, or unrevealed advantage.

ace up one's sleeve »    A surprise advantage of which others are not aware.

across the board »    Pertaining to all categories or things.

ad fontes »    Go to the sources: An expression emphasizing the importance of conducting fundamental research and of consulting primary sources.

add up »    To take a sum.

against all odds »    Despite seemingly insurmountable opposition or probability.

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.

ahead of the game »    Having completed a task before it is due; ready, prepared, or anticipating.

air bed »    inflatable mattress

all bark and no bite »    Full of big talk but lacking action, power, or substance; pretentious.

all cats are grey in the dark »    In the dark, physical appearance is unimportant.

all fur coat and no knickers »    Of superficial appearance and with no real substance beneath.

all hat and no cattle »    Full of big talk but lacking action, power, or substance; pretentious.

all hell breaks loose »    Vi A place or state of fury, turmoil, destruction, or chaos.

all important »    vital

all it's cracked up to be »    As good as claims or reputation would suggest.

all mouth and no trousers »    Superficial, engaging in empty, boastful talk, but not of real substance.

all mouth and trousers »    Superficial, engaging in empty, boastful talk, but not of real substance.

all out »    The state of a side having no more men to bat, thus ending its innings.

all over but the shouting »    The substance of the contest is complete, leaving only the cheering.

all roads lead to Rome »    different paths can take one to the same goal

all talk and no action »    Speaking, promising, or boasting much, but doing little

all talk and no cider »    All talk and no results.

all the time »    Always; constantly; for the complete duration.

all the way to Egery and back »    The long way; a roundabout route; a long distance to travel.

all very well »    All right, to a certain extent.

all well and good »    Basically good, but with some shortcoming or limitation.

all's fair in love and war »    unpleasant behavior is acceptable during love and conflict.

allow for »    To take into account when making plans.

am I right or am I right »    Rhetorical question from somebody who has stated what they consider to be an unassailable truth.

amber nectar »    Lager beer.

an apple a day keeps the doctor away »    Apples are healthy and stave off illness.Eat healthy and you won't get sick.

an axe to grind »    A grievance, with implications of confrontation.

and then some »    Used to confirm preceding utterance, while implying that what was said or asked is an understatement.

angle for »    To try to obtain something by subtle indirect means. Political manoeuvres, suggestion, etc.

answer back »    To reply impertinently; to talk back.

apple does not fall far from the tree »    A child grows up to be very similar to its parents, both in behavior and in physical characteristics.1842, E. A. Freidlaender (translator), Frederika Bremer (author), The Neighbours, ch. 10:It is impossible to look at Madam Rhen, without at once making the conclusion that she is pleasantness, hospitality, and loquacity itself; nor can one look upon her daughter Renetta without thinking, "the apple does not fall far from the tree!"1978, Dr. Isador Rosenfeld, "Doctor Asks Patient

apron string hold »    An estate held by a man during his wife's life.

arm and a leg »    A relatively high price for an item or service; an exorbitant price.

arm candy »    An attractive, seemingly romantic companion who accompanies a person in public simply so that one or both of the individuals can gain attention, enhance social status, or create an impression of sexual appeal.

arm's length »    Distant, detached.

around the clock »    All the time or seemingly all the time; constantly.

arse over tit »    Tumbling; falling; upside-down; unstable or unbalanced.

as best one can »    In the best possible way, given the circumstances.

as is »    In its present state or condition, especially as a contractual condition of sale.

as the crow flies »    In a straight line distance between two locations, as opposed to the road distance or over land distance.

asleep at the switch »    Neglectful of an important task, responsibility, or opportunity.

ass into gear »    Get going; get moving; start producing.

assume the mantle »    To take on a specific role or position, along with any associated responsibilites.

at a moment's notice »    Immediately; instantaneously; without need of warning.

at a stand »    In a state of confusion or uncertainty; undecided what to do next.

at arm's length »    At a distance, away from one's body.

at bay »    Unable to come closer; at a distance.

at cross-purposes »    Mutually misunderstanding each other's plans, intentions or meanings.

at death's door »    About to die; in a life-threatening state of health.

at first »    Initially; at the start.

at heart »    In spirit; according to one's beliefs, views or feelings; deep down, really, fundamentally.

at home »    At ease, comfortable.

at loose ends »    In an uncertain position or situation.

at once »    At the same time; simultaneously; together.

at rest »    Not moving; stationary.

at sixes and sevens »    In a state of confusion.

at sixes and sevens »    In a state of dispute or disagreement.

at stake »    In danger; hazarded; pledged; at risk.

at the drop of a hat »    Without any hesitation; instantly.

at the high port »    At once; unhesitatingly; quickly and vigorously.

at the ready »    Ready; in a state of preparation or waiting; in position or anticipation.

baby blues »    Period and feeling of depressiveness after giving birth; a less severe form of postnatal depression.

back burner »    A state of low urgency; a state of low current importance.

back down »    To take a less aggressive position in a conflict than one previously has or has planned to.

back to square one »    Located back at the start, as after a dead-end or failure.

back up »    For the non-striker to take a few steps down the pitch, in preparation to taking a run, just as the bowler bowls the ball.

back-burner »    Having low urgency; not currently important.

back-cloth star »    An actor who stands upstage, forcing the other actors to face him and turn their backs to the audience, in order to gain more attention to himself.

bad egg »    disreputable character

bad money drives out good »    Debased coinage (with low levels of precious metals) replaces purer coinage (with higher levels of precious metals).(metaphorically) Mediocre talent drives away real talent.

bad news »    An irritating, troublesome, or harmful person, situation, or thing.

bad penny »    A person or thing which is unpleasant, disreputable, or otherwise unwanted, especially one which repeatedly appears at inopportune times.

bad taste in one's mouth »    A feeling of disappointment and frustration.

bad taste in one's mouth »    A feeling of guilt, responsibility, or embarrassment as to cause nausea.

bad taste in one's mouth »    A feeling something is morally despicable as to cause nausea.

bag of rations »    A fussy or overly zealous military superior.

baggage »    In a metaphorical sense, factors that restrict a person's freedom, often in an intellectual or psychological way: emotional baggage.

ball-breaker »    A person or task which is excessively demanding or punishing.

ballpark figure »    An educated guess or estimation within acceptable bounds.

bang on about »    To keep talking endlessly about the same subject.

bang to rights »    Caught red-handed; in a guilty state.

bar star »    A female who frequents bars or lounges, usually late at night.

barge in »    To intrude; to enter or interrupt suddenly and without invitation.

bark up the wrong tree »    To attempt or pursue the wrong thing; to take the wrong approach; to follow a false lead.

barnburner »    Liberal faction of the New York state United States Democratic Party in the mid 19th century.

barrel »    A metallic tube, as of a gun, from which a projectile is discharged.

barrel »    A round vessel or cask, of greater length than breadth, and bulging in the middle, made of staves bound with hoops, and having flat ends or heads. Sometimes applied to a similar cylindrical container made of metal, usually called a drum.

barrel »    A waste receptacle.

barrel of laughs »    That which is enjoyable or entertaining.

barrow man »    A man under sentence of transportation; alluding to the convicts at Woolwich, who are principally employed in wheeling barrows full of brick or dirt.

bastardly gullion »    A bastard's bastard.

battle cry »    By extension, a strong motto or purpose statement, especially in regards to winning a goal in sports, games or work.

bawdy basket »    The twenty-third rank of canters, who carry pins, tape, ballads, and obscene books to sell, but live mostly by stealing.

be after »    To try to obtain.

be on about »    Talk about; mean, intend.

be taken ill »    Due to sudden illness.

be taken ill »    To become ill.

be-all and end-all »    Something considered to be of the utmost importance; something essential or ultimate.

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.

beat around the bush »    To delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant.

beat up »    To alarm by a sudden attack.

beat up »    To sail to windward using a series of alternate tacks across the wind.

beat up »    Repeatedly bomb a military target or targets.

beauty is in the eye of the beholder »    Individuals have different inclinations on what is beautiful. Individuals have different beauty standards.

beaver away »    To busily undertake a large task.

bed of roses »    A comfortable or luxurious position.

beddable »    [...] feminine, great body great legs great taste, trained and beddable, Jesus, how beddable.

bee's knees »    Something excellent, outstanding.

beg to differ »    To differ strongly in opinion or interpretation.

beggars can't be choosers »    (proverb) When resources are limited, one must accept even substandard gifts.

behind the eight ball »    At a disadvantage.

below par »    Not up to the average or normal standard.

bend over backwards »    To make a great effort; to take extraordinary care; to go to great lengths.

bend somebody's ear »    To bore; to talk too long.

bend the truth »    To change or leave out certain facts of a story or situation, generally in order to elicit a specific response in the audience.

best laid plans »    A proverbial expression used to signify the futility of making detailed plans when the outcome is uncertain.

bet the farm »    To be absolutely certain, to have no doubts.

between a rock and a hard place »    Having the choice between two unpleasant or distasteful options; in a predicament or quandary.

big break »    A breakthrough, especially the first big hit of a previously unknown performer or performers in the entertainment industry.

big cheese »    A very important figure, especially a high-ranking person in an organization.

big daddy »    Something or someone of importance.

big deal »    Something very important, difficult, or of concern.

big enchilada »    A very important person, especially the highest-ranking individual in an organization.

big fat »    Complete, utter, total.

big fish in a small pond »    One who has achieved a high rank or is highly esteemed, but only in a small, relatively unimportant, or little known location or organization.

big kahuna »    A boss, leader, chieftain, or top-ranking person in an organization.

big mouth »    The mouth of someone who talks too much, especially by making exaggerated claims or by inappropriately revealing information.

big picture »    The totality of a situation.

big shot »    A person with a reputation of importance or power.

big up »    To proclaim or exaggerate the importance of.

bigger fish to fry »    A higher valued result or target to reach.

bigwig »    A person of importance to a group or organization.

birds of a feather flock together »    People of similar character, background, or taste tend to congregate or associate with one another.

bite off more than one can chew »    To try to do too much; to take on or attempt more than one is capable of doing.

blanket term »    A word or phrase that is used to describe multiple groups of related things. The degree of relation may vary. Blanket terms often trade specificity for ease-of-use; in other words, a blanket term by itself gives little detail about the things that it describes or the relationships between them, but is easy to say and remember. Blanket terms often originate as slang, and eventually become integrated into the general vocabulary.

bleeding edge »    Something very current, or modern where there may actually be a hazard or risk in using it, such as with potentially unstable software. The term relates to a sword.

blind as a bat »    Nearly totally blind, having a very poor sense of vision.

blood is thicker than water »    Family relations and loyalties are stronger than relationships with people who are not family members.1866, Anthony Trollope, The Belton Estate, ch. 30,Blood is thicker than water, is it not? If cousins are not friends, who can be?circa 1915, Lucy Fitch Perkins, The Scotch Twins, ch. 5,The old clans are scattered now, but blood is thicker than water still, and you're welcome to the fireside of your kinsman!

blot one's copy book »    To damage one's own reputation through bad behavior.

blow it »    To fail at something; to mess up; to make a mistake.

blow off »    To vent, usually, to reduce pressure in a container.

blow out of proportion »    To overreact to or overstate; to treat too seriously or be overly concerned with.

blow this pop stand »    To exit or remove oneself from a less than exciting location or environment.

blow this popsicle stand »    To leave an establishment speedily.

blow-by-blow »    Detailing every action or occurrence completely.

blue moon »    The third full moon in a quarter that contains four rather than the usual three full moons.

blue state »    A state of the United States voting Democratic in a given election, or tending to vote Democratic in general.

bluewash »    To tout a business or organization's commitment to social responsibility, and to use this perception for public relations and economic gain; to present a humanitarian front in this manner.

bog standard »    Especially plain, ordinary, or unremarkable; having no special, excess or unusual features; plain vanilla.

bogged down »    Stuck; mired, as in detail, difficulty; delayed or made slower.

booby prize »    A prize or status, often unwelcome, awarded as a joke or disincentive to the loser of a contest or for poor performance.

boot camp »    A short, intensive, quasi-military program generally aimed at young offenders as an alternative to a jail term.

boot up »    To start a computer using its bootstrap procedure.

booze can »    A nightclub or bar, especially one which operates illegally or is otherwise disreputable.

borne out »    Substantiated.

bottom line »    The final balance; the amount of money or profit left after everything has been tallied.

bottom line »    The summary or result; the most important information; the upshot; the net-net.

bow out »    To resign, or leave, with one's credibility still intact.

box the compass »    To make a complete reversal in stance or opinion.

brace of shakes »    The time taken for a sail to shake or shiver twice as a ship comes into the wind.

brain surgery »    Something that is overly complex, detailed or confusing.

brass monkey »    A cocktail of vodka, rum and orange juice, sometimes with the addition of galliano.

bread and butter »    That which is central or fundamental, as to one's business, survival, or income; a staple or cornerstone.

break a leg »    A wish for a successful performance; primarily a valediction to an actor wishing him or her a successful theatrical stage performance.

break a sweat »    To start sweating.

break down »    To become unstable, mentally or otherwise.

break down »    To give more detail.

break even »    To stay the same; to neither advance nor regress.

break ground »    To begin digging in the earth at the start of a new construction, or, originally, for cultivation.

break into »    To try to start in a profession or business.

break out »    To begin suddenly; to emerge in a certain condition.

break rank »    To march or charge out of the designated order in a military unit.

break the ice »    To start to get to know people, by avoiding awkwardness.

break up »    Of a telephone conversation, to cease to be understandable because of a bad connection.

breathe down someone's neck »    To follow someone too closely, making it uncomfortable for them.

brick wall »    An obstacle.

brickbat »    A criticism or uncomplimentary remark hurled at artwork or other recipient.

bridge »    A particular form of one hand placed on the table to support the cue when making a shot in cue sports.

bridge »    A song contained within another song, often demarcated by meter, key, or melody.

bridge »    A statement, such as an offer, that signals a possibility of accord.

bridge »    An elevated platform above the upper deck of a mechanically propelled ship from which it is navigated and from which all activities on deck can be seen and controlled by the captain, etc; smaller ships have a wheelhouse, and sailing ships were controlled from a quarterdeck.

bridge »    Any of several electrical devices that measure characteristics such as impedance and inductance by balancing different parts of a circuit.

bright-eyed and bushy-tailed »    Alert and in an eager, frisky, or playful mood; full of life.

bright-line rule »    A clearly defined rule or standard, comprised of objective factors, which leaves little or no room for varying interpretation.

bring about »    To cause to take place.

bring it weak »    To fail to accomplish an accomplishable task or to make an attempt at less than maximum effort; to "half-ass" or "fake the funk".

bring owls to Athens »    Perhaps we have not been sufficiently aware that talking about access and its implications in Scandinavia is like bringing owls to Athens. — Herbert Burkert.

bring owls to Athens »    To undertake a pointless venture, one that is redundant, unnecessary, superfluous, or highly uneconomical.

bring round »    To resuscitate; to cause to regain consciousness.

bring to the table »    To provide a suggestion.

bring up »    To turn on power or start, as of a machine.

broad shoulders »    The ability to take criticism, or accept responsibility.

brown bag »    A short presentation or seminar on a given subject, especially one given at lunchtime.

buck up »    Cheer up; take courage; take heart.

built like a tank »    Broad shouldered and of solid, muscular build.

built like a tank »    Sturdy; exceptionally well constructed.

bulletproof »    Capable of withstanding a direct shot by a bullet fired from a gun.

bum rap »    An undeservedly unfavorable portrayal or reputation.

bum rush »    Storming into an establishment.

bundle of nerves »    A person with an especially nervous, excitable, or fearful disposition.

buried treasure »    Something, having been concealed for a long time, which later is found and is profitable.

buried treasure »    Treasure stashed underground or underwater.

burn one's bridges »    To destroy one's path, connections, reputation, opportunities, etc.

burn rubber »    To accelerate so rapidly from standstill that it leaves a mark of burnt rubber on the road from the tire.

burst someone's bubble »    To disillusion; to disabuse someone of a false notion or rationalization that has grown comfortable.

bury the lead »    To begin a story with details of secondary importance to the reader while postponing more essential points or facts.

bury the lede »    To begin a story with details of secondary importance to the reader while postponing more essential points or facts.

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.

business as usual »    The normal course of an activity, particularly in circumstances that are out of the ordinary.

business before pleasure »    An admonishment that discharging one's obligations must take precedence over devoting time to pursuits meant solely for one's own gratification.

bustle with »    To teem with; abound with; to exhibit an energetic and active abundance of a thing; to be full of a certain activity or active beings.

busy work »    Work or activity performed with the intention or result of occupying time, and not necessarily to accomplish something productive; routine work of low priority undertaken for the sake of avoiding idleness.

butt-naked »    Stark-naked, completely nude.

button-down »    Serious; staid; businesslike.

buy to let »    To purchase a property as in investment, and to let it out for rental instead of living in it.

by all means »    Yes certainly; definitely.

by no means »    Certainly not; definitely not.

by one's lights »    According to one's understanding.

by oneself »    Alone; without assistance, accompaniment, or help from others.

by the by »    Used to introduce a new topic; incidentally.

by the way »    Incidentally; a parenthetical statement not timely, central, or crucial to the topic at hand; foregone, passed by, something that has already happened.

by-the-numbers »    Done in a predictable manner; formulaic.

call it even »    To declare debts resolved or favors or other exchange equitable.

call on »    To request or ask of somebody; to select for a task.

call out »    To specify, especially in detail.

call someone's bluff »    To take action on the basis that another person is bluffing.

call up »    An order to report for military service.

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.

Cannon fodder »    Military personnel who are regarded as expendable when attacking the enemy.

captain of industry »    A prominent business person who owns or is the highest-ranking executive of one or more major firms, especially one who has considerable wealth and influence.

carrot and stick »    Simultaneous rewards for good behavior and punishments for bad behavior.

carry on »    To have or maintain.

carry on »    To take baggage or luggage onto an airplane, rather than check it.

carry the can »    To take responsibility, especially in a challenging situation.

carry the message to Garcia »    To perform a requisite task despite obstacles.

carry the message to Garcia »    To perform a requisite task without having been informed specifically by what method to do so.

carry water for »    To perform menial tasks for; to serve; to assist.

cash in »    To profit from; to use an opportunity to maximum advantage, especially financially.

cast on »    To start the first row of knitting by putting stitches on a needle.

cast pearls before swine »    To give things of value to those who will not understand or appreciate it.

cat and mouse game »    Two individuals and/or groups repeatedly keeping check on each other in a suspicious or self-protective way, often with the goal of one or both parties trying to gain a malicious advantage over the other.

catbird seat »    Expression used to describe an enviable position, often one of great advantage.

catch a tan »    To get a suntan.

catch on »    To begin to understand; to realize or detect.

catch on »    To become popular; to become commonplace; to become the standard.

catch up »    To entangle.

center field »    The part of a baseball field which is beyond the infield and straight ahead left if you stand on home plate and face the pitcher.

chalkface »    A musical concept or genre in which music is completely improvised and never played twice. Most often mixing elements of hip-hop, metal, punk and avant-garde jazz.

charity mugger »    A person employed by a charity, or by an intermediary fundraising agency employed by the charity, who stands in the street and invites passersby to set up standing orders or direct debits to make regular donations to the charity.

chase tail »    Partner.

chat up »    In a friendly, open, or casual manner, sometimes also in a charming or affected manner, usually to curry favor, and sometimes flirtatiously with the intention of establishing a romantic or sexual encounter or relationship with that person.

che sara sara »    Used to express a personal philosophy of fatalism1892 March 17, Cigarette,

che sera sera »    Used to express a personal philosophy of fatalism1604, Christopher Marlowe, Doctor Faustus:Why then belike we must sin, / And so consequently die. / Aye, we must die an everlasting death. / What doctrine call you this ? Che, sera, sera: / What will be*, shall be; Divinity adieu. / These Metaphysics of Magicians, / And necromantic books, are heavenly.

cheat sheet »    A sheet of paper containing notes used to assist on a test.

check out »    To obtain computer source code from a repository.

cheek by jowl »    In close proximity; crammed uncomfortably close together.

cheese down »    To coil the tail of a rope on deck so as to present a neat appearance.

cherry-pick »    To pick out the best, or most desirable items from a list or group, especially to obtain some advantage or to present something in the best possible light.

chew the cud »    To meditate or ponder before answering; to be deep in thought; to ruminate.

chew the fat »    To chat idly or generally waste time talking.

chicken out »    To shy away from a daring task; to decline, refuse, or avoid something due to fear or uncertainty.

chill out »    Relax, take it easy.

chime in »    To talk; to join in conversation or discussion.

chip off the old block »    Someone who takes after their parent.

chip on one's shoulder »    A tendency to take offence quickly.

chump change »    An amount of remuneration, reward, or other monetary recompense considered to be insultingly small.

chump-change »    Of or pertaining to something of little monetary value.

circle the wagons »    To draw a wagon train into a circle to allow the wagons to provide cover when under attack.

circle the wagons »    To prepare to defend against an attack.

circuit slugger »    A talented baseball batter that hits home runs.

cite chapter and verse »    To provide specific references from an authoritative book, as the Bible or a book of statutes or rules, to support a statement.

cite chapter and verse »    To speak authoritatively, providing detailed factual information.

clam up »    To become silent; to stop talking, to shut up.

clamp down on »    To take measures to stop something; to put an end to.

clay »    A mineral substance made up of small crystals of silica and alumina, that is ductile when moist; the material of pre-fired ceramics.

clear cut »    Having had all vegetation removed.

climb the walls »    To behave in a distressed or frantic manner; to feel very agitated.

clock up »    To accumulate a large distance.

close the stable door after the horse has bolted »    To attempt to prevent a problem only to find it has already happened.

clothes don't make the man »    An aphorism meaning that you cannot judge a person solely by his appearance. Usually pertains to men.

cloud nine »    A state of happiness, elation or bliss; often used in the phrase on cloud nine.

clout list »    A usually secret list containing the names of people who are to be given special access, benefits, or influence in a political or social situation, especially as a result of having personal, professional, or financial relationships with those in authority.

clue stick »    A metaphorical stick used to beat information or understanding into a slow learner.

cock-and-bull story »    A far-fetched and fanciful story or tale of highly dubious validity.

cold comfort »    C. 1594, William Shakespeare, The Taming of the Shrew, act 4, sc. 1.

cold turkey »    The sudden and complete withdrawal of a dependent substance, especially of a drug.

collect one's thoughts »    To become mentally composed, especially after being distressed, surprised, or disoriented; to become calm or organized in one's emotional state or thinking, as in preparation for a conversation, speech, decision, etc.

come about »    To come to pass; to develop; to occur; to take place; to happen.

come about »    To tack; to change tack; to maneuver the bow of a sailing vessel across the wind so that the wind changes from one side of the vessel to the other; to position a boat with respect to the wind after tacking.

come across »    To give an appearance or impression; to project a certain image.

come around »    To change one's mind, especially to begin to agree or appreciate what one was reluctant to accept at first.

come by »    To obtain; to get, now especially by chance or involuntarily.

come down to us »    To survive to the present day; to be extant in some form.

come off »    To become detached.

come on »    A statement or sometimes action reflecting sexual or relational interest.

come on »    To get one's period, start menstruating.

come short »    Fail to meet (expectations or standards)

come to »    To total; to amount to.

common or garden variety »    Ordinary, standard. Nothing special.

common-and-garden »    Ordinary, standard.

common-or-garden »    Ordinary, standard.

company »    A military unit, typically consisting of two or three platoons.

company »    As he had worked for the CIA for over 30 years, he would soon take retirement from the company.

concrete jungle »    An urban or other populated area containing a high density of buildings constructed of concrete or similar materials, especially one which lacks greenery and which seems unattractive, harsh, or unsafe.

controlled substance »    Except for very limited professional testing purposes.

cookie-cutter »    Of or pertaining to cookie cutters.

cookie-cutter »    Of or pertaining to identical looking things.

cool down »    To become less agitated.

cool down »    To cause to become less agitated.

cool it »    Calm down, relax, take a time out.

cop-out »    An excuse made in order to avoid performing a task or duty; a reason offered when someone cops out.

cop-out »    Avoidance or inadequate performance of a task or duty; the action of copping out.

copious free time »    A hypothetical time set aside for performing time-consuming tasks, however insinuating that the speaker really has no free time.

correlation does not imply causation »    (statistics) The observed correlation between two parameters, say, the growth of a market and the growth of a neighbor's child may, in fact, have nothing to do with each other's causation.

cotton on »    To realize; come to understand.

coug it »    To suddenly lose a contest through reversal of fortune, mistakes, or bad judgment. The phrase is analogous to "blow it", or "snatch defeat from the jaws of victory".

cough up »    To lose a competition by one's own mistakes, usually near the end of the contest.

country mile »    A long way, a great distance.

court martial »    military trial

cover one's ass »    To make preparations or take precautions to ensure that one is not blamed or punished for one's conduct.

crab mentality »    A way of thinking best described by the phrase "if I can't have it, neither can you." The metaphor refers to a pot of crabs in which one tries to escape over the side, but is relentlessly pulled down by the others in the pot.

crack on »    Task.

crack up »    To become insane; to suffer a mental breakdown.

crank up »    To start something mechanical, an act that often used to involve cranking.

creature comfort »    Any small item or detail that makes a person comfortable and at home.

cross the aisle »    To vote, unite, or otherwise co-operate with members of another political party in order to achieve governmental or political action.

cross the line »    To overstep a boundary, rule, or limit; to go too far or do something unacceptable.

cross the Rubicon »    To make an irreversible decision or to take an action with consequences.

crown jewels »    A part of a company sought by another in a hostile takeover.

crown jewels »    The male genitalia.

cry someone a river »    To try to obtain the sympathy of another person by complaining or sniveling.

cry the blues »    To complain, especially in order to obtain sympathy for one's own purportedly sad situation.

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.

crystal clear »    Completely clear and understood.

crystal-clear »    Completely clear and understood.

cube out »    To reach the volume limit of a container.

cue up »    The act of taking aim on the cue ball with the cue in a game of snooker, or billiards, etc.

curveball »    A forespin pitch thrown by rotating the index and middle fingers down and resulting in motion down "curve".

cut and dried »    Simple, straightforward, clear, or certain.

cut corners »    To do a less than thorough or complete job; to do something poorly or take short cuts.

cut off »    To isolate or remove from contact.

cut red tape »    To reduce bureaucracy.

cut short »    Interrupt and curtail before the planned end time.

cut somebody some slack »    To be patient or lenient with somebody; to relax standards or expectations.

cut the mustard »    To suffice; to be good or effective enough.

cut to the chase »    To get to the point; to get on with it; to state something directly.

daily grind »    The difficult, routine, or monotonous tasks of daily work.

damn by association »    Discredit or condemn a position, person, or thing by attacking those things with which he/she/it is associated.

damp squib »    Anything that doesn’t work properly, or fails to come up to expectations..

date with destiny »    An inevitable future event or encounter, especially one which is likely to be momentous.

dawn of a new day »    A new beginning; a fresh start; an important, promising turning point.

day in, day out »    Every day; daily; constantly or continuously; especially, of something that has become routine or monotonous.

daylight robbery »    An exorbitant charge for a product or service.

dead »    Stationary; static.

dead as a doorknob »    Entirely, unquestionably or certainly dead.

dead duck »    A project that is doomed to failure from the start.

dead last »    The standings, often by a considerable margin to the next-to-last-place finisher or after an exceptionally poor showing or season.

dead men tell no tales »    Once someone is dead, they can no longer communicate, hence killing someone is the best way to keep him/her quiet.

dead ringer »    Someone or something that very closely resembles another; someone or something easily mistaken for another.

dead to rights »    With sufficient evidence to establish responsibility definitively.

dead wood »    Dead limbs and branches still attached to a living tree.

deadbeat dad »    A man, especially one who is divorced or estranged from his partner, who fails to provide monetary child support when he is legally required to do so.

debris field »    Any area, non-dependent of locale, space, or contour, that contains the debris of wreckage, impact, sinking, or other material that once constituted a complete object. Debris fields can be found at the site of air crashes, water vessel sinking, explosions of buildings, collapses, and other events that render a whole entity into components, pieces, or other non-whole items.

deep down »    Fundamentally; in essence; in reality; really.

deep water »    Waters suitable for deep-draft ships, especially ocean-going.

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.

desperate times call for desperate measures »    In adverse circumstances actions that might have been rejected under other circumstances may become the best choice.

devil is in the details »    The specific provisions of, or particular steps for implementing, a general plan, policy, or contract may be complicated, controversial, or unworkable.

diamonds are a girl's best friend »    A statement that suggests, while love is a luxury, material wealth (particularly jewellery) is more valuable in the long run.

dicky-bird »    Endearing term for a small bird, often used when talking with young children.

dictated but not read »    Dictated, as to a secretary or stenographer, but not proofread by the person who dictated the text so annotated.

different as chalk and cheese »    Two things which are superficially alike but very different in substance.

dirty laundry »    A clothes hamper or other container used to place unclean or soiled laundry.

dishpan hands »    Hands which are rough, reddish, and dry, as from irritation and chafing caused by immersion in hot water mixed with detergent.

dive in »    To start a new endeavor enthusiastically and wholeheartedly.

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.

do a bunk »    To escape or flee under incriminating circumstances.

do as I say and not as I do »    Don't imitate my behavior but obey my instructions.

do something with mirrors »    To jokingly pretend that one did something using magic mirrors, that one is a magician; a joking explanation of the fantastic or the unexplained.

do the hard yards »    To perform a difficult task or tasks.

dog and pony show »    Any presentation or display that is overly contrived or intricate.

dog and pony show »    Originally, a small, traveling circus featuring animals as entertainment.

don't get me started »    About the subject currently being discussed.

don't go there »    Don't start talking about that.

don't look at me »    A response indicating that one is not willing or able to perform a task.

don't shit where you eat »    (idiomatic, vulgar) One should not cause trouble in a place, group, or situation in which one regularly finds oneself.1998 April 14, Nelson Navarro, "Ever faithful, ever true," Manila Standard (Philippines) (retrieved 12 Aug. 2011):The guiding principle is Don't shit where you eat. Office romances are always destructive of morale and objectivity.2003 Oct. 8, Jonathan Valania, "Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Pussy," Philadelphia Weekly (retrieved 12 Aug. 2011):Limbaugh was scheduled to deliver the keynote speech at the NAB convention in, of all places, Philadelphia, thus violating the cardinal law of the animal kingdom: Don't shit where you eat.2006 Sept. 19, Michael Musto, "NY Mirror," Village Voice (retrieved 12 Aug. 2011):Mitchell refused to indulge in on-set romances with either gender. "You don't shit where you eat," he told me, plainly.

don't shoot the messenger »    The bearer of bad news should not be held accountable for the bad news.

don't take any wooden nickels »    Do not permit yourself be cheated or duped; do not be naive.

dot the i's and cross the t's »    To take care of every detail, even minor ones; To be meticulous or thorough.

double talk »    Lying, especially in a formal political statement.

double talk »    Speaking in a mixture of real English and English-sounding gibberish, for humorous effect.

double-tongued »    Saying one thing to one person and something different to another; double talking; deceitful in speech.

down the tubes »    Into a state of collapse or failure.

down to the short strokes »    In the final steps or decisive phase of an undertaking, especially one which has been lengthy or laborious.

drag »    To act or proceed slowly or without enthusiasm; to be reluctant.

drag one's feet »    To procrastinate, put off; to dawdle, avoid, or make progress slowly and reluctantly.

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.

draw a bath »    To fill a bathtub with water in preparation for taking a bath.

draw back »    To withdraw from an undertaking.

draw out »    To use means to entice or force to be more open or talkative.

drill down »    To examine information at another level or in greater detail; especially in a database, to navigate to a more detailed level or record.

drink from a firehose »    To take a small amount from an enormous, hard-to-manage quantity.

drive home »    To push to or into a target.

drive home »    With tangible or powerful demonstration.

drive-by media »    Media professionals who "spray" a bunch of repetitive misstatements, mistaken and misinterpreted news reports to cause excitement and confusion. They then figuratively "drive off" leaving the cleanup of their mess and hysteria to others, to correct and properly explain and interpret.

drop a bollock »    To make a mistake.

drop back »    Of a quarterback or other player in the backfield, to take a number of steps back from the line of scrimmage immediately after the snap or hike of the ball, to avoid defenders.

drop the ball »    To fail in one's responsibilities or duties, or to make a mistake, especially at a critical point or when the result is very negative.

drug of choice »    Substance that a suspect is addicted to.

due course »    A. 1399, Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales.

dumb down »    To become simpler in expression or content; to become unacceptably simplistic.

dusty miller »    One of several species of plants with leaves of a dusty appearance: Centaurea cineraria, Senecio cineraria, and Lychnis coronaria.

dyed-in-the-wool »    Firmly established in a person's beliefs or habits; deeply ingrained in the nature of a person or thing.

e pluribus unum »    A national motto of the United States of America, meaning "From many, one", or "out of many, one", referring to the integration of 13 independent colonies into one country, and that has taken an additional meaning, giving the pluralistic nature of American society from immigration.

each to his own »    Everyone is entitled to their own opinion or tastes.My housemate is a strict vegan. I personally could never not eat meat, but each to his own.

eager beaver »    Who is very excited or enthusiastic to begin a task.

eat crow »    To recognize that one has been shown to be mistaken or outdone, especially by admitting that one has made a humiliating error.

eat one's own dog food »    To test the beta programs that are in the test phase on one's own computers; to dogfood.

eat out »    To dine at a restaurant or such public place.

eat the wind »    To take a walk.

end of the line »    The termination point of a railway or similar transportation system.

end of the world »    Any change that seems catastrophic or devastating.

end of the world »    End of habitability for life on Earth.

err on the side of caution »    To act in the least risky manner in a situation where one is uncertain about the consequences.

esprit de corps »    A shared spirit of comradeship, enthusiasm, and devotion to a cause among the members of a group, for example of a military unit.

estate agent »    property seller

even keel »    A state of having one's emotions under control and balanced.

even money »    By extension, an event that is somewhat likely to happen, but far from inevitable.

every man has a price »    Everyone can be bribed or corrupted for a certain price.

every silver lining has a cloud »    Every good situation has the potential to turn bad.2007, Diab A. Shetayh, Actuality : The Reality RequiemA great partnership isn't a self-maintaining entity. Perseverance and persistence make it thrive. For every silver lining has a cloud. Ignorance of this reality is not an option.

everything happens for a reason »    All events are purposeful.Everything happens for a reason, so there is no such thing as failure. Mary-Kate OlsenPeople like to say "everything happens for a reason." If you repeat that in your head long enough that starts to sound like "anything can happen with a razor." Laura KightlingerI believe that everything happens for a reason, but I think it's important to seek out that reason - that's how we learn. Drew Barrymore

evil twin »    A rogue wireless access point installed near a legitimate one for purposes of eavesdropping or phishing.

f** someone over »    To exploit somebody in a way which result in an advantage to oneself, at the cost of the other party gaining a considerable disadvantage.

face off »    The starting point, in a match of ice hockey. Two players face each other, for snatching the puck.

face off »    Either an actual or a figurative face to face confrontation, especially a bitter one.

face up to »    To confront a condition or situation, typically one that is unpleasant or uncomfortable.

face value »    No more or less than what is stated; a literal or direct meaning or interpretation.

face value »    The amount or value listed on a bill, note, stamp, etc.; the stated value or amount.

factor space »    A space obtained from another by identification of points that are equivalent to one another in some equivalence relation.

facts on the ground »    A euphemism, similar to fait accompli, used as an oblique way of saying that discussions over the possession of a given piece of territory has been rendered moot by the presence of military forces.

fair and square »    Totally fairly and undoubtedly.

fair enough »    An expression used to concede a point; denotes that, upon consideration, something is correct or reasonable; an expression of acknowledgment or understanding.

fair weather friend »    Only when it is advantageous or easy.

faith will move mountains »    Belief in oneself (read sometimes as belief in God) can help one overcome any hurdle in life's path.

fall apart »    To break into pieces through being in a dilapidated state.

fall between two stools »    To attempt two tasks and fail at both, when either one could have been accomplished singly.

fall off »    To become detached or to drop from.

fall on one's sword »    To voluntarily take the blame for a situation.

fall over »    To fall from an upright or standing position to a horizontal or prone position.

fancypants »    Alternative spelling of fancy pants. The condition of being overly showy; concerned more about one's reputation than anything else.

far and wide »    Over a great distance, or large area; nearly everywhere.

far be it »    A disclaimer stating that the person speaking will not do something.

farm out »    To subcontract some task to another; to outsource.

farmer's tan »    The tan line left by clothing, especially, by a short-sleeved shirt.

feather one's nest »    To achieve benefits, especially financial ones, by taking advantage of the opportunities with which one is presented; to amass a comfortable amount of personal wealth.

feed a cold, starve a fever »    Eating more will cure the common cold, and eating less will cure a fever.1887, J. H. Whelan, "The Treatment of Colds.", The Practitioner, vol. 38, pg. 180:"Feed a cold, starve a fever." There is a deal of wisdom in the first part of this advice. A person with a catarrh should take an abundance of light nutritious food, and some light wine, but avoid spirits, and above all tobacco.1968, Katinka Loeser, The Archers at Home, publ. Atheneum, New York, pg. 60:I have a cold. 'Feed a cold, starve a fever.' You certainly know that.2009, Shelly Reuben, Tabula Rasa, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, ISBN 015101079X, pg. 60:They say feed a cold, starve a fever, but they don't tell you what to do when you got both, so I figured scrambled eggs, tea, and toast.

feed into »    To be a tributary of another river or waterway.

feel one's oats »    To feel important; to be empowered.

field day »    A day of class taken away from school for a field trip.

fight fire with fire »    To respond to an attack with a similar or identical method.

fight off »    To succeed in defeating a challenge, or an attack.

figure out »    To come to understand; to discover or find a solution; to deduce.

film out »    To transfer images or animation from videotape or digital files to a traditional celluloid film print.

final curtain »    The end to something which has longed for a long time.

fine print »    The details, restrictions, terms, or conditions, especially of a contract, often printed in very small type.

fine words butter no parsnips »    Talking about doing something does not get it done.

fire away »    To begin to talk or present information quickly.

fire up »    To start.

firm up »    To make tentative plans more definite.

first among equals »    In the British and other parliamentary systems, a term used to describe the relationship of the prime minister to the other members of the cabinet.

first port of call »    The first place to go to start a process.

first port of call »    The first port that a vessel calls in at after the start of a voyage.

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

fish or cut bait »    To choose between taking action now, or forgoing the opportunity and putting that energy into another endeavor; to decide.

fishtail »    The tail of a fish, or an object resembling this.

fit into »    To be of similar cultural or social status as the members of a group of people.

fit to be tied »    Very agitated or distressed; enraged.

fits and starts »    Activity which is intermittent, variable in intensity, and prolonged by interruptions.

flap one's gums »    To speak idly; to talk without effect.

flash in the pan »    A career notable for early success not followed by significant accomplishment.

flat-footed »    To firmly hold and maintain a decision; to stand one's ground.

flesh out »    To complete; to create details from a basic outline, structure or skeleton.

flower »    Typically including sepals, petals, stamens, and ovaries; often conspicuously colourful.

flower »    An inflorescence that resembles a flower, but actually contains many small florets, such as a sunflower.

flower »    Of plants, a state of bearing blooms.

flower »    The best examples or representatives of a group.

flower »    The best state of things; the prime.

flunk out »    Often requiring a retaking of the course or academic year.

fly in the ointment »    Something which ruins or spoils everything else; a nuisance or problem; an unpleasant or disagreeable detail.

follow suit »    To follow an example; to imitate.

fool's errand »    A foolish undertaking, especially one that is purposeless, fruitless, nonsensical, or certain to fail.

fool's errand »    Such an undertaking, assigned as a prank.

fool's paradise »    A state of happiness due to illusion or false hope.

for all intents and purposes »    For every functional purpose; in every practical sense; in every important respect; practically speaking.

for keeps »    With an agreement or intention to retain what one gains or receives.

for kicks »    In order to obtain pleasure or excitement; for fun.

for my money »    Used to mark a statement made by the speaker as an opinion or something not known with certainty.

for starters »    as a beginning

for the heck of it »    For no particular reason, just because it is fun, entertaining; for to relieve boredom.

for the hell of it »    For no particular reason, just because it is fun, entertaining; for to relieve boredom.

for the nonce »    For the time being, with the expectation that the situation may change.

for the sake of it »    For no particular reason, just because it is fun, entertaining; for to relieve boredom.

forbidden fruit »    Illicit pleasure; something that one should not take or get involved with, such as an another person's spouse.

force someone's hand »    Bring about a situation which necessitates an agent to act, often causing a plan to be executed prematurely.

fork over »    Hundreds of spectators forked over the 70 bucks for tickets.

fortune favors the bold »    Luck is usually on the side of those who take chances and risks.

foul up »    To make a mistake, to go wrong.

fountain of youth »    Anything reputed to have the power to restore health and vitality or to restore a youthful appearance.

four score and seven years ago »    As an opener, a sometimes sarcastic indicator to indicate a past event being mentioned is particularly important.

four-eyes »    A person who wears spectacles.

fourth estate »    Journalism or journalists considered as a group; the Press.

fourth estate »    Which governed legislation.

fourth wall »    The imaginary invisible wall at the front of the stage in a proscenium theatre, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play.

free lunch »    Something obtained without any payment, obligation or effort.

free ride »    An opportunity or benefit which has no cost, especially one enjoyed or undertaken at the expense of others.

fresh out of »    Of someone who has recently left one stage of life to begin another.

fresh start »    A new beginning, without prejudices.

from here to ya-ya »    A very long distance.

from my cold, dead hands »    A statement that something will not be taken away from you until the day you die.

from scratch »    From the beginning; starting with no advantage or prior preparation; starting from raw ingredients.

from the get-go »    From the very beginning; from the outset; immediately upon starting.

from the ground up »    From the beginning; starting with the basics, foundation, or fundamentals.

from the word go »    From the very beginning; from the outset; immediately upon starting.

front and center »    A command to come to the center of attention of an assemblage, as of military personnel or students.

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.

full of hot air »    Talking a lot, especially without saying anything of value or meaning.

full speed ahead »    A command, especially on military vessels, to move forward at maximum speed.

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"

get a handle on »    To build or acquire a basic level of understanding or control.

get a jump on »    To start early, especially to start before something begins or before others begin.

get a leg up »    To gain some advantage; to get a head start.

get a rise out of »    To obtain a reaction from someone, especially one of annoyance.

get back at »    To retaliate; to take revenge.

get bent out of shape »    To take offense; to become angry, agitated or upset.

get busy »    Start working, usually in opposition to idleness.

get carried away »    To become excessively involved, to take something too far.

get cracking »    To get started; to get busy.

get down to brass tacks »    Deal with the important details.

get high »    To intoxicate oneself with drugs or other substances.

get it »    To "get what's coming to him/her"; to feel one's wrath; to receive punishment; to receive a retaliation; to receive a beating.

get it »    To realize or understand why a joke is funny.

get it »    To understand, comprehend, or grasp.

get moving »    To start hurrying to undertake a task.

get off »    To disembark from mass transportation, such as a bus or train.

get on somebody's nerves »    To annoy or irritate; to bother.

get one's back up »    To become angry, defensive, or irritable.

get one's feet wet »    To begin gaining experience; To take a risk and try something new.

get one's foot in the door »    To initiate contact or a relationship; to gain access, especially to an entry-level job.

get one's hands on »    To get; to obtain; to secure.

get one's wires crossed »    To get confused or mixed up; to make a mistake.

get out of bed on the wrong side »    To start the day in a bad mood for no apparent reason.

get someone's nose out of joint »    To become angry; to take offense or take exception.

get something straight »    To understand; to clarify.

get taken in »    To be fooled; to fall for.

get taken in »    To be unofficially fostered.

get the ball rolling »    To begin; to start some action; to set in motion.

get the drift »    To understand, at least at some basic or general level.

getting even »    retaliating

gift of the gab »    The ability to talk readily, glibly, and convincingly.

give and take »    A process of compromise or accommodation.

give hostage to fortune »    He was very cautious with his words and gave no hostages to fortune.

give hostage to fortune »    To take an action or make a statement that is risky because it could cause you trouble later.

give me liberty or give me death »    A set-phrase indicating enormous displeasure at any over-authoritarian policy or law.

give of oneself »    To devote oneself unselfishly to a task, especially to give time and energy.

give or take »    Approximately; plus or minus some unknown amount.

give somebody the cold shoulder »    To snub, resist or reject somebody; to regard somebody distantly.

give someone the eye »    To show flirtatious signs with the eye.

gloss over »    To cover up a mistake or a crime; to hush up or whitewash.

go all the way »    To continue to the conclusion of a task or project.

go along for the ride »    To accompany someone passively, or to take a passive role in a project.

go along with »    To comply with something, even if reluctantly; to accept or tolerate.

go back to the drawing board »    To start again; to scrap a previous idea or plan and try again from the beginning.

go blue »    Of states and counties, to be carried by a Democratic candidate in a given U.S. election.

go by the board »    To estimate the velocity of a boat or ship in knots by casting overboard the knotted line to whose end is attached the lead and thereafter counting the knots in the line as it goes aft along the side boards of the vessel.

go down »    To take place, happen.

go Dutch »    To pay for one's own food and bills, or split the cost, when eating at a restaurant or going out for entertainment.

go for »    To attack something.

go for »    To endure, sustain or spend time.

go in for »    To engage or take part in something.

go in off »    To pot the cue ball accidentally after hitting the object ball.

go native »    Of a contractor or consultant, to begin working directly as an employee for a company and cease to work through a contracting firm or agency.

go native »    To adopt the lifestyle or outlook of local inhabitants, especially when dwelling in a colonial region; to become less refined under the influence of a less cultured, more primitive, or simpler social environment.

go off »    To explode metaphorically; to become very angry.

go off half-cocked »    To take a premature or ill-considered action.

go out on a limb »    To take a risk.

go red »    Of states or counties, to be carried by a Republican candidate in a given U.S. election.

go south »    To become unfavorable; to decrease; to take a turn for the worse.

go the distance »    To have the endurance to see a difficult sustained challenge to its natural end without faltering.

go the distance »    To participate in a boxing match for its maximum number of rounds.

go through the mill »    To experience the suffering or discipline necessary to bring one to a certain degree of knowledge or skill, or to a certain mental state.

go to sleep »    An expression used to dismiss an extremely foolish statement, or to dismiss somebody that one does not feel like talking to.

go to someone's head »    To strongly affect a person, especially to the detriment of their senses or mental faculties.

go to the mattresses »    To go to war; to use ruthless tactics; to act without restraint.

go to work »    To begin performing some task or work.

go too far »    To exceed an unstated limit, especially a limit of acceptable behaviour.

go with the flow »    To act as others are acting, conforming to common behavior patterns with an attitude of calm acceptance.

go without saying »    To be obvious, apparent or clear, or already established.

going rate »    The current standard or usual price, rate, or salary for something.

going to the dogs »    In such a poor state that it should be left to the dogs.

gold mine »    A mine for gold ore or metal.

gold mine »    A very profitable economic venture.

gold standard »    A monetary system where the value of circulating money is linked to the value of gold.

gold standard »    A test or measure of comparison that is considered ultimate or ideal.

golden handcuffs »    Any arrangement or agreement designed to provide extremely favorable benefits or pay, so as to discourage participant from wanting to leave, especially to retain a choice employee.

golden rule »    A fundamental rule or principle.

gone to the dogs »    To have fallen into disrepair or ruin; to have been stagnant or depreciated.

good drunk »    A person who is cheerful and companionable when intoxicated, retaining reasonable control of his or her mental and emotional faculties.

good old boy »    A male friend or chum, especially a schoolmate; a man with an established network of friends who assist one another in social and business situations; a decent, dependable fellow.

good to go »    Ready for some specific task or ready for normal activity, especially after preparation or recovery.

goodbye cruel world »    A call said before taking a stiff drink, especially a shot of vodka.

grace period »    A length of time during which rules or penalties do not take effect or are withheld.

grain of salt »    A bit of common sense and skepticism. Generally used in some form of to take with a grain of salt.

grand poobah »    A person who is important or high-ranking.

grand total »    The entire or final sum.

grate »    A horizontal metal grille through which water, ash, or small objects can fall, while larger objects cannot.

gray area »    A part that is not clear or certain; something that is open to interpretation.

grease monkey »    A mechanic, often with the specific connotation of an automobile mechanic.

greasy spoon »    An inexpensive diner or other informal restaurant, especially one specializing in frying or grilling.

green light »    A traffic light in its green state .

green state »    A state that is, or is perceived as, environmentally friendly.

greenwash »    A false or misleading picture of environmental friendliness used to conceal or obscure damaging activities.

grey area »    An area intermediate between two mutually exclusive states or categories where the border between the two is fuzzy.

grind one's gears »    To annoy or irritate.

grind to a halt »    Coming to a standstill, or ceasing to be productive or make progress, due to an obstacle.

ground rules »    The basic rules or standards; whatever someone must know before proceeding.

group captain »    raf officer

guinea pig »    A tailless rodent of the Cavia genus, with short ears and larger than a hamster; the species Cavia porcellus is often kept as a pet.

gunboat diplomacy »    The pursuit of foreign policy objectives with the aid of conspicuous displays of military power.

gut reaction »    An instantaneous reaction made without thought.

hair of the dog »    An alcoholic drink taken the morning after to cure a hangover or withdrawal symptoms.

hair-splitting »    The act of finding exceedingly small differences which are probably neither important nor noticeable to most people.

hair-splittingly »    With exceedingly small differences which are probably neither important nor noticeable to most people.

halcyon days »    A period of calm, often nostalgic: “halcyon days of yore”, “halcyon days of youth”..

hammer home »    Until or so that a person or group of people understands it.

hand in hand »    Naturally, ordinarily or predictably together; commonly having a correlation or relationship.

hand waving »    Discussion or argumentation involving approximation, vagueness, educated guessing, or the attempt to explain or excuse vagaries.

hang about »    To stay, linger or loiter.

hang around »    To stay, linger or loiter.

hang out to dry »    To attach washing to a clothesline to dry.

happily ever after »    Living happily until death. Typically associated with fairy tales.

hard pressed »    Having or likely to have difficulty or to find a task almost impossible.

harden »    To become or make a thing resistant or less sensitive.

harden someone's heart »    To make someone more resistant to something.

hardwired »    Designed to perform a specific task.

harsh one's mellow »    Disturbing someone otherwise in a state of calm.

harsh one's mellow »    To annoy or irritate; to bother.

hash out »    To work through the details of something; especially to work through difficulties.

haste makes waste »    One makes mistakes when being too hasty.

hatchet job »    A treatment which serves primarily to disparage its subject; a piece of criticism which aims to destroy a reputation.

hatchet man »    Someone who carries out brutal and unpleasant duties on behalf of another, such as firing dead wood employees.

haul somebody over the coals »    To express anger with someone in no uncertain terms when they do something wrong.

have a handle on »    To be in control; to understand or grasp.

have a look-see »    Take a look.

have a seat »    To sit down; to take a seat.

have a word with »    To talk or speak with.

have an axe to grind »    To have a dispute, resentment, or grudge, sometimes with a disposition to act on that resentment covertly; to have a bias; to take issue with something.

have an eye for »    To have good taste; to have the ability to discriminate or identify quality.

have ants in one's pants »    To be agitated and constantly fidgeting.

have at »    To attack; to engage in combat with.

have butterflies in one's stomach »    To be nervous, uncertain, or anxious.

have egg on one's face »    To suffer embarrassment or humiliation; to damage one's reputation.

have eyes bigger than one's belly »    To take more food on one's plate than one can eat; to be greedy.

have eyes bigger than one's stomach »    To take more food on one's plate than one can eat; to be greedy.

have one's head in the clouds »    To have fantastic or impractical dreams; to think impractically.

have one's work cut out for one »    To face a large task or project.

have other fish to fry »    To have more important things to do.

head and shoulders »    To a considerable degree; better; outstanding.

head south »    Alternative form of go south; to decrease or become unfavorable; to take a turn for the worse.

head start »    For example, prior to the beginning of a race.

head start »    A factor conducive to superiority and success.

head up »    To lead or take the lead; to direct; to take charge.

heads or tails »    A game to bet upon a which side of a coin lays face up after it is thrown.

hear the grass grow »    To be very aware or discerning; to pay attention to every small detail.

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.

heart of glass »    A very fragile romantic state.

hedge one's bets »    To reduce the risk of making a mistake, by keeping one's options open.

hell or high water »    Highly adverse circumstances; acts of God.

help oneself »    Take freely.

helping hand »    Any assistance, help or aid.

hem and haw »    To discuss, deliberate, or contemplate rather than taking action.

hen's teeth »    Anything very rare or impossible to obtain is said to be like finding hen’s teeth.

herd cats »    To attempt to control those resistant to control.

here goes nothing »    Indicates a lack of confidence or certainty about the activity about to be tried.

here's to »    Denoting proposed salutation while drinking alcohol, toast.

hic Rhodus, hic salta »    (politics) Prove what you can do, here and now.

hide one's light under a bushel »    For a person to keep some talent or skill hidden from other people. The tone is that a person having a talent which they can be proud of ought not hide it.

high ground »    A position of advantage or superiority in a conflict or competition.

high on the hog »    Well off; living comfortably or extravagantly.

high road »    A course of action which is honorable, dignified, or respectable.

hightail it »    To hurry or run; often, to flee.

highway robbery »    Said of excessive or exorbitant prices.

hill of beans »    Something of no importance.

his back is up »    He is offended or angry; an expression or idea taken from a cat; that animal, when angry, always raising its back. An allusion also sometimes used to jeer a crooked man.

historical figure »    A fictional or fabricated person who was was given historical importance in legends and myth.

historical figure »    A person who lived long ago, usually of some historical note or importance.

hit one out of the ballpark »    To hit a fair ball so well that the ball flies over all of the spectators' seats and lands outside the stadium.

hit one out of the ballpark »    To produce a spectacular achievement.

hit one's stride »    When walking or running, to reach a full or comfortable pace.

hit someone for six »    Be affected in a devastating way by some unexpected news.

hog heaven »    A state of contented bliss.

hoist by one's own petard »    To be hurt, or destroyed by one's own plot or device, of one's own doing which one intended for another; to be "blown up by one's own bomb".

hold all the aces »    To be in a strong position when one is competing with someone else, having all the advantages.

hold back »    To act with reserve; to contain one's full measure or power.

hold back »    To contain; stop.

hold forth »    Talk at great length; expatiate; harangue.

hold one's liquor »    To be resistant to intoxication or to show few signs of intoxication, even after consuming a significant amount of alcohol.

hold one's own »    To stand up to; to give a respectable performance; to provide worthy competition.

hold somebody's hand »    To guide somebody through the basics or assist with excessively small details.

hold someone's feet to the fire »    To maintain personal, social, political, or legal pressure on someone in order to induce him or her to comply with one's desires; to hold someone accountable for his or her actions.

hold the fort »    To maintain a secure position.

hold up »    To withstand; to stand up to; to survive.

hold water »    To withstand scrutiny or criticism; to be valid.

hold your fire »    Wait, don't retaliate, calm down, be quiet.

holding pattern »    A path taken by an aircraft waiting to land.

home away from home »    A place in which one is as comfortable as one's actual home.

home is where you hang your hat »    Rather than feeling nostalgic or sentimental, one should simply accept any place where one happens to reside as one's home.1948, Ruth L. Yorck, "D.P.

home stretch »    The final part of a distance or the final effort needed to finish.

homeless dumping »    The practice of hospital employees or emergency workers releasing homeless patients on the streets instead of placing them into the custody of a relative or shelter or retaining them in a hospital where they may require expensive medical care.

honorable mention »    An award or recognition given to something that does not make it to a higher standing but is worth mentioning in an honorable way.

hoover up »    Quickly, especially by taking it into the mouth directly from the plate rather than using cutlery.

horizontal dancing »    Sexual intercourse.

horizontal mambo »    Sexual intercourse.

horse around »    To play or fiddle; to clown; to do nothing of importance or consequence.

horse of a different color »    An unrelated or only incidentally related matter with distinctly different significance.

horse sense »    Common sense, especially with a connotation of folk wisdom independent from, and trumping, formal education.

hospital pass »    A poorly executed pass to a team-mate causing the receiver to present an easy target for a defender, and thus be tackled hard.

hospital pass »    A throw that stays in the air long enough that it allows too many people to get underneath it, increasing the risk of injury and a trip to the hospital. Thus, a hospital pass.

hospital pass »    An unwinnable case, often passed to a newly-qualified member of the firm.

hospital pass »    Exempting one from regular activities, to instead visit a hospital.

hot air »    boastful talk

hot air »    empty talk

hot desking »    The working practice of sharing desks or workstations between workers, as a means of saving space and resources.

hot mess »    Refers to a person, thing, or situation in such a state of disarray or disapproval by peers, often in reference to physical appearance, perceived to be disastrously embarrassing, pitiful, or beyond repair.

hot potato »    A child's game in which players pass a ball or other item between them, with the object of avoiding being left holding the item when time expires.

hot potato »    An awkward or delicate problem with which nobody wants to be associated.

how's the weather »    Indicating a change of subject to unimportant topics.

how-d'ye-do »    A troublesome state of affairs.

hum and haw »    Procrastinate and take a long time before doing something or taking a decision.

hunger is a good sauce »    (dated) Being hungry makes one less concerned about the taste of one's food.1854, Mark Lemon, Henry Mayhew, Tom Taylor, Shirley Brooks, Francis Cowley Burnand, Owen Seaman, Punch, Vol. XXVI, Punch Publications Ltd., page 74:His bread and cheese were somewhat dry, to be sure; his ale had become flat, and considerably warmer than was desirable; but hunger is a good sauce, and thirst is not particular.

hunger is the best sauce »    Being hungry makes one less concerned about the taste of one's food.

hunger is the best spice »    When one is hungry, anything will taste good.

hunker down »    To take shelter; to prepare oneself for some eventuality; to focus on a task.

if all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail »    With limited tools, single-minded people apply them inappropriately or indiscriminatelyIf a person is familiar with a certain, single subject/has with them a certain, single instrument, they may have a confirmation bias to believe that it is the answer to/involved in everything.

if it ain't broke, don't fix it »    Leave something alone; avoid correcting, fixing, or improving what is already sufficient, as it could end up being detrimental

if the mountain won't come to Muhammad »    "If one cannot get one's own way, one must bow to the inevitable.".

if you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen »    If you cannot handle the pressure, you should not be in a position where you have to deal with it.

if you lie with dogs you will get fleas »    It is important whom to choose as one's closest acquanitances.

ignorance is bliss »    Lack of knowledge results in happinessSometime you are more comfortable if you dont know something.

ill health »    A state of illness, or bad health.

in a state »    Agitated and anxious.

in black and white »    Explicitly, in writing, clearly and without doubt or misunderstanding, without any grey areas.

in broad daylight »    In a blatant and publicly visible manner.

in cold blood »    In a ruthless and unfeeling manner; premeditated and deliberate.

in detail »    Thoroughly; including every detail.

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,

in for a penny, in for a pound »    Expressing recognition that one must, having started something, see it through to its end, rather than stopping short thereof; accepting that one must

in its infancy »    Still in an early stage.

in line »    Suitable or appropriate; keeping with expectations, norms, ideals, or rules.

in no uncertain terms »    With great clarity, emphasis, or exactness; without any ambiguity.

in other words »    Stated or interpreted another way; introduces an explanation.

in shape »    In a good state of physical fitness or bodily appearance.

in shape »    In good condition, repair; in a good state.

in spite of »    Despite, irrespective of, notwithstanding.

in tandem »    together

in the driver's seat »    Having the most important role in a storyline or recognition. Of primary importance.

in the fast lane »    In a lifestyle, employment position, or other set of circumstances where the rapid pace is exciting, frantic, or risky.

in the first place »    To begin with; earlier; first; at the start.

in the hospital »    Admitted as a patient in a hospital.

in the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king »    Among others with a disadvantage or disability, the one with the mildest disadvantage or disability is regarded as the greatest.Even someone without much talent or ability is considered special by those with no talent or ability at all.

in the twinkling of an eye »    Immediately; instantaneously.

in thunderation »    In any set of circumstances whatsoever.

in touch »    In contact, or in communication.

in vino veritas »    drunken folks speak truth, one tells the truth under the influence of alcohol

ins and outs »    The details or fine points of something.

inside baseball »    Technical matters concerning baseball not apparent to spectators.

inside joke »    A joke that is understood or meant to be understood only by certain people who are in the know about the details.

inside track »    Any advantage.

installed base »    The number of units of a system or product that are currently in use.

instance in »    To cite an instance; to adduce an example.

into detail »    Thoroughly; including every detail.

it is what it is »    This circumstance is simply a fact and must be accepted or dealt with as it exists.

it takes all kinds to make a world »    Diversity is essential: the world would be incomplete if everyone were alike.He irons his clothes how?! That's crazy! Well, I guess it takes all kinds.

it takes two to tango »    Some things need the active cooperation of two parties; blame is to be laid on both parties in a conflict.

it's all Greek to me »    I don’t understand any of it; it makes no sense..

it's better to ask forgiveness than permission »    The value of acting promptly and making a mistake requiring forgiveness is greater than value of delaying to get permission.

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:

it's not what you know but who you know »    For success, and especially to obtain employment, one's knowledge and skills are less useful and less important than one's network of personal contacts.1951, G. P. Bush and L. H. Hattery, "Federal Recruitment of Junior Engineers," Science, vol. 114, no. 2966, p. 456:Eighty-four students referred to political influence as a disadvantage of federal employment with such remarks as: "There are too many political connections necessary . . . it's not what you know but who you know

jack in »    To insert an electronic coupling into a receptacle; to connect to something, whether involving a physical medium or not.

jack of all trades, master of none »    A person who has a competent grasp of many skills but who is not outstanding in any one.

jack-tar »    Alternative spelling of jacktar.

jacktar »    Nickname for a sailor in the Royal Navy.

jew down »    To bargain or haggle with a seller in order to obtain a lower price for a good or service.

joe job »    An act of e-mail spamming where the sender's identity and address are those of an innocent third party, intended either to tarnish that person's reputation or to flood that person's e-mail with bounces.

jump »    To attack suddenly and violently.

jump »    To employ a move in certain board games where one game piece is moved from one legal position to another passing over the position of another piece.

jump on »    To attack someone verbally, or criticise them over strongly for small errors.

jump the gun »    To begin a race too soon, before the starting gun goes off.

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.

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.

just for fun »    For no particular reason, just because it is fun, entertaining; for to relieve boredom.

keep a weather eye open »    To maintain a background awareness of something; to remain alert to changes without it occupying your full attention.

keep an eye open »    To maintain vigilance for a possibly dangerous situation.

keep an eye open »    To maintain vigilance for someone or something.

keep down »    To lie low. To stay concealed by not standing up.

keep it real »    In the imperative, an exhortation used as a departing salutation.

keep it up »    To maintain one's erection.

keep it up »    To maintain or continue a positive streak.

keep mum »    Do not talk; especially keep silent about something that may be sensitive or secret.

keep on truckin' »    To continue or persist, regardless of circumstances or setbacks; to keep trying or striving.

keep one's cards close to one's chest »    To avoid revealing one's thoughts, circumstances, or plans.

keep one's eye on the ball »    To maintain one's concentration fixed on one important theme.

keep oneself to oneself »    To be introverted; to stay away from others.

keep out of »    To stay away from a place or condition.

keep quiet »    To refrain from talking about something; to keep a secret.

keep tabs on »    To monitor; to keep track of; to watch.

keep up »    To maintain; to preserve; to prevent from deteriorating.

keep up »    To stay even or ahead.

keep up with the Joneses »    To do or buy things for status, show, or image rather than out of need, especially for the purpose of competing with friends or neighbors.

keep your hair on »    An admonition to stay calm.

kept up »    maintained

kernel of truth »    A core accuracy at the heart of a claim or narrative which also contains dubious or fictitious elements.

key off »    To take as a controlling input datum.

kick in »    To start or connect suddenly.

kick off »    To start; to launch.

kick oneself »    To reproach oneself for making a mistake or missing an opportunity.

kick out »    To stop, stall, or disconnect suddenly.

kick up a fuss »    To show annoyance, or to complain loudly about something, often when it is of little importance in reality.

kicking and screaming »    With extreme reluctance.

kill the messenger »    To blame a problem on whoever reported it; to hold somebody accountable a problem because he/she brought attention to it.

kiss of life »    Mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

kitchen table software »    Especially in the early years of personal computers, a set of computer programs developed by an entrepreneurial advanced amateur or self-employed professional computer programmer in his or her own home; software developed by a small business using the services of such programmers.

knock down »    To hit or knock (something), intentionally or accidentally, so that it falls.

knock off »    An imitation, especially one of poorer quality.

knock on wood »    A self-directive to undertake the customary action to ward off bad luck.

knock on wood »    To take a customary action to ward off some misfortune that is believed to be attracted my a presumptuous statement.

knock over »    To rob; to stage a heist.

knock up »    In the morning as by knocking at the door; rouse; call; summon; also, to go door-to-door on election day to persuade a candidate's supporters to go to the polling station and vote. See also knocker up.

knock up »    To gently hit the ball back and forth before a tennis match, as practice or warm-up, and to gauge the state of the playing surface, lighting, etc. See knock-up.

knowledge is power »    With knowledge and/or education, one's potential or ability to succeed in the pursuit of his objectives will certainly increase.

knuckle down »    To get to work; to focus on a task.

l'esprit de l'escalier »    The experience of thinking of a devastating rejoinder only after leaving the scene of the debate.

labor of love »    A task performed voluntarily without expectation of reimbursement; an altruistic work or undertaking.

land of opportunity »    A nickname for the United States.

landing strip »    A cultivated pubic hair pattern in which much of the pubic hair is removed, leaving only a central vertical line or rectangle.

lash out »    To make a fierce verbal attack.

last burst of fire »    A state of exertion where one gives one's all; expending all of one's remaining energy in a final effort to achieve one's goal.

last minute »    Point in time, too close to a deadline to reasonably begin a critical task.

last post »    military bugle call

last word »    The final statement uttered by a person before death.

last word »    The finest, highest, or ultimate representative of some class of objects.

latch onto »    To obtain, acquire or get and keep hold of something.

lay down »    To specify, institute, enact, assert firmly, state authoritatively, establish or formulate .

lay down »    To lie down; to place oneself in a reclined or horizontal position, on a bed or similar, for the purpose of resting.

lay down the law »    To authoritatively or dogmatically assert what is permitted or not permitted.

lay hands on »    To find, obtain or procure.

lay it on the line »    To state something, for example an ultimatum, strongly and clearly.

lay out »    To arrange in a certain way.

lay rubber »    To accelerate so rapidly from standstill that it leaves a mark of burnt rubber on the road from the tire.

lay the groundwork »    To create a foundation; to provide the basics or fundamentals.

lay up »    To take out of active service.

lead »    A thin strip of type metal, used to separate lines of type in printing.

leader of the free world »    The President of the United States.

leading lady »    starring actress

leave no stone unturned »    To do a task very carefully and thoroughly, not missing any step.

leave somebody high and dry »    To abandon somebody; to stop providing assistance at a crucial moment.

leave to one's own devices »    To leave alone, unsupervised, without assistance.

left field »    The part of a baseball field which is beyond the infield and to your left if you stand on home plate and face the pitcher.

left-handed compliment »    A complimentary remark which is ambiguous or ineptly worded, so that it may be interpreted as having an unflattering or dismissive sense.

lend a hand »    To help or assist, especially voluntarily.

let sleeping dogs lie »    To leave things as they are; especially, to avoid restarting or rekindling an old argument; to leave disagreements in the past.

let slip »    To divulge a secret, as by accident or mistake.

let someone have it »    To attack someone with great force.

letters after one's name »    A list of abbreviations, separated by commas, representing the academic qualifications and civil or military honours achieved by a person.

level up »    To progress to the next level of player character stats and abilities. Often used in role-playing games when the character has aquired enough experience points.

lie back and think of England »    . "think of England" refers to the importance of children.

lie back and think of England »    Used to preface any unpleasant but inevitable experience.

life of the party »    A person who participates in entertainment events in a very enthusiastic manner and who has a leading role in inspiring others to join in the spirit of festivity.

life's a bitch »    An expression of acceptance of misfortune.1950, Joy Davidman, Weeping Bay, page 184:She'd have been willing enough to use them, poor dead little bitch. Life's a bitch. Life's a bad joke.

light a fire under »    To start sooner or move faster.

light bucket »    Nickname for a reflecting telescope, especially one with a relatively large aperture and suitable for observing deep sky objects such as nebulae and galaxies.

light into »    Attack.

lion »    A stylized representation of a large cat, used on a coat of arms.

lion »    A large cat, Panthera leo, native to Africa, India and formerly to much of Europe. The term may apply to the species as a whole, to individuals, or to male individuals. It also applies to related species like mountain lions.

lion »    The arms of the University of the West Indies are Barry wavy of six Argent and Azure an open Book proper bound Gules garnished Or on a Chief of the third a Lion passant guardant Erminois. Crest: A Pelican proper. . See talk page.

lip service »    Empty talk; words absent of action or intention.

live on »    To survive solely by consuming a certain thing.

live up »    To fulfil the expectations placed upon.

loaded for bear »    Mentally prepared for a daunting situation or confrontation.

loaded for bear »    Thoroughly equipped, as for a demanding task or confrontation.

loaded word »    Any word, set phrase or idiom that has strong positive or negative connotations beyond their ordinary definition.

long absent, soon forgotten »    Love fades away when people are distant and don't keep close physical contact.

long drink »    Any drink containing more than 5 ounces of liquid and less than 9 ounces. Typically, a long drink will have lots of ice and mixer.

long finger »    A state of postponement or procrastination.

long haul »    Travelling a long distance.

long row to hoe »    A difficult or arduous task.

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.

long time »    Used as part of greeting of two people who have not been in contact for a long time.

longpig »    Human flesh when cooked in cannabalistic rituals in certain Pacific Islands, due to the allegeded similarity to cooked pork.

look daggers »    To stare sharply at someone to indicate disapproval without actually speaking.

look out for number one »    To act in one's own interests; to act in a manner advantageous primarily to oneself.

look up »    To obtain information about something from a text source.

Loose cannon »    An uncontrolled or unpredictable person who causes damage to his own friends, faction, political party, etc.

loose end »    A small job that needs to be done, or minor problem that needs to be resolved, before a task can be considered complete.

loose ends »    unresolved details

lose out »    To be at a disadvantage.

lose the plot »    To cease to be behaving in a predictable and/or rational manner.

lose the plot »    To have one's results decline severely in quality or suddenly fall below an acceptable standard, especially when compared to past excellence.

lose touch »    To cease to be familiar with someone or something or to cease to communicate or have contact.

louse up »    Mess up; confuse; put into a state of disorder.

low blow »    A rhetorical attack that is considered unfair or unscrupulous.

low blow »    An unfair or illegal blow that lands below the opponent’s waist; a groin attack..

low-hanging fruit »    Easily obtained gains; what can be obtained by readily available means.

lucky dip »    A game in which prizes are covered up and mixed together in a container, so that contestants can dip their hand into the container and randomly pull out a prize.

make a meal of »    To spend more time and energy on some task than it warrants; to make something overly complicated.

make a mountain out of a molehill »    To treat a problem as greater than it is; to blow something out of proportion; to exaggerate the importance of something trivial.

make a point »    To take care in doing something of something; to pay attention or ensure that something is done.

make book »    To gamble, either by placing or taking bets.

make hay »    To take advantage of an opportunity.

make hay while the sun shines »    To act while an opportunity exists; to take action while a situation is favorable.

make head or tail of »    To determine to be good or bad.

make head or tail of »    To understand even minimally.

make oneself scarce »    To leave or depart, or to avoid or stay away.

make quick work of »    To accomplish a specified task easily and quickly.

make sense »    To decipher or understand.

make short work of »    To make a task quicker or easier.

make waves »    To upset the status quo.

mama's boy »    A male person, especially a young man or boy, who is overly attached to or influenced by his mother; a sissy.

man of parts »    A man that is talented in multiple areas of life. This includes but is not limited to the area of seduction. He puts very little emphasis on memorized scripts or "peacocking" and instead relies on individualized ways to charm a woman.

man up »    His station, prepared for departure of an aircraft, ship, etc.

man up »    To "be a man about it"; to do the things a good man is traditionally expected to do, such as: taking responsibility for the consequences of one's actions; displaying bravery or toughness in the face of adversity; providing for one's family, etc.

man up »    To staff adequately; to staff up; to successfully fill all needed labor positions.

managerial inbreeding »    Bad management, caused by managers making poor selection choices in recruitment, rewards, and promotions of the staff that report to them, leading to another generation of managers who lack the necessary skill sets to reward and promote the most effective staff.

many hands make light work »    A large number of people co-operating can perform tasks easily.

march to the beat of a different drum »    To do things in one's own way regardless of societal norms and expectations.

mark my words »    Listen to me; used before a statement one wishes to emphasize.

mark up »    To increase the price of something between its wholesale and retail phase.

measure twice and cut once »    (literally, carpentry) One should double-check one's measurements for accuracy before cutting a piece of wood; otherwise it may be necessary to cut again, wasting time and material.1872, "Dressmaking," Hall's Journal of Health, vol. 19, no. 12, p. 280:Look at Carpenters! . . . In old times it was a proverb "Measure twice, and cut once."(figuratively, by extension) Plan and prepare in a careful, thorough manner before taking action.2008, Hilary Johnson, "Mergers rattle bank relations," Financial Week, 9 Nov. (retrieved 9 Nov. 2008):Mr. Paz noted that since the onset of the credit crisis, eBay, like other companies, hasn

measure up »    To meet expectations; to be as good as.

meatball surgery »    A nickname for surgery that is meant to be performed rapidly to stabilize the patient as quickly as possible.

meaty »    Of, relating to, or containing meat.

meaty »    Substantial.

memory lane »    A set of recollections available to be reviewed, especially accompanied by a feeling of nostalgia.

mercury »    A silvery-colored metallic chemical element, liquid at room temperature, with atomic number 80 and symbol Hg.

mess around »    To have a non-committal sexual relationship.

mess of pottage »    Something of trivial value, especially of immediate value.

mess up »    To cause a problem with; to introduce an error or mistake in; to make muddled or confused; spoil; ruin.

mess up »    To make a mistake; to do something incorrectly; to perform poorly.

mess up »    To make unwanted mistakes in a given task, usually through distraction or obnoxious behavior.

mess up »    To discombobulate, utterly confuse, or confound psychologically; to throw into a state of mental disarray.

middle ground »    The middle distance.

mind the store »    To remain present in a retail business, in order to maintain the security of the premises and to serve customers.

mind the store »    To take active responsibility for a group or process, especially within an organization.

miss the boat »    To fail to take advantage of an opportunity; to overlook or be too late to pursue an option or course of action.

miss the mark »    To fail to hit the target.

mix apples and oranges »    To mix two totally different things.

mix up »    misunderstanding

mixed bag »    Any bag containing a mixture of something.

mixed bag »    Something tending to have both good and bad results or characteristics; something having a mixture of advantages and disadvantages.

moment of truth »    A deciding instant; the time when a test determines or makes it apparent whether something will succeed.

money maker »    Something profitable.

money talks »    It is easier to accomplish goals using money instead of just talk.

monkey on one's back »    A state of persistent distress or worry or the cause of such a state.

monkey wrench »    A problem, obstacle or dilemma; something unexpected or troublesome.

monkey wrench »    A wrench with a smooth adjustable jaw to grip different sizes of nuts.

moral high ground »    A position or point of view which is ethically superior or more reputable, in comparison to others which are under consideration.

more haste, less speed »    When we are in a hurry, we often end up completing our task slower.

morning, noon and night »    Constantly; ceaselessly; without stopping.

moses basket »    portable cradle

motor mouth »    One who talks incessantly; a chatty or loquacious person.

mouse potato »    A person who spends excessive amounts of time using a computer.

move on »    To start dealing with something else.

move the goalposts »    To alter the agreed basis, scope, standards or target of a procedure or task during its course, especially to do so to someone's advantage.

movie star »    famous film actor

muck about »    To do somethings with a piece of equipment when you do not understand how it works.

muck in »    To join in attaining a common aim.

muck out »    To clean the excrement and other rubbish from the area where an animal is kept, such as a horse stable or a dog kennel.

muckety muck »    A person in a position of power, authority, or status.

mug's game »    A foolish, profitless, or hopeless undertaking.

myope comme une taupe »    Blind as a bat.

nail biter »    A nervous or uncomfortable situation.

nail down »    To attach with nails.

nail down »    Firm or certain.

naked as a jaybird »    Stark naked; nude; especially, naked in a public setting and without embarrassment.

necker's knob »    A knob attached to the steering wheel of an automobile, especially before the widespread availability of power steering, helping the driver steer with one arm and leaving the other arm free to provide romantic attention to a companion.

needle in a haystack »    Something that is difficult or impossible to locate; something impossibly complex or intractable.

neither fish nor fowl »    Said of something not easily categorized or not fitting neatly into any established group.

neither here nor there »    Not important; having no significance or influence on the question at hand; not related; not relevant; not germane; not pertinent.

never in a month of Sundays »    Never in a month of Sundays would I have imagined that you'd be this tall in real life!.

never mind »    I withdraw my previous statement.

never mind »    It is not important; do not fret.

new school »    A style, way of thinking, or method for accomplishing a task that is typical of the current era, as opposed to former eras.

night owl »    One who stays up late at night or goes to bed late.

nip and tuck »    So evenly matched that the advantage shifts from one to the other, and the outcome is uncertain.

nip in the bud »    To stop something at an early stage.

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.

no dice »    An unacceptable alternative.

no fear »    certainly not

no ifs, ands, or buts »    Period; exactly so; without modification, limitation, or addendum.

no screaming hell »    Something that is not particularly effective or impressive; something that is below expectations.

no slave to fashion »    A person whose style of clothing and appearance are unconventional, informal, or slovenly; a person who takes little interest in how he or she is dressed.

no smoke without fire »    Indicative of the fact that gossip or accusations are often substantiated by fact.

no strings attached »    Without conditions or obligations; without a catch.

noarch »    Short for "no architecture". It is a term used mainly in package management systems to mark packages which are architecture independent. Such packages usually contain graphics, documentation or similar data that can be used on any architecture.

nobody's perfect »    Used when someone's mistakes or flaws are acknowledged, to remind that everyone else makes mistakes and has flaws1995, New York Magazine Vol. 28, No. 5, 30 January 1995, The de-moralization of society (Book Review)Hypocrisy, particularly in sexual matters, is excused on the grounds that hey, nobody's perfect, and at least folks back then felt bad enough to lie.2000, Madonna, Nobody's PerfectI feel so sad. What I did wasn't right. I feel so bad and I must say to you: Sorry, but nobody's perfect. Nobody's perfect. What did you expect? I'm doing my best

nod off »    To fall asleep, especially while in a seated position or in inappropriate circumstances.

non-starter »    An idea or argument that cannot be sensibly debated.

non-starter »    Someone or something who was listed to start in a race, but did not start in the race.

non-starter »    Something that is not going to happen.

nosebleed seat »    A seat high in the back of bleachers, stands, or the balcony at a theater.

not a pretty sight »    Something disappointing, disquieting, disreputable, or otherwise unworthy of admiration.

not all it's cracked up to be »    Not as good as claimed; falling short of expectations.

not be able to get a word in edgeways »    To be unable to say a single word because of someone else's talkativeness.

not have a leg to stand on »    To lack support, as in an argument, debate, or negotiation.

not in Kansas anymore »    No longer in quiet and comfortable surroundings; in the big city.

not on your life »    Absolutely not; under no circumstances.

not the end of the world »    It's of minor importance, at least not as important as it first seemed.

not to put too fine a point on it »    Used to apologise for a possibly impolite statement one is making.

nothing to sneeze at »    Not bad; decent; acceptable; worthwhile.

nothing ventured, nothing gained »    If one takes no risks, one will not gain any benefits.

now you're cooking »    A phrase, often given in response, meaning that the subject has switched to a more suitable or more efficient approach.

now you're talking »    A phrase indicating agreement with a previously stated suggestion to change a course of action.

nugget of truth »    A small amount of truth in a generally untrue statement.

nut-cutting time »    Time to gather nuts before they are taken by other animals or buried in snow.

nuts and bolts »    The basic, inner workings of something; the fundamentals or basics; that which makes something operate, on a basic level.

object lesson »    A lesson taught using a familiar or unusual object as a focus.

off board »    Not on or in a means of transportation.

off the bat »    From the start; immediately; right away.

off the radar »    Unlikely to happen, or be important in the near future or tending to escape detection or attention.

off the table »    Beyond consideration.

off the wagon »    No longer maintaining a program of self-improvement or abstinence from an undesirable habit, especially drinking alcohol.

old hand »    A person who is experienced at a certain activity.

old hat »    Something uninteresting, hackneyed, or passé due to overuse or long-standing familiarity..

old money »    The monetary system used in the United Kingdom before decimalisation and consisting of pounds, shillings, and pence.

old school »    Characteristic of a style, outlook, or method employed in a former era, remembered either as inferior to the current style, or alternately, remembered nostalgically as superior or preferable to the new style, the older denoting something that would be considered out of date or out of fashion to some, but as such, is considered by others as cool and hip.

old testament »    part of the bible

old time used to be »    Roberta, lyrics by Leadbelly.

on about »    Speaking about, talking of.

on accident »    Accidentally; not intentionally; because of error, misfortune, or lack of caution.

on acid »    Exaggerated, bizarre or unpredictable.

on at »    to pester; to irritate; to annoy

on board »    On or in a means of transportation.

on edge »    Tense, nervous or irritable.

on one's feet »    Being stable or capable, especially in a financial or emotional sense.

on one's feet »    Being standing up.

on one's own »    Alone; by oneself; without the companionship or assistance of others.

on one's soapbox »    Stating or professing one's opinion; attempting to persuade others of something.

on opposite sides of the barricades »    Of starkly different, opposite views on an issue.

on pins and needles »    Feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety; in a state of suspense.

on tenterhooks »    In a state of suspense or apprehension.

on the anvil »    Refers to anything in the making, being created, or in production, especially in the metalworking field.

on the bubble »    Uncertain of success.

on the clock »    Of a taxicab, engaged for hire; displayed numerically as time or fare on the meter of a taxicab.

on the defensive »    Prepared to defend or protect against criticism, attack or aggression.

on the face of »    Notwithstanding.

on the fly »    Spontaneously or extemporaneously; done as one goes, or during another activity.

on the go »    To have started.

on the house »    Free, complimentary.

on the line »    On a level with the eye of the spectator; said of a picture, as hung in an exhibition of pictures.

on the make »    Actively seeking an opportunity for self-advancement; eager to ingratiate oneself to others in order to secure some advantage.

on the right track »    Using the correct general approach to a particular task or problem; pursuing something in a promising way.

on the run »    Constantly traveling or moving from place to place.

on the spur of the moment »    On very short notice; spontaneously.

on the uptake »    In understanding or in the ability to absorb new information; especially in the phrases "quick on the uptake" and "slow on the uptake".

on the wagon »    By extension, maintaining a program of self-improvement or abstinence from some other undesirable habit.

on the whole »    For the most part; apart from some insignificant details.

on top of the world »    Delighted; ecstatic; exceptionally pleased, happy, or satisfied.

on track »    Proceeding as planned, as expected, or in a manner consistent with an established pattern.

on wheels »    Having wheels affixed to the bottom, and so transportable.

one brick short of a full load »    Not mentally sound; insane.

one can't hold two watermelons in one hand »    do not attempt to take on more than you can handle

one card shy of a full deck »    Mentally deranged; demented; insane.

one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind »    Words spoken by Neil Armstrong when taking the first steps on the moon.

one step at a time »    Slowly and carefully, ensuring that each action has been completed successfully before taking the next.

one swallow does not a summer make »    One sighting or instance of an event does not necessarily indicate a trend.

one swallow doesn't make a summer »    One sighting or instance of an event does not necessarily indicate a trend.

one who hesitates is lost »    A person who spends too much time contemplating what to do may miss a valuable but fleeting opportunity.

one-night stand »    A single sexual encounter between two individuals, where at least one of the parties has no immediate intention or expectation of establishing a longer-term sexual or romantic relationship. As the phrase implies, the relationship lasts for only one night.

one-night stand »    An occasion when a performer or team of them expects to perform at a theater for a single evening.

one-upmanship »    A succession of instances of outdoing a competitor.

ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny »    (biology, social sciences, art, philosophy) The physical, cultural, moral, or intellectual development of each individual passes through stages similar to the developmental stages of that individual's species, society, or civilization.1905, J. A. Harris, "The Importance of Investigations of Seedling Stages," Science, New Series, vol. 22, no. 554, p. 186:With reference to seedling stages the statement that ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny must be made with great reserve.1961, M. E. Wolfgang, "Pioneers in Criminology: Cesare Lombroso (1835-1909)," The Journal of Criminal Law, Criminology, and Police Science, vol. 52, no. 4, p. 367:Haeckel maintained that ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny, and this idea was incorporated by Lombroso into his parallelism between the criminal and the child.2002, B. S. Jackson, "Models in Legal History: The Case of Biblical Law," Journal of Law and Religion, vol. 18, no. 1, p. 11:For even if we accept that "ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny," those responsible for the drafting of ancient legal documents were not children, and are hardly to be endowed with some form of infantile mentality.

open one's big mouth »    To speak about things, when it would be better to stay silent.

opening time »    hour at which a pub can start serving

or else »    Go now, or else you'll have to stay all night.

out of line »    Inappropriate or unsuitable, especially by reason of being unmannerly or indelicate.

out of order »    Inappropriate or unsuitable.

out of place »    Not in the proper situation or arrangement, or inappropriate for the circumstances.

out of reach »    Inaccessible or unattainable.

out of sight »    You better stay out of sight for a few days.

out of sorts »    Irritable or somewhat unwell, with vague medical symptoms.

out of the way »    Taken care of.

out of touch »    No longer maintaining contact or communications.

outsider »    A competitor or contestant who has little chance of winning; a long shot; a dark horse.

over a barrel »    In a disadvantageous or helpless situation, in which one may be controlled or victimized.

over my dead body »    Under no circumstances; absolutely not.

over one's head »    More complex or confusing than one can understand; beyond one’s comprehension..

pachyderm »    A member of the obsolete taxonomic group Pachydermata, grouping of thick-skinned, hoofed animals such as the rhinoceros, hippopotamus, elephant, pig and horse.

pachyderm »    Someone with thick skin. It is used for animals such as an elephant or a hippopotamus.

pack away »    To store away, place out of the way, or stash, especially for the longer term.

pain in the neck »    Someone or something which is annoying, irritating or inconvenient.

paint with a broad brush »    To describe a class of objects or a kind of phenomenon in general terms, without specific details and without attention to individual variations.

pass muster »    To measure up to a particular standard.

pay for »    To be punished or held accountable for.

pay one's dues »    To acquire status or to earn the right to enjoy certain benefits, especially through lengthy experience, hardship, or service to an organization.

pay out »    To repay, take revenge.

pay the bills »    To provide enough income to sustain one's lifestyle.

pay the piper »    To pay a monetary debt or experience unfavorable consequences, especially when the payment or consequences are inevitable in spite of attempts to avoid them.

pay through the nose »    To pay a high price, especially an exorbitant or excessive amount, either in money or in some other manner.

pay up »    To pay for something in total, after a certain amount of time after receiving a purchase.

payback's a bitch »    Usually a complete sentence as an interjection: I am amused that someone got their revenge on you...but you certainly had it coming.

peachy keen »    Extremely good, exactly right; all right. Often used in the negative or with an ironic or sarcastic connotation to mean the opposite.

peanut gallery »    Any source of heckling, unwelcome commentary or criticism, especially from a know-it-all or of an inexpert nature.

peel grapes »    To perform a menial task, eliminating trivial inconveniences.

peel out »    To start abruptly from a standing stop, accelerating rapidly, especially so as to produce skid marks.

pencil-neck »    An insubstantial person; a weakling.

pencil-necked »    Insubstantial; weak.

pencilneck »    An insubstantial person; a weakling.

penny black »    old stamp

pi%C3%A8ce de r%C3%A9sistance »    A masterpiece; the most memorable accomplishment of one’s career or lifetime..

pick up »    To clean up; to return to an organized state.

pick up »    To restart or resume.

pick up »    To learn, to grasp; to begin to understand.

pick up the tab »    To accept a charge and pay for it, especially at a bar or restaurant.

pickin' and grinnin' »    Vigorously playing folk or country music on a stringed musical instrument, especially the guitar or banjo, while smiling broadly.

pickle »    Any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish.

piece de resistance »    A masterpiece; the most memorable accomplishment of one’s career or lifetime..

piece of ass »    An act of intercourse, especially a one night stand.

piece of cake »    A job, task or other activity that is easy or simple to do.

pile up »    To form a pile, stack, or heap.

pin down »    To attach or secure with pins.

pin tuck »    narrow ornamental fold

pinch-hit »    To do something in the place of another person who is not able to perform or is less skilled; to substitute or stand in for somebody.

pitch in »    To help out; lend assistance; contribute; to do one's part.

pitched battle »    A hostile engagement involving sustained, full-scale fighting between opposing forces in close combat.

pitched battle »    An intense, rancorous argument or confrontation.

play along »    To take part in a charade, deception, or practical joke.

play ball »    To start anything tumultuous.

play down »    To make or attempt to make something seem less important, likely, or obvious.

play dumb »    To pretend to be slow-witted or lacking in specific knowledge, usually in order to avoid responsibility or to gain some advantage.

play for love »    To play a game of cards without stakes.

play it safe »    To take a cautious, risk-free approach.

play the same tape »    To repeat exactly what one previously said or did.

play to the gallery »    To appeal to the least sophisticated parts of an audience in order to obtain maximum approval.

play up »    To make or attempt to make something appear more important, likely or obvious; to showcase or highlight.

plead the fifth »    To invoke the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which protects witnesses from being forced to incriminate themselves.

plus  »    (literally) The more it changes, the more it's the same thing (sometimes loosely translated as the more things change, the more they stay the same).Although the outward appearance may change, fundamentals are constant.

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.

point out »    To identify with a bodily gesture, notably by pointing a finger or implement.

poison »    A substance that is harmful or lethal to a living organism.

poison pen »    A usually intentionally rude, spiteful, and/or condescending piece of writing directed at a person, group, lifestyle, way of thought, or other target.

pop out »    To leave a room or building with the expectation of returning soon.

pope's nose »    The tail end piece of a cooked chicken.

possession is nine-tenths of the law »    One who has possession of a thing has some right to it; a popular statement of the doctrine of adverse possession.

pour out »    To talk volubly and deeply. Usually implies telling the truth.

power behind the throne »    Someone who appears to be without special status, but who has great covert influence on a person in authority.

power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely »    The corrupting influence of power is total when one's power is total.Lord Acton see: Wikiquote

prawn cocktail offensive »    A strategy of the Labour Party in winning over important people in the world of finance.

preprogram »    To predispose to certain thoughts or behaviours.

pretty pictures »    Image supplements in a presentation: graphs, charts, etc.

pretzel »    Anything that is knotted, twisted, or tangled.

price out of the market »    To charge an exorbitant price for a service or product so that no one will purchase it.

pronunciamiento »    A military uprising or coup in Spain or the Spanish American republics, particularly in the 19th century. They received this designation because coups were usually accompanied by a statement declaring the existing government null and void.

proverbs run in pairs »    Every proverb seems to be contradicted by another proverb with an opposed message, such as "too many cooks spoil the broth" and "many hands make light work."1863, Sir Richard Burton, Abeokuta and the Camaroons Mountains, vol. 1, Tinsley (London), p. 309:Moreover, all the world over, proverbs run in pairs, and pull both ways: for the most part one neutralizes, by contradiction, the other.

pull my finger »    A phrase used when playing a prank regarding flatulence, in which a mark is asked to pull the finger of the person playing the prank, who simultaneously flatulates so as to suggest a causal relationship between the pulling of the finger and the resulting expulsion of gas.

pull one's finger out »    To stop wasting time in preliminaries, and concentrate on the important task.

pull one's socks up »    To start making an effort; to renew or redouble one's efforts.

pull oneself together »    To become mentally focused after a period of being unfocused.

pull out »    To withdraw; especially of military forces; to retreat.

pull out »    To remove something from a container.

push one's luck »    To take an excessive risk or to attempt some task unlikely to succeed, especially after having already been unexpectedly lucky.

push the envelope »    To go beyond established limits; to pioneer.

put a foot wrong »    To make a mistake.

put a lid on it »    To be quiet; shut up; to stop talking about something or making noise.

put a sock in it »    To be quiet; to shut one's mouth; to stop talking.

put across »    To explain or state something clearly and understandably.

put aside »    To ignore or intentionally forget something, temporarily or permanently, so that more important things can have one's attention.

put away »    To catch a fly ball or tag out a baserunner.

put away »    To take a large lead in a game.

put down »    To make prices, or taxes, lower.

put down roots »    To do things which show that one wishes to stay put.

put down to »    To state the cause of a situation.

put into practice »    To take a theory and make it a practical reality.

put on the dog »    To dress up; to put on airs; to make a show of wealth and/or importance; to be pretentious.

put one foot in front of the other »    To walk, decomposed to stress the fundamentality of the task.

put one's foot in it »    To make a mistake in public, or a social blunder, that is embarrassing, or offensive.

put one's money where one's mouth is »    More generally, to take an obvious stake in the truth of a claim that one is making.

put one's money where one's mouth is »    To make or take a bet.

put oneself across »    To explain one's ideas and opinions clearly so that another person can understand them and get a picture of your personality.

put out »    The statistic of the number of outs a defensive player directly caused.

put someone in mind of »    To remind someone of; to inspire a mental image or awareness of; to cause thoughts concerning.

put the pedal to the metal »    To exert maximum effort.

put the pedal to the metal »    To press the gas pedal to the maximum extent.

put to the test »    To test something or someone; to evaluate, scrutinize or explore by testing or experimentation.

put up »    To house, shelter, or take in.

quantum mechanics »    Something overly complicated or detailed.

quantum mechanics »    The branch of physics which studies matter and energy at the level of atoms and other elementary particles, and substitutes probabilistic mechanisms for classical Newtonian ones.

queer one's pitch »    To make a task more difficult for the speaker.

question mark »    Doubt or uncertainty.

quick on the uptake »    Able to readily understand things; intelligent.

quick-and-dirty »    Of or pertaining to the creation or repair of software or hardware in a manner which permits operation within a brief period of time, although with compromised functionality or reliability.

rag the puck »    To proceed slowly at any activity in order to use up time; to stall for time.

rag the puck »    To retain possession of the puck by skillful skating and stickhandling without attempting to score, as a deliberate tactic intended to use up time.

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.

rain or shine »    Regardless of what the circumstances are, and how the weather is.

raise the bar »    To raise standards or expectations, especially by creating something to a higher standard.

raise the stakes »    To increase in significance or risk.

raise the stakes »    To raise the stakes of a hand of poker.

ramp up »    Of a project or operation, to start up.

rank and file »    Those lacking any particular title or status; those having no station.

rat run »    A small road that people venture down when they want to sneak off the motorway and take a short cut.

reach an early grave »    To resign near the start for good.

reach for the stars »    To have high hopes, to be ambitious.

read between the lines »    To infer a meaning that is not stated explicitly.

read out »    To read some data and inform the person using the device.

real job »    A hobby that takes all of a person's free time.

real job »    A job that can't be replaced advantageously by a machine or a procedure.

real Macoy »    The genuine thing, neither a substitute nor an imitation.

real McCoy »    The genuine thing, neither a substitute nor an imitation.

real McKoy »    The genuine thing, neither a substitute nor an imitation.

rearrange the deck chairs on the Titanic »    To do something pointless or insignificant that will soon be overtaken by events, or that contributes nothing to the solution of a current problem.

reckon with »    To take into account.

red state »    A state of the United States voting Republican in a given election, or tending to vote Republican in general.

red tape »    A derisive term for regulations or bureaucratic procedures that are considered excessive or excessively time- and effort-consuming.

rediscover fire »    To relearn fundamental concepts, principles or practices that had been previously well known and widely practiced at a prior time in human society.

rev up »    To increase the speed of an engine, especially that of a stationary motor car.

revenge is a dish best served cold »    An expression that emotional detachment is ideal when taking revenge, as one is righting the wrongs that have been done to the doer.

ride out »    To tackle a difficult problem and survive.

ride tall in the saddle »    To act or conduct oneself in a manner that is imposing, impressive, resolute, or manly.

ride tall in the saddle »    To ride a horse in an erect, imposing manner.

ring off the hook »    Of a telephone, to ring constantly or excessively.

ringside seat »    Any vantage point providing an excellent view.

rip off »    To charge an exorbitant or unfair rate.

rivet counter »    A person who has an obsession with the minutae of their particular interest. Anyone preoccupied with small distinguishing features between different items.

road movie »    A film in which much of the action takes place during a journey, especially one involving overland travel.

road to Damascus »    A road to Damascus moment, or change, is an important point in someone's life where a great change, or reversal, of ideas or beliefs occurs.

robber baron »    In Europe, an aristocrat who charged exorbitant fees or otherwise exacted money from people who journeyed across land or waterways which he controlled.

rock the boat »    To disturb the status quo or go against rules or conventions, as in an effort to get attention.

rocket science »    Anything overly complex, detailed or confusing.

rocket scientist »    Someone qualified to understand or handle that which is overly complex, detailed or confusing; a genius.

rocking horse shit »    A metaphor for something exceedingly rare or, more likely, nonexistent.

roll out the red carpet »    To extend the utmost hospitality; to treat someone as an honored guest; to welcome or host, especially in a showy or extravagant manner.

Rome wasn't built in a day »    It takes a long time to create something complicated or impressive.

roses are red »    The start of a generic poem about love.

rough trot »    A series of difficult circumstances.

round out »    To make more complete by adding details.

rub in »    To irritatingly make a point.

rub off on »    To adapt to a way of behaving after constant exposure to it.

rub somebody the wrong way »    To bother, disturb, irritate, or annoy.

rules are made to be broken »    it is acceptable to break rules.

rumor campaign »    A method of persuasion in which damaging rumors or innuendo are deliberately spread concerning a person or other target, while the source of the rumors tries to avoid detection.

rumor mill »    A group or network of persons who originate or promulgate gossip and other unsubstantiated claims.

run a bath »    To fill a bathtub with water in preparation for taking a bath.

run afoul of »    To become entangled in; to run aground on.

run around with »    To spend a lot of time with a person or group of people. Often used to talk about a person's group of friends that one does not like much.

run back »    To take someone home by car. Give someone a lift to their house.

run for »    To try to obtain political position through the democratic voting process.

run for one's money »    A reasonable opportunity to succeed, perform acceptably, or escape harm, especially in a difficult situation.

run on »    To continue talking for a long time.

run out the clock »    To preserve a lead in a game by retaining possession, to waste time.

run something by »    To bring an idea or proposal to the attention of someone in order to obtain their opinion.

run something past »    To bring an idea or proposal to the attention of someone in order to obtain their opinion.

run to »    To reach the limit of one's abilities or tastes.

sabre-rattling »    A flamboyant display of military power as an implied threat that it might be used.

sacred cow »    Something which cannot be tampered with, or criticized, for fear of public outcry.

save face »    To take an action or make a gesture intended to preserve one's reputation or honour.

scare the pants off of »    To scare or startle thoroughly.

scissorbill »    The black skimmer bird native to the Atlantic states, USA.

scratch that »    To disregard, omit, or ignore the previous statement.

scream »    A form of singing associated with the metal and screamo styles of music. It is a loud, rough, distorted version of the voice; rather than the normal voice of the singer.

scream »    An entertaingly outrageous person.

seagull approach »    The occurence of casual, ill-informed and hasty decisions or comments made by outside authorities who lack an understanding of the local issues or a real understanding of the facts of a particular situ.

second banana »    A person who serves in a supporting, secondary, or subsidiary capacity; an assistant.

second childhood »    A childlike state in any adult, resulting from mental illness, trauma, or other conditions.

second childhood »    The period or state of cognitive decline of an elderly person, characterized by childlike judgment and behavior.

second-guess »    Presumably from trying to improve with a second stab.

see a man »    To take one's leave for some urgent purpose, especially to go to the bathroom.

see red »    To be angry or irritated.

see the forest for the trees »    To discern an overall pattern from a mass of detail; to see the bigger picture, or the broader, more general situation. Generally used in the negative.

see the light »    To gain an understanding of something previously not understood, especially in a sudden insight.

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".

sell out »    To abandon one's supporters or principles to seek profit or other personal advantage.

send up »    To imitate someone or something for the purpose of satirical humour.

senior note »    A bond that takes priority over other debt securities sold by the issuer. In the event the issuer goes bankrupt, senior debt must be repaid before other creditors receive any payment.

serpentine »    Of, pertaining to, or characteristic of snakes.

set back »    To remove from or allow distance.

set in »    become established

set in one's ways »    Driven by habit; inclined or determined to continue according to one's custom or established preferences.

set in stone »    Permanent; certain; firm.

set the stage »    To prepare; to establish the basis or required conditions.

set up shop »    To establish a business.

settle in »    To get comfortable or established, as in a new place.

sex up »    To make more palatable or acceptable to the general public; to improve the image or perception.

sex up »    To take part in sexual acts with.

shanks' nag »    Transportation by foot. To "take a shanks' nag" means using one's own legs to walk.

shanks' pony »    Transportation by foot.

shape up »    To take shape; to transform into or become.

sharp as a tack »    Very intelligent.

shit one's pants »    To involuntarily defecate into one's pants or other clothing.

shit or get off the pot »    To choose between taking action now, or foregoing the opportunity until a later date.

shoo-in »    A candidate or contestant generally agreed upon as the presumptive winner; somebody who is well-liked or widely agreed upon.

shoot first and ask questions later »    To take action with serious consequences without delay, preserving the benefit of surprise by not providing indication of one's intent.

shoot off at the mouth »    Don't let [presidential press secretary Ron] Ziegler shoot off at the mouth without our knowledge.

shoot off at the mouth »    To boast, or brag, or talk too much.

shoot one's mouth off »    To make reckless or exaggerated statements.

shoot oneself in the foot »    To deliberately sabotage an activity in order to avoid obligation, though it causes personal suffering. Origins in first world war trench warfare.

shoot the breeze »    To chat idly or generally waste time talking.

shoot the bull »    To chinwag; to talk idly.

shoot the messenger »    To blame a problem on whoever reported it; to hold somebody accountable a problem because he/she brought attention to it.

shoot the moon »    To attain great heights, a high value, or a numerically high measurement.

shoot the moon »    To take a risk which may result in great rewards; to succeed after taking such a risk.

short strokes »    The final steps of an undertaking, especially one which has been lengthy or laborious.

shotgun »    A gun which fires loads consisting of small metal balls, called shot, from a cartridge.

shotgun »    A one-story dwelling with no hallways or corridors, with the rooms arranged in a straight line. Mostly heard in the southern United States.

show off »    To exhibit; to demonstrate one's skill, talent, etc. for its own sake.

show the flag »    Of a naval vessel or military force, to identify itself by displaying the flag of its country of origin, especially in order to establish an authoritative presence and to exert diplomatic or political influence.

show the flag »    To represent one's country or some other group in a manner intended to suggest the authority or importance of that country or group.

shrinking violet »    A very shy person, who avoids contact with others if avoidable.

shuffle »    An instance of walking without lifting one's feet.

shuffle off this mortal coil »    To die; to divest oneself of one's mortal body.

shut one's face »    To stop talking; to be quiet.

shut one's mouth »    To stop talking; to be quiet.

sick joke »    A joke which is in poor taste, especially one which depicts as amusing a situation which the listener considers to be tragic or disgusting.

sign in »    To take some action to access a secured program or web page on a computer; to log in.

sign off »    Term used to describe the closing of a radio or television station's studios and cessation of a broadcasting signal, usually during the overnight hours.

sign on »    The time of day when a radio or television station begins broadcasting, usually after being off the air for several hours.

silver bullet »    A cocktail somewhat like a martini.

simmer down »    To decrease in intensity of anger, agitation, or excitement.

since when »    Used to indicate doubt as to the veracity of a statement.

sing from the same hymnbook »    To make the same or similar statements, especially to express the same opinions in public as a result of a prior agreement.

sit in for »    To substitute; to take somebody's place.

sit on it »    To wait or hesitate.

sit on the fence »    To remain neutral on a certain topic, to not have a stance or opinion.

sit through »    To unwillingly stay seated until the end of an event.

sitting duck »    An obvious or unconcealed target.

sitting pretty »    Having a comfortable or certain supply of money or resources.

sitting pretty »    In a favorable situation, especially a situation in which one possesses an advantage.

skeleton crew »    The minimum number of personnel needed to operate and maintain an item at its most simple operating requirements, such as a ship or business, during an emergency or shut down, and at the same time, to keep vital functions operating.

skin in the game »    A stake; something at risk.

slag off »    To talk insultingly to or about someone or something.

slam dunk »    A task expected to present no difficulty.

slam dunk »    Tacking on top of the wind of the following yacht in close quarters.

slip into something a little more comfortable »    To wear something suitable to be stripped off by a lover.

slip of the pen »    A mistake in handwriting.

slip of the tongue »    A mistake in speech.

slip up »    To err, falter; to make a mistake.

slip-up »    A mistake or error; a minor misstep.

small fry »    One or more persons or things of relatively little consequence, importance, or value.

small potatoes »    One or more persons or things of relatively little consequence, importance, or value.

smallpox blanket »    An apparently benevolent offering whose real intent is to disrupt, destabilize or weaken.

smart chance »    A substantial quantity of something.

smear campaign »    An effort to damage or call into question someone's reputation, by propounding negative propaganda.

smell like a rose »    To be regarded as appealing, virtuous, or respectable; to be untainted or unharmed.

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.

smooth operator »    A person who accomplishes tasks with efficiency and grace, especially one with verbal skills who is persuasive in interpersonal relationships, negotiation, etc.

snake oil »    A type of 19th century patent medicine sold in the United States that claimed to contain snake fat, supposedly a Native American remedy for various ailments.

snow on the mountaintop »    Gray or white hair on one's head, especially as an indication of aging.

snug as a bug in a rug »    Very cosy and comfortable.

so-and-so »    A name used to take the place of an epithet.

so-called »    Same as above, without the negative connotation.

so-called »    So named; called by such a name, with a very strong connotation that the item is not worthy of that name.

soapbox »    Especially when only tangentially relevant to an ongoing discussion.

social death »    The alienation of certain people from society to the point of being forgotten, excluded, or ignored in society.

soft sawder »    "How the old boy swallowed my soft sawder and Brummagem notes!" —Tom Taylor, The Ticket-of-Leave Man.

soft sawder »    "If she goes to act ugly, I'll give her a dose of "soft sawder"; that will take the frown out of her frontispiece...!" —Thomas Haliburton, "The Trotting Horse" — first usage.

soft shoe »    A kind of tap dancing performed in soft-soled shoes, popular in vaudeville.

soft spot »    A fontanelle.

soft spot »    A sentimental fondness or affection.

soft touch »    A comfortable situation; an easy task or undemanding occupation, especially one which is comfortably remunerative.

sort out »    To clarify by reviewing mentally.

sort out »    To attack physically.

spaghetti western »    Nickname for a motion picture produced by an Italian-based company and filmed in Europe, depicting a tale of cowboys and desperadoes set in the American Old West.

spanner »    A problem, dilemma or obstacle; something unexpected or troublesome.

spanner »    A stupid or unintelligent person; one prone to making mistakes, especially in language.

speak one's mind »    To state one's thoughts or opinions honestly or frankly.

speak up »    To talk more loudly or plainly.

spectator sport »    A sporting activity which has a relatively high ratio of watchers to direct participants.

spectator sport »    An activity which consists of watching or observing.

spectator sport »    Something, especially a process or activity, which is a popular object of observation; an activity which a person prefers to watch rather than to participate in.

spit it out »    To overcome reluctance to say something particular or to speak in general.

split hairs »    Tedious details; minutiae.

spoil the ship for a hap'orth of tar »    To have something important fail for want of a small amount of money or effort.

spring fever »    A feeling of laziness or listlessness associated with the arrival of the warm, comfortable weather of the spring season.

square meal »    A satisfying meal, especially suitable for one performing physical labor.

squaring the circle »    A hopeless or impossible task.

squirrel away »    To stash or hide; to hoard, collect, save, or accumulate; to create a reserve, stash, or hoard of some supply, so as to recall a squirrel's burying of nuts.

stab in the back »    An act of betrayal or treachery.

stage of the game »    A point in the progress of an ongoing dispute or process.

staircase wit »    Thinking of an idea or course of action too late to use it effectively, or the tendency to do so.

stamp duty »    tax on documents

stamp out »    To get rid of, eradicate.

stand a chance »    To have a chance.

stand back »    To maintain a safe distance from a hazard.

stand back »    To abstain from participation.

stand back »    To stand a long way behind the wicket so as to catch balls from a fast bowler.

stand by »    To wait in expectation of some event; to make ready.

stand by »    To remain loyal or faithful.

stand by »    To do nothing. To be inactive in a situation.

stand corrected »    Said to acknowledge someone who corrects something that one says or writes that was not correct.

stand down »    To wait; to stop pursuing or fighting.

stand for »    To mean; to symbolize; to represent.

stand for »    To advocate, to support.

stand for »    To tolerate.

stand from under »    To escape something falling or being thrown from above.

stand in »    temporary substitute

stand in for »    To replace; to act as a double or substitute for.

stand in someone's shoes »    To see from another's point of view; to feel what another feels.

stand off »    To stand some distance apart form something or someone.

stand off »    To prevent any would-be attacker from coming close by adopting an offensive posture.

stand on end »    To stand erect, bristle, especially from fear.

stand on its own »    To be independent of others.

stand on one's own two feet »    To be independent. To survive without any help.

stand one's ground »    To attempt to hold a position in battle.

stand one's ground »    To maintain or stick by an opinion or position; to remain resolute in the face of opposition.

stand out »    To be obvious or conspicuous, in contrast to one's surroundings.

stand stock still »    Paul Travers' Adventures, by Sam T. Clover.

stand stock still »    To stand completely motionless.

stand the test of time »    To remain useful or valued over a long period of time; to last a long time.

stand to reason »    To make sense; to seem logical, reasonable, or rational.

stand up »    To rise from a lying or sitting position.

stand up »    To bring something up and set it into a standing position.

stand up »    To jilt or shirk.

stand up »    To stand immediately behind the wicket so as to catch balls from a slow or spin bowler, and to attempt to stump the batsman.

stand up against »    To defy or challenge someone.

standard fare »    Menu items or dining options which are regularly available in a restaurant or other place where food is served.

standard fare »    Something which is normal, routine, or unexceptional; something which is commonly provided or encountered.

standard fare »    The usual price for travel by air, rail, or another means of transport.

stands in »    deputises

stare someone in the face »    To be extremely visible and obvious.

starry eyed »    natively optimistic

stars in one's eyes »    The state of being overly or extremely impressed with something; enchanted with romance.

start off »    To begin.

start off on the wrong foot »    To begin badly; especially, to begin a relationship badly.

start over »    To begin again; to return to the beginning.

start up »    To rise suddenly.

start up »    To begin to operate.

start up »    To begin.

stat whore »    Through unscrupulous or tacky means.

state of affairs »    A specific situation; a set of circumstances.

stately home »    mansion

stave in »    To stave from the outside, to crush inward, to cause to collapse inward.

stave off »    To prevent something from happening; to obviate or avert.

stay put »    To remain in one fixed place.

stay the course »    To persist or continue.

stay up »    To remain awake, to not go to bed.

steal a march »    To start early.

steal a march on »    To get ahead of someone or something by starting earlier.

stew in one's juices »    To be alone and self-absorbed in an uncomfortable state of mind, especially while experiencing the unpleasant effects of one's own actions.

stick around »    To stay; to linger; to remain.

stick in someone's craw »    To cause lasting annoyance, irritation, or hard feelings.

stick it to the man »    To take some action intended to defy a source of oppression such as globalization, commercialization, big business or government.

stick one's neck out »    To take a risk, putting oneself in a vulnerable position.

stick up »    To protect one's status.

stickhandle »    To maintain individual possession of the puck or ball by controlling it with movements of one's stick, especially to do so in a skillful manner.

sticking point »    A disputed issue or state of affairs that causes an interruption or outright impasse in progress towards some goal or resolution, especially in negotiation or argumentation.

sticking point »    The point at which a process or thing, especially a state of mind or emotion, reaches its greatest strength and remains steadfast; sticking-place.

sticking-place »    The point at which a process or thing, especially a state of mind or emotion, reaches its greatest strength and remains steadfast; sticking point.

stir-crazy »    By extension, restless, uncomfortable, or impatient due to inactivity.

stir-crazy »    Of a prisoner, mentally unbalanced due to prolonged incarceration.

stone's throw »    A short distance, roughly equivalent to how far a person can throw a stone.

stop and smell the roses »    To relax; to take time out and enjoy or appreciate life.

stop press »    The event or news article important enough to delay or interrupt the print, or require a reprint, of a publication, particularly of a newspaper edition.

stop the presses »    An imperative form used to introduce especially new, important, surprising, or recent developments.

straight out of the chute »    Something done immediately, or "from the beginning". Taken from rodeo routine: the bucking bronco, or bull, or the calf for the calf-roping contest is kept in a narrow pen, a chute, until it is released and dashes out to its fate.

strike up »    To start something with somebody else. Usually a conversation or relationship.

strike up »    To start something, usually playing live music.

stroke of work »    With "do not do a", to do none of the assigned task at all.

strut one's stuff »    To behave, or to perform in a showy or ostentatious manner, especially in a way to impress others; to show off.

stuff up »    To make a big mistake.

stumbing-block »    A hindrance, obstacle or impediment.

stumbling block »    A hindrance, obstacle or impediment.

stump up »    To pay for something. Often indicating reluctance to pay.

suck up »    To adulate or flatter somebody excessively, generally to obtain some personal benefit or favour.

sure as eggs is eggs »    Absolutely certain.

swallow one's pride »    To set aside one's feelings of pride and adopt a more humble or appropriate stance.

swear on a stack of Bibles »    To make a promise or give one's assurance with great conviction.

sweat »    Fluid that exits the body through pores in the skin usually due to physical stress and/or high temperature for the purpose of regulating body temperature and removing certain compounds from the circulation.

sweetheart deal »    A transaction, contract, or other agreement in which one party provides particularly favorable terms to the other, especially in suspicious circumstances.

swim with sharks »    To take a huge risk.

swing state »    A state which may vote Democratic or Republican, in a given election or generally; a purple state.

switch off »    To lose interest, and start thinking about something else.

switch on »    To turn a switch to the "on" position in order to start or enable a device.

sword and sandal »    Of or pertaining to a genre of books or films relating fantasy-adventure tales involving heroic exploits in ancient or biblical times.

sword and sorcery »    Of or pertaining to a genre of narratives—including short stories, novels, television shows, films, and computer games—which combines wizardry and other fantastical supernatural elements with violent combat using medieval weaponry..

tack up »    To prepare a horse for riding by equipping it with tack.

tag along »    To accompany, join, or follow; to go with.

tag team »    Two or more people or groups acting alternately to accomplish some task.

tail between one's legs »    A reaction to a confrontation, specifically one with excessive shame and hurt pride.

take a back seat »    To be second to someone or something; to be less important or have a lower priority.

take a bath »    To bathe.

take a bath »    To lose a large amount of money in an investment.

take a bead on »    To aim a gun at something.

take a bite »    To eat a quick, light snack.

take a bow »    To accept applause at the end of a performance in a theatre. Often this includes actually bowing to the audience.

take a breather »    To take a break; to pause or relax briefly.

take a bullet »    To purposely receive a gunshot that was intended for another.

take a chance »    To risk; to try something risky.

take a crack at »    To attempt or try.

take a crap »    To defecate.

take a dim view of »    To dislike; to regard with skepticism, disbelief, disfavor, etc.

take a dive »    To feign a knockout in order to lose intentionally.

take a dive »    To lose or fail intentionally.

take a gamble »    To risk; to try something risky.

take a gander »    To take a look; to check or examine.

take a hike »    To go away; to leave or depart.

take a hike »    To go hiking.

take a joke »    To accept a joke at one's expense.

take a leaf out of someone's book »    To adopt an idea or practice of another person.

take a leak »    To urinate.

take a licking »    To suffer a defeat or a beating.

take a look »    To examine or observe.

take a number »    Recognize that many others are in the same situation; recognize that one's concerns are not of high priority; be prepared to wait.

take a picture »    To photographically capture an image.

take a powder »    To leave in a hurry; run away; scram; depart without taking leave or notifying anyone, often with a connotation of avoiding something unpleasant or shirking responsibility.

take a risk »    To do something risky.

take a seat »    To sit down; to become seated.

take a shit »    To defecate.

take a shot in the dark »    To try on something without having any knowledge about the subject.

take a spill »    To trip or fall.

take a spin »    To go for a ride; especially, to try riding or driving something.

take a stab at »    To attempt or try.

take a stab at »    To guess.

take a stand »    To assert an opinion or viewpoint; to defend one's point of view or beliefs.

take a tumble »    To fall in price or value.

take a tumble »    To fall off something, or down something.

take a walk in the snow »    See walk in the snow.

take aback »    To surprise or shock; to discomfit.

take aback »    Of a ship: to catch it with the sails aback suddenly.

take after »    In appearance or habit.

take after »    To follow someone's example.

take against »    To stop liking someone. Become unfriendly.

take against »    He took against me when I was promoted over him.

take apart »    To dismantle something into it's component pieces.

take apart »    To soundly defeat someone, or a team.

take apart »    To criticise someone.

take apart »    To move someone away from others to be able to talk to, or give them something in private.

take away »    To remove something and put it in a different place.

take away »    To remove something, either material or abstract, so that a person no longer has it.

take away »    To subtract or diminish something.

take away »    To leave a memory or impression in one's mind that you think about later.

take away »    To make someone leave a place and go somewhere else. Usually not with the person's consent.

take away »    To prevent, or limit, someone from being somewhere, or from doing something.

take away from »    To make something seem not so good or interesting.

take back »    To retract an earlier statement.

take back »    To cause to remember some past event or time.

take back »    To resume a relationship.

take back »    To regain possession of something.

take back »    To return something.

take care of the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves »    If you take care of little things one at a time, they can add up to big things.1750, Chesterfield, letter 5 Feb. (1932) IV. 1500:Old Mr. Lowndes, the famous Secretary of the Treasury, ?used to say?Take care of the pence, and the pounds will take care of themselves.1912, G. B. Shaw, Pygmalion ii. 132:Take care of the pence and the pounds will take care of themselves is as true of personal habits as of money.1979, R. Cassilis, Arrow of God, iv. xvii.:Little things, Master Mally. Look after the pennies, Master Mally, and the pounds will look after themselves.1999,

take down »    To remove something from a wall or similar vertical surface to which it is fixed.

take down »    To remove something from a hanging position.

take down »    To write a note. Usually to record something that is said.

take down »    To remove a temporary structure such as scaffolding.

take down »    To lower an item of clothing without removing it.

take down a peg »    Alternative form of pull down a peg.

take effect »    To become active; to become effective.

take exception »    To take offense; to object or protest.

take exception to »    Express offense at; to.

take five »    To break something up.

take five »    To take a five-minute break from some activity, take a short break from some activity.

take flight »    To flee.

take for granted »    To assume something to be true without verification or proof.

take for granted »    To give little attention to or to underestimate the value of, to fail to appreciate.

take heart »    Be courageous; regain one's courage.

take ill »    To become ill.

take in »    To deceive; to hoodwink.

take in »    To foster or adopt a child informally.

take in »    To shorten or make it smaller.

take in »    To absorb or comprehend.

take in »    To receive into your home for the purpose of processing for a fee.

take into account »    Or pay attention to; to notice.

take it easy »    An informal greeting for parting or closing.

take it easy »    Immediately calm yourself down; your state of panic does not help.

take it easy »    To relax or rest.

take it from me »    Believe me, rest assured.

take it or leave it »    It is said when a situation has to be accepted without change.

take it out on »    To unleash one's anger on [a person or thing other than the one that caused it].

take it to the bank »    Said to emphasize that something is known for sure.

take its toll »    To affect, especially negatively; to damage or degrade; to cause destruction.

take kindly »    To accept or condone.

take leave of one's senses »    To go crazy; to stop behaving rationally.

take liberties »    To behave disrespectfully, especially to make unwanted sexual advances.

take lying down »    To endure without complaint or protest.

take no notice of »    To ignore.

take off »    To remove.

take off »    To imitate, often in a satirical manner.

take off »    To leave the ground and begin flight; to ascend into the air.

take off »    To become successful, to flourish.

take off »    To depart.

take off »    To quantify.

take off »    To absent oneself from work or other responsibility, especially with permission.

take on »    To acquire, bring in, or introduce.

take on »    To begin to have or exhibit.

take on »    To assume responsibility for.

take on »    To attempt to fight or compete.

take one's eye off the ball »    To lose one's concentration on what is most important.

take one's hat off to »    To publicly praise or thank.

take one's leave »    Say goodbye.

take one's lumps »    To endure through criticism or other adversity.

take one's lumps »    To receive physical abuse and to survive.

take one's time »    To go about something slowly and carefully.

take one's time »    To take more time to do something than is considered acceptable.

take out »    Alternative spelling of takeout.

take out of context »    To interpret something in a manner in which it was not intended to be understood, often deliberately.

take out the trash »    To forcefully remove people from a place.

take out the trash »    To remove rubbish from a place.

take over »    To assume control of something, especially by force; to usurp.

take over »    To adopt a further responsibility or duty.

take over »    To relieve someone temporarily.

take over »    To buy out the ownership of a business.

take over »    To appropriate something without permission.

take over »    To annex a territory by conquest or invasion.

take over »    To become more successful than someone or something else.

take part »    To participate or join.

take part »    To share or partake.

take sides »    To ally oneself with a given opinion, agenda or group; to support one side or viewpoint in a competition or confrontation.

take sitting down »    To tolerate, accept, or acquiesce; to take no action.

take somebody's word for it »    To believe what somebody tells one.

take someone's point »    To agree with what a person says; to understand a person's argument and be persuaded by it.

take someone's point »    To grasp the essential meaning of what a person is saying.

take something in one's stride »    Not to allow oneself to be set back, daunted, upset or embarrassed by unpleasant or undesirable circumstances.

take something in stride »    To cope with something without much effort; to accept or manage something well.

take the biscuit »    To be of no further use; to be near death.

take the biscuit »    To be particularly bad, objectionable, or egregious.

take the bull by the horns »    To confront a difficulty, rather than avoiding it.

take the cake »    To be especially good or outstanding.

take the cake »    To be particularly bad, objectionable, or egregious.

take the fall »    To assume blame for oneself.

take the field »    To go out onto the playing field.

take the fifth »    To decline to comment, especially on grounds that it might be incriminating.

take the heat »    To take the blame; to be the focus of anger or scrutiny; to take the consequences.

take the lead »    To assume leadership over a group.

take the lead »    To become the leader, to advance into first place.

take the liberty »    To act on one's own authority.

take the Michael »    Alternative form of take the mickey, usually considered more polite.

take the mick »    Alternative form of take the mickey.

take the mickey »    To ridicule or mock.

take the offensive »    To attack instead of defending; to be bold and proactive.

take the piss »    Are you takin' the piss? You'll get yer 'ead bashed in.

take the piss »    Everyone takes the piss out of the bankers these days.

take the piss »    To ridicule or mock.

take the plunge »    To get engaged.

take the rap »    To be blamed or punished for something, especially for the actions of another.

take the red pill »    To understand the world in its previously unknown reality.

take the reins »    To assume charge over.

take the shadow for the substance »    To be easily deceived, credulous, superficial.

take the stand »    To testify as a witness in a trial.

take the wheel »    To assume control of a situation.

take the wheel »    To be in control of the steering wheel of a vehicle or a vessel.

take the wind out of someone's sails »    To discourage someone greatly; to cause someone to lose hope or the will to continue.

take things as they come »    To accept and deal with events as they occur, with a composed state of mind.

take to »    To adapt to; to learn, grasp or master.

take to »    To enter; to go into or move towards.

take to »    To begin, as a new habit or practice.

take to one's heels »    To leave; especially, to flee or run away.

take to task »    To lecture, berate, admonish, or hold somebody accountable for his or her actions.

take to the cleaners »    To take a significant quantity of a person's money or valuables, through gambling, unfavorable investing, fraud, litigation, etc.

take to the hills »    To flee or vanish; to run away.

take up »    That which takes up or tightens; specifically, a device in a sewing machine for drawing up the slack thread as the needle rises, in completing a stitch.

take up the cudgel for »    To make a defense for in lieu of another person.

take up the gauntlet »    To accept a challenge.

take up with »    To form a close relationship with someone.

take up with »    To be contented to receive; to receive without opposition; to put up with.

take upon »    To take charge of an item of business, or an obligation, as a personal initiative.

take with a pinch of salt »    Not take entirely seriously.

taking to ones heels »    running away

taking upon oneself »    venturing

talk a blue streak »    To talk for a long time, at great length, or to the point of tedium.

talk a mile a minute »    To speak quickly or excessively.

talk back »    To reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner.

talk dirty »    To use profane language, especially sexual vulgarities for the purpose of arousal.

talk down »    To negotiate a lower price.

talk down »    To speak condescendingly or as though the listener is inferior.

talk is cheap »    It is easy to make boastful or unrealistic statements which are not supported by actions or evidence.

talk like an apothecary »    To use hard or gallipot words: from the assumed gravity and affectation of knowledge generally put on by the gentlemen of this profession, who are commonly as superficial in their learning as they are pedantic in their language.

talk of the devil »    Alternative form of speak of the devil.

talk of the town »    A subject discussed by many people.

talk out of turn »    To make a remark or provide information when it is inappropriate or indiscreet to do so, or when one does not have permission or the authority to do so.

talk out one's ass »    To speak authoritatively on a subject which one actually knows little about; to exaggerate.

talk over »    To discuss.

talk over »    To persuade someone; to talk around.

talk somebody under the table »    With excessive talk or numerous arguments.

talk someone's ear off »    To talk excessively or far more than is wanted or appreciated.

talk the talk »    Speak like an expert, claim to be knowledgeable about something.

talk through one's hat »    To assert something as true or valid; to bluff.

talk through one's hat »    To speak lacking expertise, authority, or knowledge; to invent or fabricate facts.

talk turkey »    To talk or negotiate plainly, frankly, or seriously.

talk up »    In such a way as to make the thing or person sound better than it actually is.

talk up »    To talk louder.

talking head »    A pundit who discusses issues of the day, especially one on TV.

tall in the saddle »    Imposing, impressive; resolute; manly.

tall order »    A big job; a difficult challenge.

tall tale »    A greatly exaggerated, fantastic story.

tan someone's hide »    To beat or spank someone.

tank top »    garment

tape off »    To cordon.

taper off »    To diminish or lessen gradually; to become smaller, slower, quieter, etc.

tar with the same brush »    To characterize using the same undesirable attribute, especially unjustly.

tart up »    To dress like a prostitute.

tart up »    To dress garishly.

tart up »    To modify or repackage a product, service, or idea to make it more attractive or easier to sell.

tartufo »    Hypocrite; tartuffe.

tartufo »    Truffle.

task force »    A group of people working towards a particular task, project, or activity, especially assigned in a particular capacity.

taxi driver »    cabby

tear away »    To remove oneself reluctantly; often expressed in the negative.

tear one's hair out »    To react with extreme agitation.

tear up the pea patch »    To put on a notable performance, especially in sports; to go on a rampage.

tee off »    To irritate, vex, or annoy.

tell tales »    To be lying, to be making false claims.

tell you the truth »    Used to positively assert the frank honesty of an associated statement of set of statements; equivalent to "to you tell the truth".

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.

test bed »    Any venue, setup, etc. used for experimentation, testing, proving a concept, etc.

that's just me »    Indicates the expression of a personal opinion, but often used ironically as an understatement.

that's the way life is »    That is the way things happenCertain things cannot be changed, helped or improved; struggle and objection are pointless.1935, Louis Bromfield, The Man Who Had Everything [1], page 279:That's the way life is, and there's no use trying to go against it.1979, Jay Edward Abrams, A Theology of Christian Counseling: More Than Redemption [2], ISBN 0310511011, page 45:There are no standards, no values; that's the way life is. Learn to accept it and slide with it. Stop fighting it.2002, B. Eugene Ellison, Rings of the Templars, ISBN 059524050X, page 337:Shit happens; that's the way life is. In fact, I want you to take an additional thousand for your efforts.

the bigger they are, the harder they fall »    The larger something is, the more disastrous and spectacular its downfall

the Devil »    Used to add emphasis to a question or statement.

the dogs bark, but the caravan goes on »    Life goes on, even if some will try to stop or talk against progress.

the end of one's rope »    At the limit of one’s patience, when one is so frustrated or annoyed that one can no longer take it..

the fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you take »    Alternative form of the fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you get.

the grass is always greener on the other side »    Other circumstances seem more desirable than one's own but in reality are often not

the long and short of it »    The gist; the essence or substance; the most important or salient features; said of a summary or digest.

the more things change, the more they stay the same »    A proverb making the observation that turbulent changes do not affect reality on a deeper level other than to cement the status quo.

the rabbit died »    A statement spoken to indicate one's own pregnancy, or that someone has found out they are pregnant.

the screwing you get isn't worth the screwing you take »    Alternative form of the fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you get.

the shoe is on the other foot »    The roles of people in a situation have been reversed, such the advantage has shifted to a party which was previously disadvantaged.

the terrorists will have won »    Phrase used following a description of an activity to indicate that if that activity is not continued or carried out, those who seek to disrupt normal activities through terror will have succeeded, an which is an unacceptable result.

the thing of it »    The important point to consider.

the upper hand »    An advantage or lead.

there you have it »    That is it; that is the situation or state of things.

there you have it »    Used to introduce a speaker's interpretation of what has just transpired or been described.

there's no accounting for taste »    When it comes to subjective matters of taste, people have wildly different opinions.Disagreements about matters of taste can't be objectively resolved.

there's no place like home »    one feels the most comfortable at home

there's no time like the present »    Now (i.e., the present time) is an appropriate time to take a particular action.

thin-skinned »    Overly sensitive to criticism; quick to take offence; touchy.

think tank »    A group of which performs research and develops reports and recommendations on topics relating to strategic planning or public policy, and which is usually funded by corporations, interest groups, or government.

think through »    To fully consider an action, and understand all its consequences.

third time's a charm »    One is sure to succeed at a task or event on the third try.

those who will not when they may, when they will they shall have nay »    (archaic) One should take immediate advantage of an opportunity that may not be available later.

three-martini lunch »    A leisurely, expensive, midday meal associated with drinking, which is tax-deductible because business is discussed.

through and through »    Completely; entirely; fundamentally.

throw a sickie »    To take a day off from work, supposedly because of ill health. The illness could be either real or feigned.

throw a spanner in the works »    To be a problem, dilemma or obstacle, something unexpected or troublesome.

throw dirt enough, and some will stick »    If enough allegations are made about someone or something, then even if they are all untrue, people's opinion of the person or thing will be diminished.1759, John Wesley, letter to John Downes, Rector of St. Michael's, Wood Street, read at Wesley Center Online at [1] on 14 Oct 06.I hope...that you are ignorant of the whole affair, and are so bold only because you are blind...And blind enough; so that you blunder on through thick and thin, bespattering all that come in your way, according to the old, laudable maxim, 'Throw dirt enough, and some will stick.'1857, Thomas Hughes, Tom Brown's Schooldays, read at fullbooks.com on 14 Oct 06,But whatever harm a spiteful tongue could do them, he took care should be done. Only throw dirt enough, and some will stick.1864, John Henry Newman, Apologia Pro Vita Sua, Penguin Classics (1994), p. 10,Archbishop Whately used to say

throw down »    To fight, incite to fight, or approach with the intent to fight; to make a stand.

throw down »    To accomplish or produce something in a grand, respectable, or successful manner; to "represent".

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.

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

throw one's toys out of the pram »    To lose one's temper; to throw a tantrum.

thumb one's nose »    To place a thumb upon the tip of the nose, usually while simultaneous wiggling one's fingers, in a gesture of disrespect.

tickle someone's fancy »    To amuse, entertain, or appeal to someone; to stimulate someone's imagination in a favorable manner.

tide over »    To support or sustain someone, especially financially, for a limited period.

tie up »    To occupy, detain, keep busy, or delay.

tiger team »    A specialized group tasked with testing the effectiveness of an organization's ability to protect assets by attempting to circumvent, defeat or otherwise thwart that organization's internal and external security.

tiger team »    An engineering or other group assembled to tackle especially difficult or critical problems, often outside the normal chain of command.

tight lipped »    taciturn

tilt at windmills »    To attack imaginary enemies.

time out of mind »    The distant past beyond anyone's memory.

timeserver »    A person who conforms to current opinions, especially for reasons of personal advantage; an opportunist.

tin god »    An individual that abuses or exceeds his authority over others, frequently in petty ways; for example a low-level manager in situational comedies and other entertainment.

tip one's hand »    In card playing, to accidentally reveal one's cards or hand.

tip one's hand »    To inadvertently reveal any secret, particularly a secret that puts one at an advantage or disadvantage.

tip one's hat »    To briefly remove or tap one's hat as a gesture of greeting, deference, or respect.

tit for tat »    Equivalent retribution, an eye for an eye, returning exactly what you get.

tit for tat »    Hat.

to a fare-thee-well »    To the greatest extent or to completion; to a state of refinement or perfection.

to a T »    Precisely; exactly; perfectly; with great attention to detail.

to all intents and purposes »    For every functional purpose; in every practical sense; in every important respect; practically speaking.

to be sure »    Admittedly, undoubtedly, certainly.

to each his own »    Every person is entitled to his or her personal preferences and tastes.

to err is human »    Everyone makes mistakes.

to go »    Served in a package or takeout container so as to be taken away from a restaurant rather than eaten on the premises.

to hell in a handbasket »    To a bad state of affairs quickly.

to say the least »    Used to suggest that what was previously stated was an understatement.

to tell the truth »    An attestation to the truthfulness and frankness of an associated statement.

to the moon »    To a very distant or unreachable place.

tomato tomato »    Uses insignificant pronunciation difference to dismiss a correction to one's adherence to an alternative standard.

tomorrow is another day »    Tomorrow will bring new opportunities and a fresh start for one's endeavors.1600, author unknown, "Phillidaes Love-call to her Coridon, and his replying" (song), in England's Helicon, printed at London by I.R. for John Flasket:Phil. Yonder comes my Mother, Coridon,whether shall I flie?Cor. Under yonder Beech my lovely one,while she passeth by.Say to her thy true-Love was not heere,remember, remember,to morrow is another day:1896, Amelia E. Barr, A Knight of the Nets, ch. 8:"Well, well, my dear lass, to-night we cannot work, but we may sleep. . . . Keep a still heart tonight, and tomorrow is another day."1936, Margaret Mitchell, Gone with the Wind, ch. 63:"Tomorrow, I'll think of some way to get him back. After all, tomorrow is another day."2005, Fran Schumer, "JERSEY: In Princeton, Taking On Harvard's Fuss About Women," New York Times, 19 June (retrieved 18 Aug. 2009):"Half of me is depressed

tone down »    To make a television program, piece of writing, etc. less offensive and so more suitable for a family audience.

too big for one's britches »    Disturbingly confident, unacceptably cocky.

too many cooks spoil the broth »    If too many people try to take charge at a task, the end product might be ruined.

toss-upness »    The quality of being a toss-up, usually used in reference to a toss-up state in American presidential elections.

touch of the tar brush »    Of South Asian or Afro-Caribbean in their background and/or in their appearance.

touch off »    To start; to cause, especially used for unstable situations that may magnify if disturbed.

touch up »    To touch or to grope someone in flirtatious or sleazy way.

touch-and-go »    Precarious, delicate, dangerous, risky, sensitive or of uncertain outcome.

touched in the head »    Demented, slightly mentally deficient.

touchy-feely »    Driven by intuition or emotion, with a connotation of de-emphasis of rational thought or logic.

touchy-feely »    Having a fondness for physical contact with other people, especially to an excessive degree.

tough cookie »    A person who can endure physical or mental hardship; a hardened, strong-willed person.

tough row to hoe »    A difficult or arduous task.

train wreck »    An inevitable disaster.

tried and true »    Well-established and tested; known to work or succeed based on extensive experience.

trigger-happy »    Having a tendency or desire to shoot a firearm irresponsibly before adequately identifying the target.

true blue »    Indubitably loyal or faithful.

truth will out »    A mystery will always be solved, or a truth will always be discoveredTruth will eventually and inevitably be discovered.

tuck in »    To start to eat.

tumble to »    To discover, or suddenly understand something.

tune in »    To select a channel, station, etc., as on television or radio.

tune in, turn on, drop out »    Pay attention to the new way of living; take drugs; abandon the established ways.

turf war »    A fight or confrontation between two divisions or parties for access to resources or capital.

turn against »    To rotate against or in opposition to something.

turn away »    To rotate the body or head so as not to face someone or something.

turn on »    To power up; to start a device by switching it on.

turn out »    To turn or rotate outwards or out of something.

turn over »    To flip over; to rotate top to bottom.

turn tail »    To flee; to run away; to leave.

turn the other cheek »    To accept a punishment or an injury and not act out revenge or retaliate.

turn the page »    To move on to new involvements or activities; to make a fresh start.

turn the tables »    To reverse a situation, such that the advantage has shifted to the party which was previously disadvantaged.

turn to stone »    To metamorphosise into stone.

turn up »    To reposition by rotating, flipping, etc. upwards.

turn up one's nose »    To refuse, especially as due to pride or status.

turn upside down »    To flip over; to rotate top to bottom.

turnabout is fair play »    It is allowable to retaliate against an enemy's dirty tricks by using the same ones against him.

twenty-twenty hindsight »    Perfect understanding of events only after they have happened.

twist in the wind »    To wait for an uncomfortably long period of time.

two can play that game »    The tactics and/or strategies of an enemy can be used against him.

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

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.

under fire »    Subjected to enemy attack.

under the table »    Secretly or without reporting, especially of payments made or business transacted.

underwater basket weaving »    "Sure, somewhere out there, college slackers were taking broom ball and underwater basket weaving." — The Columbus Dispatch, September 15, 2005.

untar »    To extract a tar archive.

up against »    In contact with, abutting.

up for grabs »    Available for anyone to obtain, claim or win.

up the ante »    To raise the stakes of a hand of poker.

up to scratch »    Sufficient; adequate; of acceptable or satisfactory quality.

up to snuff »    Adequate; of acceptable or quality; satisfying an appropriate standard.

up to snuff »    Mentally alert, shrewd, savvy.

uphill battle »    A challenge with the odds of success stacked strongly against.

urban fabric »    The physical aspect of urbanism, emphasizing building types, thoroughfares, open space, frontages, and streetscapes; while excluding without prejudice to this useful term, environmental, functional, economic and sociocultural aspects.

valley of death »    The phase of a startup business beginning with the entrepreneur's fulltime commitment to it and ending when the business has achieved sustainable cash flow.

variable tandem repeat locus »    Any DNA sequence that exists in multiple copies strung together in various tandem lengths.

wade through »    To do a boring, repetitive research task.

wait for the other shoe to drop »    To await a seemingly inevitable event, especially one which is not desirable.

wait up »    To stay awake waiting for somebody to return.

wake up on the wrong side of bed »    To feel grumpy, irritable; to be easily annoyed.

walk a tightrope »    To undertake a precarious course of action.

walk it off »    To deal with an negative emotional event without complaint; to take it like a man.

walk out »    To stage a walkout or strike.

walk the line »    To maintain an intermediate position between contrasting choices, opinions, etc..

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.

war bride »    A woman who marries a man who is on active duty military in wartime.

warts and all »    Of or pertaining to a description or other depiction which reveals the full range of characteristics of a person or thing, including the shortcomings and imperfections.

wash down »    To help to swallow by drinking a liquid, after eating something, or taking a pill.

wash over »    Of open water. To surge over the banks, or other retaining structure.

watered-down »    Diluted; containing extra water.

wax lyrical »    To talk about something with much interest or excitement.

way back when »    A time in the distant past.

wear down »    To cause physical or mental fatigue.

wear down »    To have one's long hair styled in a free, low-hanging, unencumbered style; i.e., not in an up-do or ponytail.

weigh in »    To bring in one's weight, metaphorically speaking, to bear on an issue.

well ain't that the catfish in the trap »    A sentence commonly spoken in the Southern United States. It can often be used in place of "well, I'll be damned". Used to express surprise.

wet blanket »    A person who takes the fun out of a situation or activity, as by pessimism, demands, dullness, etc.

what do I know »    Implies that a statement is based on a guess or assumption rather than on knowledge or evidence.

what goes around comes around »    The status eventually returns to its original value after completing some sort of cycle.A person's actions, whether good or bad, will often have consequences for that person.

what's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander »    If something is acceptable for one person, it is acceptable for another.

what's the good of »    What is the purpose or advantage of.

whatever it takes »    Anything that may be required to achieve an objective.

whatsamatta »    What is the matter? What is wrong?.

when the cat's away »    People are likely to take advantage of the absence of authority or enforcement of compliance.

when the cat's away the mice will play »    In the absence of a controlling entity, subordinates will take advantage of circumstances.

when the going gets tough, the tough get going »    in difficult times, it is the strong-willed who take action.

where there's smoke, there's fire »    If there is telltale evidence of some event, the event is probably occurring.

whisper campaign »    A method of persuasion in which damaging rumors or innuendo are deliberately spread concerning a person or other target, while the source of the rumors tries to avoid detection.

whistle past the graveyard »    To attempt to stay cheerful in a dire situation; To proceed with a task, ignoring an upcoming hazard, hoping for a good outcome.

whistle past the graveyard »    To enter a situation with little or no understanding of the possible consequences.

whistle walk »    The path slaves took to deliver food from the kitchen building of a plantation to the main dining room. Slaves were expected to whistle during this walk in order to assure their masters that they were not eating the food.

whistle-stop »    A small train station.

white elephant »    An ornament etc that is unwanted or is a financial burden; an unprofitable investment.

white lie »    A deliberate, untrue statement which does no harm or is intended to produce a favorable result.

white trash »    A poorly educated white person with low moral and social standards and low social status.

whole enchilada »    All of something or a group of related things taken in totality.

wide of the mark »    Missing the target.

wild-goose chase »    A task whose execution is inordinately complex relative to the value of the outcome.

win over »    To persuade someone, gain someone's support, or make someone understand the truth or validity of something.

wind back »    To wind a tape, cassette, or film, etc towards the beginning; to rewind.

window dressing »    The decorative display of retail merchandise in store windows.

wine tosser »    A person who talks a great deal about wine but actually knows very little.

winter rat »    An old, unattractive automobile, purchased for little money, to be driven during brutal Great Lakes winters while the owner's "good" car remains garaged and protected from corrosive road salt for the season.

wipe the slate clean »    To forget about previous differences and disagreements, and make a fresh start.

without fail »    Certainly; by all means; as a matter of importance.

wits' end »    Limit of one's sanity or mental capacity; point of desperation.

wolf down »    Quickly and without regard for table manners.

work at »    To make a physical or mental effort to progress some specified task.

work one's tail off »    Work excessively or to the point of exhaustion.

work out »    To habitually exercise rigorously, especially by lifting weights, in order to increase strength or muscle mass or maintain fitness.

work over »    To physically attack someone to cause them injury.

work the room »    To interact with one's audience, taking queues from its reactions and adapting one's performance or words to elicit the audience's attention and enthusiasm.

world »    A planet,especially one which is inhabited or inhabitable.

worth one's while »    Good and important enough for one to spend time, effort, or money on.

wrap it before you tap it »    wear a condom before sexual intercourse.

wrap up »    To finish off a task completely.

wrestling with a pig »    To engage in a pointless task that leaves one worse off for having made an honest attempt.

yellow journalism »    Material published in a broadcast or periodical, such as a tabloid newspaper or magazine, which is sensationalistic and of questionable accuracy and taste.

yellow-bellied »    Pertaining to an animal or reptile that has a yellow belly.

you bet »    Certainly; you're welcome; a reply to thank you or to a request.

you bet »    Expresses support, agreement, certainty or emphasis.

you can hang your hat on that »    It's something to put faith in, to rely upon or trust (when used in a positive connotation).

you can't fight city hall »    (chiefly US) Nothing can be done to change the situation, because it is a governmental decision.I see they're going to build the airport after all. I suppose you can't fight city hall.

you can't make an omelette without breaking eggs »    In order to achieve something, it is inevitable and necessary that something should be destroyed.

you can't take it with you »    It is not possible to take one's material wealth to whatever world may await one after death.1900, E. Phillips Oppenheim, A Millionaire of Yesterday, ch. 6:"The clause which

you get more with a kind word and a gun than you do with a kind word alone »    It is advantageous not to rely solely on being nice.

you get what you pay for »    In commercial transactions, the quality of goods and services increases as the prices increase, i.e., the more one pays, the better the merchandise.2003, Michael Blumenthal, "For Whom the School Bell Tolls," Time, 7 Dec.:Though it may sound unapologetically capitalistic to say so

you knows it »    You're right; I wholeheartedly agree with your statement.

you make the bed you lie in »    A person's circumstances are normally the result of his or her own actions.

you never know what you've got till it's gone »    Good friends and acquaintances shouldn't be taken for granted.

you pays your money and you takes your choice »    Each person should make their own decisions.

you've got to crack a few eggs to make an omelette »    In order to achieve something, it is inevitable and necessary that something should be destroyed.

your mileage may vary »    To express a possible difference in taste, "this is just my opinion, your opinion may be different".

zero in on »    To aim precisely at a target.

zero in on »    To concentrate or focus one's attention on at task.

zip one's lip »    To stop talking; to be quiet.

zoom along »    To proceed quickly a long distance.

zoom in »    To focus a zoom lens in order to obtain a larger image, or a closer view.

zoom in »    So as to make it larger and possibly more detailed.

zoom out »    To focus a zoom lens in order to obtain a smaller image, or a more distant view.

zoom out »    So as to make it smaller and possibly less detailed.

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