according to »
Based on what is said or stated.
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all hell breaks loose »
Vi A place or state of fury, turmoil, destruction, or chaos.
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all out »
The state of a side having no more men to bat, thus ending its innings.
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am I right or am I right »
Rhetorical question from somebody who has stated what they consider to be an unassailable truth.
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and then some »
Used to confirm preceding utterance, while implying that what was said or asked is an understatement.
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apron string hold »
An estate held by a man during his wife's life.
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as is »
In its present state or condition, especially as a contractual condition of sale.
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at a stand »
In a state of confusion or uncertainty; undecided what to do next.
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at death's door »
About to die; in a life-threatening state of health.
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at sixes and sevens »
In a state of confusion.
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at sixes and sevens »
In a state of dispute or disagreement.
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at the ready »
Ready; in a state of preparation or waiting; in position or anticipation.
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back burner »
A state of low urgency; a state of low current importance.
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bang to rights »
Caught red-handed; in a guilty state.
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barnburner »
Liberal faction of the New York state United States Democratic Party in the mid 19th century.
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battle cry »
By extension, a strong motto or purpose statement, especially in regards to winning a goal in sports, games or work.
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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!
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blow out of proportion »
To overreact to or overstate; to treat too seriously or be overly concerned with.
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blue state »
A state of the United States voting Democratic in a given election, or tending to vote Democratic in general.
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bridge »
A statement, such as an offer, that signals a possibility of accord.
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bring round »
To resuscitate; to cause to regain consciousness.
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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.
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chew the cud »
To meditate or ponder before answering; to be deep in thought; to ruminate.
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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.
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climb the walls »
To behave in a distressed or frantic manner; to feel very agitated.
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cloud nine »
A state of happiness, elation or bliss; often used in the phrase on cloud nine.
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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.
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come on »
A statement or sometimes action reflecting sexual or relational interest.
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cool down »
To become less agitated.
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cool down »
To cause to become less agitated.
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cut to the chase »
To get to the point; to get on with it; to state something directly.
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deer in the headlights »
A mental state of high arousal caused by anxiety fear, panic, surpriseand/or confusion, or substance abuse. The behavioral signs are like a deer subjected to a car's headlights, such as widely opened eyes and a lack of motor reactions.
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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.
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dictated but not read »
Dictated, as to a secretary or stenographer, but not proofread by the person who dictated the text so annotated.
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do as I say and not as I do »
Don't imitate my behavior but obey my instructions.
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double talk »
Lying, especially in a formal political statement.
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down the tubes »
Into a state of collapse or failure.
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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.
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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.
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estate agent »
property seller
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even keel »
A state of having one's emotions under control and balanced.
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face value »
No more or less than what is stated; a literal or direct meaning or interpretation.
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face value »
The amount or value listed on a bill, note, stamp, etc.; the stated value or amount.
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fall apart »
To break into pieces through being in a dilapidated state.
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fit to be tied »
Very agitated or distressed; enraged.
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flower »
Of plants, a state of bearing blooms.
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flower »
The best state of things; the prime.
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follow suit »
To follow an example; to imitate.
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fool's paradise »
A state of happiness due to illusion or false hope.
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for my money »
Used to mark a statement made by the speaker as an opinion or something not known with certainty.
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force someone's hand »
Bring about a situation which necessitates an agent to act, often causing a plan to be executed prematurely.
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fourth estate »
Journalism or journalists considered as a group; the Press.
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fourth estate »
Which governed legislation.
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from my cold, dead hands »
A statement that something will not be taken away from you until the day you die.
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get bent out of shape »
To take offense; to become angry, agitated or upset.
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get on somebody's nerves »
To annoy or irritate; to bother.
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give hostage to fortune »
To take an action or make a statement that is risky because it could cause you trouble later.
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go blue »
Of states and counties, to be carried by a Democratic candidate in a given U.S. election.
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go red »
Of states or counties, to be carried by a Republican candidate in a given U.S. election.
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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.
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go to sleep »
An expression used to dismiss an extremely foolish statement, or to dismiss somebody that one does not feel like talking to.
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go too far »
To exceed an unstated limit, especially a limit of acceptable behaviour.
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going to the dogs »
In such a poor state that it should be left to the dogs.
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green light »
A traffic light in its green state .
|
green state »
A state that is, or is perceived as, environmentally friendly.
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grey area »
An area intermediate between two mutually exclusive states or categories where the border between the two is fuzzy.
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grind one's gears »
To annoy or irritate.
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harsh one's mellow »
Disturbing someone otherwise in a state of calm.
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harsh one's mellow »
To annoy or irritate; to bother.
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have ants in one's pants »
To be agitated and constantly fidgeting.
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hear, hear »
Let us hear and applaud the previous speaker; I endorse the previous statement; Expression of support, agreement, or enthusiasm for what has just been said.
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heart of glass »
A very fragile romantic state.
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hog heaven »
A state of contented bliss.
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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.
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how-d'ye-do »
A troublesome state of affairs.
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ill health »
A state of illness, or bad health.
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in a state »
Agitated and anxious.
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in cold blood »
In a ruthless and unfeeling manner; premeditated and deliberate.
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in other words »
Stated or interpreted another way; introduces an explanation.
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in shape »
In a good state of physical fitness or bodily appearance.
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in shape »
In good condition, repair; in a good state.
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knock on wood »
To take a customary action to ward off some misfortune that is believed to be attracted my a presumptuous statement.
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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.
|
land of opportunity »
A nickname for the United States.
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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.
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last word »
The final statement uttered by a person before death.
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lay down »
To specify, institute, enact, assert firmly, state authoritatively, establish or formulate .
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lay it on the line »
To state something, for example an ultimatum, strongly and clearly.
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leader of the free world »
The President of the United States.
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long finger »
A state of postponement or procrastination.
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louse up »
Mess up; confuse; put into a state of disorder.
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mark my words »
Listen to me; used before a statement one wishes to emphasize.
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mess up »
To discombobulate, utterly confuse, or confound psychologically; to throw into a state of mental disarray.
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monkey on one's back »
A state of persistent distress or worry or the cause of such a state.
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never mind »
I withdraw my previous statement.
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not to put too fine a point on it »
Used to apologise for a possibly impolite statement one is making.
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now you're talking »
A phrase indicating agreement with a previously stated suggestion to change a course of action.
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nugget of truth »
A small amount of truth in a generally untrue statement.
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on at »
to pester; to irritate; to annoy
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on pins and needles »
Feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety; in a state of suspense.
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on tenterhooks »
In a state of suspense or apprehension.
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one who hesitates is lost »
A person who spends too much time contemplating what to do may miss a valuable but fleeting opportunity.
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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.
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pick up »
To clean up; to return to an organized state.
|
plead the fifth »
To invoke the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which protects witnesses from being forced to incriminate themselves.
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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.
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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.
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put across »
To explain or state something clearly and understandably.
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put down to »
To state the cause of a situation.
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read between the lines »
To infer a meaning that is not stated explicitly.
|
red state »
A state of the United States voting Republican in a given election, or tending to vote Republican in general.
|
rub somebody the wrong way »
To bother, disturb, irritate, or annoy.
|
scissorbill »
The black skimmer bird native to the Atlantic states, USA.
|
scratch that »
To disregard, omit, or ignore the previous statement.
|
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.
|
see red »
To be angry or irritated.
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send up »
To imitate someone or something for the purpose of satirical humour.
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shoot one's mouth off »
To make reckless or exaggerated statements.
|
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.
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since when »
Used to indicate doubt as to the veracity of a statement.
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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.
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sit on it »
To wait or hesitate.
|
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.
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speak one's mind »
To state one's thoughts or opinions honestly or frankly.
|
stars in one's eyes »
The state of being overly or extremely impressed with something; enchanted with romance.
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state of affairs »
A specific situation; a set of circumstances.
|
stately home »
mansion
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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.
|
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.
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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.
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swing state »
A state which may vote Democratic or Republican, in a given election or generally; a purple state.
|
take back »
To retract an earlier statement.
|
take it easy »
Immediately calm yourself down; your state of panic does not help.
|
take off »
To imitate, often in a satirical manner.
|
take things as they come »
To accept and deal with events as they occur, with a composed state of mind.
|
talk is cheap »
It is easy to make boastful or unrealistic statements which are not supported by actions or evidence.
|
tee off »
To irritate, vex, or annoy.
|
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".
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that's just me »
Indicates the expression of a personal opinion, but often used ironically as an understatement.
|
the Devil »
Used to add emphasis to a question or statement.
|
the rabbit died »
A statement spoken to indicate one's own pregnancy, or that someone has found out they are pregnant.
|
there you have it »
That is it; that is the situation or state of things.
|
to a fare-thee-well »
To the greatest extent or to completion; to a state of refinement or perfection.
|
to hell in a handbasket »
To a bad state of affairs quickly.
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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.
|
toss-upness »
The quality of being a toss-up, usually used in reference to a toss-up state in American presidential elections.
|
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 out »
To turn or rotate outwards or out of something.
|
turn over »
To flip over; to rotate top to bottom.
|
turn upside down »
To flip over; to rotate top to bottom.
|
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.
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what do I know »
Implies that a statement is based on a guess or assumption rather than on knowledge or evidence.
|
white lie »
A deliberate, untrue statement which does no harm or is intended to produce a favorable result.
|
you knows it »
You're right; I wholeheartedly agree with your statement.
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