asleep at the switch »
Neglectful of an important task, responsibility, or opportunity.
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at one with »
United with; in tune with.
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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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blow one's chances »
To forfeit opportunities to achieve some goal.
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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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borganism »
An organization of autonomous organisms that exhibit collectivism: individual "units" that have merged to yield a unified construct. Such an amalgam may possess a collective consciousness, arguably an emergent phenomenon of social networking.
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bottom of the ninth »
By extension, any last chance or final opportunity.
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break rank »
To march or charge out of the designated order in a military unit.
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burn one's bridges »
To destroy one's path, connections, reputation, opportunities, etc.
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call off the dogs »
During a one-sided sports contest, to remove the first-string unit of a team from the game after dominating the opponent.
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cash in »
To profit from; to use an opportunity to maximum advantage, especially financially.
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catch-as-catch-can »
Intermittent; only when possible or when the opportunity presents itself.
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company »
A military unit, typically consisting of two or three platoons.
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company »
A unit of firefighters and their equipment.
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cross the aisle »
To vote, unite, or otherwise co-operate with members of another political party in order to achieve governmental or political action.
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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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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.
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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.
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fish or cut bait »
To choose between taking action now, or forgoing the opportunity and putting that energy into another endeavor; to decide.
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food chain »
The feeding relationships between species in a biotic community.
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free ride »
An opportunity or benefit which has no cost, especially one enjoyed or undertaken at the expense of others.
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golden opportunity »
Ideal moment to do something.
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golden ticket »
A qualification, person or thing that can provide lucrative opportunities.
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in unity there is strength »
More can be accomplished by a team with a common goal, than individuals.
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installed base »
The number of units of a system or product that are currently in use.
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jump at »
To accept something enthusiastically. Usually an opportunity, or chance, or job etc.
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kick oneself »
To reproach oneself for making a mistake or missing an opportunity.
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land of opportunity »
A nickname for the United States.
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leader of the free world »
The President of the United States.
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make hay »
To take advantage of an opportunity.
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make hay while the sun shines »
To act while an opportunity exists; to take action while a situation is favorable.
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miss out »
To miss an experience or lose an opportunity, etc. that should not be missed.
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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.
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nine lives »
Durability; near immunity to damage.
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old money »
The monetary system used in the United Kingdom before decimalisation and consisting of pounds, shillings, and pence.
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on the clock »
Remunerated per unit of time.
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on the make »
Actively seeking an opportunity for self-advancement; eager to ingratiate oneself to others in order to secure some advantage.
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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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out the window »
A missed opportunity.
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outsider »
A newcomer with little or no experience in an organization or community.
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outsider »
One who is not part of a community or organization.
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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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pull together »
To unite for a common objective.
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red state »
A state of the United States voting Republican in a given election, or tending to vote Republican in general.
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run for one's money »
A reasonable opportunity to succeed, perform acceptably, or escape harm, especially in a difficult situation.
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second string »
In sports, a unit of players that plays behind the first string.
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shit or get off the pot »
To choose between taking action now, or foregoing the opportunity until a later date.
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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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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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spark spread »
The difference between the cost of the fuel required to produce a unit of electricity, and the price of that same unit of electricity.
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strike while the iron is hot »
To act on an opportunity promptly; to avoid waiting.
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the early bird gets the worm »
Whoever arrives first has the best chance of success; some opportunities are only available to the first competitors.
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the world is one's oyster »
All opportunities are open to someone, the world is theirs.
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the world is one's oyster »
In order to achieve something in this world, one has to grab the opportunity.
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there are plenty more fish in the sea »
There are many more potential opportunities available.
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there are plenty of fish in the sea »
There are many more potential opportunities available.
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third string »
A unit of players that plays behind the first and second strings; a junior varsity team.
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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.
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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
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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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whistle-stop train tour »
A tour in a political campaign that makes many brief stops in small communities.
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yoke together »
To unite, or join, or combine.
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