an apple a day »
Healthy eating and living using traditional temperate-zone fresh foods.
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barrel of monkeys »
Something very funny or amusing.
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bash up »
To assault someone with the intention of causing physical injury.
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beat up »
To sail to windward using a series of alternate tacks across the wind.
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beauty mark »
Or artificially using cosmetics.
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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.
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blow off »
To shoot something with a gun, causing it to come disconnected.
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blow over »
To blow on something causing it to topple.
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boot up »
To start a computer using its bootstrap procedure.
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brain surgery »
Something that is overly complex, detailed or confusing.
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brick up »
To block by masonry, particularly using bricks.
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cast the first stone »
To act self-righteously in accusing another person, believing that one is blameless.
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chain reaction »
A series of events, each one causing the next.
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developments »
A group of building complexes or apartments. Often used for low income housing.
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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.
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double Dutch »
Sex using a condom and the contraceptive pill at the same time.
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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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get by the balls »
To have complete control over someone, especially of a woman abusing a man's infatuation with her.
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get off »
To stop using a piece of equipment.
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goon squad »
A group of individuals serving as enforcers, bodyguards, and the like, especially persons hired for such a purpose and using violent, thuggish methods.
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head scratcher »
A particularly puzzling or confusing event.
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hoover up »
Quickly, especially by taking it into the mouth directly from the plate rather than using cutlery.
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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.
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in black and white »
Having it displayed using shades of gray/gray rather than colour/color .
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in black and white »
Using shades of grey/gray rather than colour/color.
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in hot water »
In trouble; in the position of arousing somebody's anger or displeasure.
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jack up »
To raise, hoist, or lift a thing using a jack, or similar means.
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keep straight »
To avoid confusing or mixing up something; to keep something clear or organized.
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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.
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mince words »
To restrain oneself in a conversation by withholding some comments or using euphemisms.
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money talks »
It is easier to accomplish goals using money instead of just talk.
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mouse potato »
A person who spends excessive amounts of time using a computer.
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mouth of a sailor »
The characteristic of regularly using vulgar language, especially strong profanities; a person having this characteristic.
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nose test »
An informal method for determining whether something is authentic, credible, or ethical, by using one's common sense or sense of propriety.
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nose test »
An inspection of an object using the sense of smell, as for freshness of food.
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object lesson »
A lesson taught using a familiar or unusual object as a focus.
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on the pill »
Using oral contraceptives.
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on the right track »
Using the correct general approach to a particular task or problem; pursuing something in a promising way.
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out loud »
Using the voice; not silently; aloud.
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out of house and home »
Cassandra Chrones Moore, Haunted Housing: How Toxic Scare Stories Are Spooking the Public Out of House and Home.
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over one's head »
More complex or confusing than one can understand; beyond one’s comprehension..
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party crasher »
Someone who attempts and often gains entry to a party or club to which they were not invited, often using social engineering techniques. The party crasher usually tries to blend into the party so as not to be kicked out.
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pelt of the dog »
An immoderate, excessive quantity of alcohol drunk the morning after whilst suffering withdrawal symptoms or a hangover, which goes beyond alleviating the complaint to causing drunkenness; cf. hair of the dog.
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potty mouth »
The characteristic of regularly using vulgar language, especially strong profanities; a person having this characteristic.
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read out »
To read some data and inform the person using the device.
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reflect on »
At run-time using reflection.
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rock up »
To work one's way vertically up a chimney or cleft using a rocking movement.
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rocket science »
Anything overly complex, detailed or confusing.
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rocket scientist »
Someone qualified to understand or handle that which is overly complex, detailed or confusing; a genius.
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rum go »
An odd affair; a surprising event; a confusing experience; a queer thing.
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run over »
To drive over, causing injury or death.
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sell »
To pretend that an opponent's blows or maneuvers are causing legitimate injury; to act.
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shanks' nag »
Transportation by foot. To "take a shanks' nag" means using one's own legs to walk.
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shotgun approach »
An approach in which the subject is indiscriminate and haphazard, using breadth, spread, or quantity in lieu of accuracy, planning, etc.
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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.
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smell test »
An informal method for determining whether something is authentic, credible, or ethical, by using one's common sense or sense of propriety.
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smell test »
An inspection of an object using the sense of smell, as for freshness of food.
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sniff out »
To find something using the sense of smell.
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sniff test »
An informal reality check of an idea or proposal, using one's common sense or sense of propriety.
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snow job »
An attempt to persuade a person using flattery or deception.
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squaring the circle »
The historical problem of how to construct, using compass and ruler, a square having the same area as a given circle.
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step on a rake »
To step on the tines of a garden rake, causing the handle of the rake to rise from the ground rapidly, invariably striking the person walking in the face.
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stop up »
To increase the aperture of a photographic lens, moving from an f/stop represented by a higher number to an f/stop represented by a lower number and causing more light to pass into the camera.
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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..
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tar with the same brush »
To characterize using the same undesirable attribute, especially unjustly.
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throw up »
To display a gang sign using the hands.
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travel junkie »
Who are using their time and money to seek out adventure holidays and travel.
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tread lightly »
To proceed carefully; especially, to seek to avoid causing offense.
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turnabout is fair play »
It is allowable to retaliate against an enemy's dirty tricks by using the same ones against him.
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watch one's mouth »
In the imperative form, used as a warning to avoid or stop using inappropriate language, especially profanity, or disrespectful utterances.
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white-knuckle »
Causing fear, excitement, apprehension, suspense, or nervousness.
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who's 'she', the cat's mother%3F »
A rebuke especially directed towards children for having referred to their mother, or any other woman in the third person, instead of using a properly respectful title or their name when appropriate.
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