a new broom sweeps clean »
New management will often make radical changes.
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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.
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add fuel to the fire »
To worsen a conflict between people; to inflame an already tense situation.
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as the crow flies »
In a straight line distance between two locations, as opposed to the road distance or over land distance.
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bankers' hours »
The period between 10am and 3pm.
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banyan day »
In British naval tradition, this originally referred to a day of the week when galley kitchens served no meat on board ship.
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between a rock and a hard place »
Having the choice between two unpleasant or distasteful options; in a predicament or quandary.
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between Scylla and Charybdis »
Similar in meaning to between a rock and a hard place.
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between the jigs and the reels »
Eventually, despite all the confusion.
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betwixt and between »
Neither one thing nor the other.
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black-on-black »
A reference to interactions between black people .
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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.
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blind date »
A romantic meeting between two people who have never met before.
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blow hot and cold »
To behave inconsistently; to vacillate or to waver, as between extremes of opinion or emotion.
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boys will be boys »
It is hard, often fruitless, to attempt to curb the natural playfulness and tendency to mischief of most growing boys.1922, James Joyce, Ulysses Chapter 13But just then there was a slight altercation between Master Tommy and Master Jacky. Boys will be boys and our two twins were no exception to this golden rule.Even grown men usually remain somewhat boyish in heart"Boys will be boys", grinned grandpa while he joined his adult son playing with the fancy train-set he gave his grandson for Christmas while the kid was in school.
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bridge »
An unintended solder connection between two or more components or pins.
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bull's eye »
sweet
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caught between the devil and the deep blue sea »
Having a choice between two alternatives, both undesirable.
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Cold hands, warm heart; Dirty feet, no sweetheart! »
A few old timer's "fun" way to compliment a lady & to find out if she could be courted.
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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.
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cry one's eyes out »
To weep for an elongated time, or in an excessive manner.
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cry someone a river »
To weep profusely or excessively in the presence of another person.
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cut a wide swath »
To behave in an expansive, flagrantly showy, or pushy manner, especially in public venues; to exert sweeping influence.
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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.
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enough to make the angels weep »
Something so distressing that it causes one to lose hope and faith.
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fall between two stools »
To attempt two tasks and fail at both, when either one could have been accomplished singly.
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few and far between »
Rare and scarce.
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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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forbidden fruit is the sweetest »
Forbidden things have more worthwhile short-term consequences.
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fourth wall »
The boundary between the fiction and the audience.
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go between »
an intermediary
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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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happy medium »
A balanced position between two opposite extremes.
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hot desking »
The working practice of sharing desks or workstations between workers, as a means of saving space and resources.
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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.
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how do I get to Carnegie Hall »
A set phrase, spoken as a rhetorical question, which is answered "Practice, practice, practice!" or sometimes with the humorous literal directions to Seventh Avenue between 56th and 57th.
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jumped-up »
We're doomed if this wee jumped-up monkey gets Gordon Smith's blessing.
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lead »
Vertical space in advance of a row or between rows of text. Also known as leading.
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lead time »
The amount of time between the initiation of some process and its completion, e.g. the time required to manufacture or procure a product; the time required before something can be provided or delivered.
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lemon drop »
boiled sweet
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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.
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long goodbye »
Nickname for Alzheimer's disease, especially for the final phase of the disease, during which the patient suffers a progressive decline of cognitive and motor skills and gradually loses the ability to recognize and to communicate with family and friends.[1]; nickname for the relationship between a person suffering from Alzheimer's disease and that person's family or friends.
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mark up »
To increase the price of something between its wholesale and retail phase.
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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
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middle ground »
A compromise position between extremes.
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much of a muchness »
Of two or more things, having little difference of any significance between them.
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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.
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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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pitched battle »
A hostile engagement involving sustained, full-scale fighting between opposing forces in close combat.
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point blank »
The distance between a gun and a target such that it requires minimal effort in aiming it. In particular no allowance needs to be made for the effects of gravity, target movement or wind in aiming the projectile.
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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.
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put the cat among the pigeons »
Professor Stephen Hawking put the cat among the pigeons last week with his cheery remarks about comet Machholz-2, which some astronomers believe could be heading our way. — The Times, 19 September 1994.
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read between the lines »
To infer a meaning that is not stated explicitly.
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redolent »
Fragrant or aromatic; having a sweet scent.
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rivet counter »
A person who has an obsession with the minutae of their particular interest. Anyone preoccupied with small distinguishing features between different items.
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run hot and cold »
To alternate between two opposite extremes, such as enthusiasm and disinterest or success and failure.
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sexual relation »
Behaviour of a sexual nature between one or more individuals.
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sexual tension »
Physically induced libidinal unrest arising between two individuals when aware of each other's presence.
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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 shack »
A house with no internal barrier between the front and back doors.
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space out »
To plant seedlings etc at regular intervals with a calculated space between them.
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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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sweep someone off their feet »
To seduce someone romantically.
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sweet dreams »
Phrase said to someone before they fall asleep, wishing them a good sleep.
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sweet hereafter »
Heaven; paradise as enjoyed in the afterlife.
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sweet tooth »
A liking for foods that are sweet; a weakness for sweets.
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sweet william »
flower
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sweeten the pot »
To increase a wager.
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sweeten the pot »
To make something more desirable.
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sweetheart deal »
A transaction, contract, or other agreement in which one party provides particularly favorable terms to the other, especially in suspicious circumstances.
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switch off »
To alternate between; to trade.
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tail between one's legs »
A reaction to a confrontation, specifically one with excessive shame and hurt pride.
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teeny weeny »
minute
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tell apart »
To be able to know the difference between things; to distinguish.
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tell it to Sweeney »
I do not believe what you said.
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turf war »
A dispute over territory between rival gangs.
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turf war »
A fight or confrontation between two divisions or parties for access to resources or capital.
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walk the line »
To maintain an intermediate position between contrasting choices, opinions, etc..
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wee small hours »
He worked into the wee small hours to get everything perfect for the opening day.
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wee small hours »
The very early morning, just after midnight, when most people are asleep.
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weed out »
To remove unwanted elements from a group.
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weekend warrior »
A part-time soldier, or reservist.
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weekend warrior »
A person who indulges in a sport or pastime on an infrequent basis, usually on weekends when work commitments are not present.
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you only get what you give »
There is a positive correlation between the effort one puts in and the benefits one receives.
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