a great deal »
Very much; to a great extent; a lot; lots.
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all things being equal »
Without considering or being affected by external factors.
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all thumbs »
Clumsy; awkward; not dextrous.
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all very well »
All right, to a certain extent.
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and change »
And some quantity, but less than the increment to the next round number.
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April showers bring May flowers »
April, traditionally a rainy period, gives way to May, when flowers will bloom because of the water provided to them by the April rains.By extension, that a period of discomfort can provide the basis for a period of happiness.
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as all get-out »
Extremely; to a superlative degree; very much.
|
at a stand »
In a state of confusion or uncertainty; undecided what to do next.
|
backseat driver »
By extension, anybody offering unsolicited or unwelcome advice.
|
battle cry »
By extension, a strong motto or purpose statement, especially in regards to winning a goal in sports, games or work.
|
beat out »
To extinguish.
|
beauty sleep »
Extra sleep or a special nap.
|
bells and whistles »
Extra features added for show rather than function; fancy additions or features.
|
bend over backwards »
To make a great effort; to take extraordinary care; to go to great lengths.
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betwixt and between »
Neither one thing nor the other.
|
beyond the black stump »
Extremely remote, outside the populated area.
|
blow hot and cold »
To behave inconsistently; to vacillate or to waver, as between extremes of opinion or emotion.
|
bottom of the ninth »
By extension, any last chance or final opportunity.
|
break new ground »
By extension, to initiate a new venture.
|
bridge »
Cue for extended or tedious shots. Also called a spider.
|
bright line »
A clear distinction in the context of a legal or moral judgment.
|
build a better mousetrap »
To invent the next great thing; to have a better idea.
|
burn one's candle at both ends »
To work extremely or excessively hard; to work too hard for good health or peace of mind.
|
burn out »
To extinguish due to lack of fuel.
|
bust ass cold »
Extremely cold.
|
buy out »
To purchase the entire stock or extent of something.
|
by far »
To a considerably large extent, easily.
|
chain reaction »
A series of events, each one causing the next.
|
come down to us »
To survive to the present day; to be extant in some form.
|
company »
In legal context, an entity that manufactures or sells products , or provides services as a commercial venture. A corporation.
|
company »
In non-legal context, any business, without respect to incorporation.
|
dead last »
The standings, often by a considerable margin to the next-to-last-place finisher or after an exceptionally poor showing or season.
|
dictated but not read »
Dictated, as to a secretary or stenographer, but not proofread by the person who dictated the text so annotated.
|
die »
Followed by for. Often expressing wider contextual motivations, though sometimes indicating direct causes.
|
die »
Followed by from. General use, though somewhat more common in medical or scientific contexts.
|
die out »
To become extinct.
|
dog's breakfast »
An unappealing mixture; a disorderly situation; a mess.
|
double talk »
Speaking in a mixture of real English and English-sounding gibberish, for humorous effect.
|
drag out »
To extend or lengthen excessively.
|
draw out »
To make something last for more time than is necessary; prolong; extend.
|
draw out »
To physically extract, as blood from a vein.
|
draw out »
To extract, bring out, as concealed information; elicit; educe.
|
even money »
By extension, an event that is somewhat likely to happen, but far from inevitable.
|
extract the urine »
To mess around, cajole.
|
faceplant »
The act of landing face first, often associated with bailing during extreme sports.
|
far out »
New, radical and extreme.
|
fear »
Extreme veneration or awe, as toward a supreme being or deity.
|
feast or famine »
A situation in which something is always either extremely abundant or in extremely short supply.
|
flat chat »
Extremely busy.
|
flight of fancy »
An idea, narrative, suggestion, etc. which is extremely imaginative and which appears to be entirely unrealistic, untrue, or impractical; thinking which is very speculative.
|
flog a dead horse »
To attempt to get extra work out of a ship's crew during the dead horse period.
|
for good measure »
As a precaution; just in case; added as an extra.
|
forty winks »
Sleep, extra sleep, or a nap.
|
freak flag »
Unconventional or unrestrained behavior; extreme, nonconformist views; the side of one's personality which harbors a tendency toward such behavior or such views.
|
full tilt boogie »
At the most extreme level.
|
full tilt boogie »
In an extremely focused manner.
|
go apeshit »
To behave in an extreme manner; to act without restraint, especially by becoming explosively angry.
|
go batshit »
To become completely irrational; to react in an irrationally extreme manner.
|
go out »
To be turned off or extinguished.
|
go out »
To become extinct, to expire.
|
go out of one's way »
To make an extra effort.
|
go the extra mile »
To make an extra effort; to do a particularly good job.
|
go the way of the dinosaurs »
To go extinct or become obsolete; to fall out of common use or practice; to go off the firsthand market; to become a thing of the past.
|
go the way of the dodo »
To go extinct or become obsolete; to fall out of common use or practice; to go out of the firsthand market; to become a thing of the past.
|
go to sleep »
An expression used to dismiss an extremely foolish statement, or to dismiss somebody that one does not feel like talking to.
|
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.
|
grease payment »
A bribe or extorted money, usually relatively small in amount, provided to a low-level government official or business person, in order to expedite a business decision, shipment, or other transaction, especially in a country where such payments are not unusual.
|
happy medium »
A balanced position between two opposite extremes.
|
he who smelt it dealt it »
(colloquial, originally) A person who calls attention to or complains about a fart is likely trying to pretend it wasn't his or her own.(colloquial, by extension) Used to suggest that a person calling attention to or complaining about a given problem may in fact be the source of the problem.
|
hear the grass grow »
To have an extremely sensitive sense of hearing.
|
heart-breaking »
That causes extreme sorrow or grief.
|
high as a kite »
Very much under the influence of drugs, extremely high.
|
high on the hog »
Well off; living comfortably or extravagantly.
|
hold forth »
To extend or offer, propose.
|
hold out »
To hold something out; to extend forward.
|
hopping mad »
Extremely angry; furious to the point of outburst.
|
it's all grist to the mill »
Everything referred to in the present context has some sort of use.1999, Simon Blackburn, Think: A Compelling Introduction to Philosophy (Oxford University Press paperback, ISBN 0199690871), ch. 7 section 6: "Kant
|
kicking and screaming »
With extreme reluctance.
|
kill off »
To eliminate, or make extinct.
|
lead »
Vertical space in advance of a row or between rows of text. Also known as leading.
|
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.
|
life is like a box of chocolates »
Life is full of surprises, you never know what will happen next.
|
like a million bucks »
Extremely good or well.
|
like a million dollars »
Extremely good or well.
|
like nobody's business »
In an extreme manner; rapidly; excessively; like crazy.
|
live large »
To have a lavish or overly-extravagant lifestyle.
|
long run »
An extended period of time.
|
look up »
To obtain information about something from a text source.
|
lubrication payment »
A bribe or extorted money, usually relatively small in amount, provided to a low-level government official or business person, in order to expedite a business decision, shipment, or other transaction, especially in a country where such payments are not unusual.
|
luck out »
To experience great luck; to be extremely fortunate or lucky.
|
make it do or do without »
If you don't have a lot of money, extend the life of what you have.
|
make sure »
To verify; to recheck; to use extra care or caution.
|
make the welkin ring »
By extension of.
|
make the welkin ring »
By extension of , to celebrate or revel.
|
mark up »
To add coding to text so that it will display properly on a computer.
|
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
|
middle ground »
A compromise position between extremes.
|
middle of the road »
Having a centrist attitude or philosophy; not extreme, especially politically.
|
mixed bag »
Any bag containing a mixture of something.
|
mixed bag »
By extension, a group of entities with few characteristics in common; an assortment.
|
mixed bag »
Something tending to have both good and bad results or characteristics; something having a mixture of advantages and disadvantages.
|
money can't buy happiness »
Money can buy external things, but true happiness comes from inside.
|
move heaven and earth »
To do whatever is necessary, including extreme or unusual actions; to go to extremes.
|
ñapa »
the little something extra
|
next to »
Almost; nearly.
|
no frills »
Basic or simple; providing only what is necessary, without anything extra or fancy.
|
not worth a brass farthing »
Worth nothing or next to nothing.
|
off the hook »
Performing extraordinarily well.
|
off the top of one's head »
Without great thought or investigation; extemporaneous; natural; offhand.
|
off-the-cuff »
Extemporaneous; without prior preparation; impromptu.
|
on the fly »
Spontaneously or extemporaneously; done as one goes, or during another activity.
|
on the wagon »
By extension, maintaining a program of self-improvement or abstinence from some other undesirable habit.
|
one step at a time »
Slowly and carefully, ensuring that each action has been completed successfully before taking the next.
|
out of bounds »
Beyond the bounds of civility or morality; extremely unreasonable.
|
outside world »
The world external to the human mind.
|
peachy keen »
Extremely good, exactly right; all right. Often used in the negative or with an ironic or sarcastic connotation to mean the opposite.
|
power chord »
A chord or combination of notes used in rock music and typically selected to sound good at high volume and high levels of distortion. Power chords make extensive use of intervals such as open fourths and fifths.
|
pride comes before a fall »
A person who is extremely proud of his or her abilities will often suffer a setback or failure, because he or she tends to be overconfident and to make errors of judgment.
|
proverbs come in pairs »
Alternative form of proverbs run in pairs.1979, Irving Howe, John Hollander, David Bromwich, Literature as Experience: An Anthology, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, ISBN 0155511130, page 325:Sometimes proverbs come in pairs, the first one providing the context, the second, the revision.
|
purple prose »
Extravagant or flowery writing, especially in a literary work.
|
push the boat out »
To do something, especially spend money, more extravagantly than usual, particularly for a celebration.
|
put the pedal to the metal »
To press the gas pedal to the maximum extent.
|
quarter of »
Fifteen minutes before the next hour.
|
rag-chewing »
A phrase used by morse code operators for a longer than usual conversation, generally a conversation extending about 30 minutes.
|
rags to riches »
In a biographical context, from poverty to exceptional wealth.
|
raring to go »
Extremely eager or anxious to begin.
|
rat race »
An activity or situation which is congested with participants and which is hectic or tedious, especially in the context of a busy, modern urban lifestyle.
|
ride shotgun »
To ride in the front passenger seat of a vehicle, next to the driver.
|
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.
|
run down »
To read quickly a list or other short text.
|
run hot and cold »
To alternate between two opposite extremes, such as enthusiasm and disinterest or success and failure.
|
run on fumes »
By extension, to operate with few resources or little money.
|
scare out of one's wits »
To frighten someone to such an extent that they behave irrationally.
|
scared to death »
Extremely frightened.
|
see you next Tuesday »
A euphemism for cunt.
|
shit one's pants »
To be extremely frightened.
|
shotgun »
The front passenger seat in a vehicle, next to the driver.
|
silver screen »
By extension, the movies or that related to movies or cinema.
|
sixth former »
senior pupil
|
sleep on »
To consider after a period of sleep, implying a decision will be made the next day.
|
soapbox »
A crate for packing soap, or, by extension, any inexpensive crude platform raised above the surrounding level to give prominence to the person on it, especially when used for speeches.
|
soft mick »
An extravagant person.
|
something awful »
Intensely or extremely; badly; in the worst way.
|
spare tire »
An extra wheel or tire carried as a replacement in case of a flat.
|
spare tyre »
An extra tyre carried in case one of the vehicle's tyres is damaged or deflated.
|
spice up »
To make more exotic, fun or extravagant.
|
stare someone in the face »
To be extremely visible and obvious.
|
stars in one's eyes »
The state of being overly or extremely impressed with something; enchanted with romance.
|
stick out »
To protrude; to extend beyond.
|
stir-crazy »
By extension, restless, uncomfortable, or impatient due to inactivity.
|
storm in a tea-kettle »
A big fuss made in a small context.
|
stretch out »
To lie fully extended.
|
stretch out »
To fully extend a part of the body.
|
strike through »
Partly obliterate text by drawing a continuous line through the centre thereof, usually to indicate the deletion of an error or obsolete information.
|
suck donkey balls »
To be terrible, of extremely poor quality.
|
summer and winter »
To spend extended periods of time with; to test.
|
take out of context »
To interpret something in a manner in which it was not intended to be understood, often deliberately.
|
tear one's hair out »
To react with extreme agitation.
|
than a bygod »
Used with a comparative to express extreme heat or cold.
|
the finger »
An obscene gesture, typically consisting of extending the middle finger at somebody.
|
there's many a slip twixt cup and lip »
In any situation, however well planned, something can always go wrong.
|
third degree »
Intensive rough interrogation in order to extract information or a confession.
|
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.
|
to a fare-thee-well »
To the greatest extent or to completion; to a state of refinement or perfection.
|
to a fault »
To an excessive degree; extremely.
|
to the gills »
Entirely or extremely; to the greatest degree possible.
|
to the max »
To a great degree or extent; very.
|
to the max »
To the maximum possible degree or extent.
|
to the tune of »
Roughly; about; as much as; to the sum of, to the extent of.
|
top up »
To extend the credit of something.
|
tried and true »
Well-established and tested; known to work or succeed based on extensive experience.
|
turn out »
To extinguish a light or other device.
|
turn the page »
To proceed to the next page in a book.
|
under erasure »
Of a bit of text, written and strickenthrough; hence, figuratively in some sense both present and absent.
|
untar »
To extract a tar archive.
|
up for »
Planned; next in line.
|
up to »
Against; next to; near; towards.
|
virgin territory »
By extension, ideas or concepts or activities that have not yet been tried, explored or developed.
|
watered-down »
Diluted; containing extra water.
|
wear one's heart on one's sleeve »
To be extremely transparent, open, or forthright about one's emotions.
|
whitewash »
A lime and water mixture for painting walls and fences bright white.
|
with flying colors »
Extremely well; in an exceptional, noteworthy, or extraordinary manner.
|
work one's fingers to the bone »
Work especially hard, usually for an extended period.
|
work out »
To extract gradually.
|
wrong side of the tracks »
. May refer to area where the working class, poor or extremely poor live.
|
you can't judge a book by its cover »
It is not possible to make reliable judgments about things or people by considering external appearances alone.
|
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