a chain is only as strong as its weakest link »
An organization (especially a process or a business) is only as strong or powerful as its weakest person. A group of associates is only as strong as its laziest member.
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abound in »
To have something in great numbers or quantities; to possess in such abundance as to be characterized by.
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abound with »
To have something in great numbers or quantities; to possess in such abundance as to be characterized by.
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according to »
Our zeal should be according to knowledge. - Thomas Sprat.
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ad fontes »
Go to the sources: An expression emphasizing the importance of conducting fundamental research and of consulting primary sources.
|
all eyes »
Gazing at devotedly.
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all fired up »
Excited or energized; highly enthusiastic.
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all that jazz »
Everything else related to something; other similar things.
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all the rage »
Very fashionable and popular, like a craze.
|
almighty dollar »
The dollar, satirically characterized as a being a god.
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an apple a day »
Healthy eating and living using traditional temperate-zone fresh foods.
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around the bend »
Crazy, insane.
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at all »
Indicating degree, quantity or frequency greater than zero; to the slightest degree, in any way, somewhat, rather.
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at stake »
In danger; hazarded; pledged; at risk.
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bag of rations »
A fussy or overly zealous military superior.
|
baker's dozen »
Cousin.
|
baker's dozen »
Thirteen, a group of thirteen.
|
bakers dozen »
Thirteen.
|
be on to »
To figure out; to realize the truth.
|
beat Banaghan »
An Irish saying of one who tells wonderful stories, or of something which is amazing and remarkable.
|
big cheese »
A very important figure, especially a high-ranking person in an organization.
|
big enchilada »
A very important person, especially the highest-ranking individual in an organization.
|
big enchilada »
Some item of high value, especially a top prize or reward.
|
big fish in a small pond »
One who has achieved a high rank or is highly esteemed, but only in a small, relatively unimportant, or little known location or organization.
|
big kahuna »
A boss, leader, chieftain, or top-ranking person in an organization.
|
big wheel »
A person with a great deal of power or influence, especially a high-ranking person in an organization.
|
bigwig »
A person of importance to a group or organization.
|
birds of the feather flock together »
People who are alike physically tend to congregate and socialize together, despite government efforts at forced integration.
|
blaze a trail »
To set precedent or do something novel; to break new ground.
|
blaze a trail »
To show the way or proceed rapidly.
|
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.
|
blow up »
To enlarge or zoom in.
|
blue note »
Notes added to the major scale for expressive quality in jazz and blues music, particularly the flatted third, fifth and seventh.
|
bluewash »
To tout a business or organization's commitment to social responsibility, and to use this perception for public relations and economic gain; to present a humanitarian front in this manner.
|
bluewash »
To use a blue paint or glaze.
|
bone idle »
lazy
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booby prize »
A prize or status, often unwelcome, awarded as a joke or disincentive to the loser of a contest or for poor performance.
|
booze can »
A nightclub or bar, especially one which operates illegally or is otherwise disreputable.
|
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.
|
brain teaser »
puzzle
|
brain-dead »
Having no useful thoughts; stupid; ditzy.
|
brass ring »
Figuratively, a prize or goal. Often used with respect to employment goals e.g. promotion, better job, etc.
|
break a sweat »
January 2008, The Age - Walkovers blaze a trail for women's equal-pay theory.
|
brickbat »
For example, it's quite common for magazines to have a section called Bouquets and Brickbats for compliments and criticisms.
|
brickbat »
Reason Magazine: Daily Brickbat[1].
|
bring out »
To elicit, evoke, or emphasize a particular quality.
|
bros before hoes »
(US, informal) A man should prioritize his male friends over his girlfriend or wife.
|
burst someone's bubble »
To disillusion; to disabuse someone of a false notion or rationalization that has grown comfortable.
|
bush league »
A low-ranking or inferior level among groups, professions, organizations, etc.
|
bush league »
A professional sports association at the lower levels of minor league organization.
|
butter fingers »
A clumsy person who always drops things, a klutz.
|
buzz off »
Used to tell someone to go away.
|
buzz up »
To allow entrance into a building from a higher floor by triggering an electronic lock.
|
call out »
To yell out; to vocalize audibly; announce.
|
cancel out »
To neutralize the effect of something.
|
cap over the windmill »
In a crazed manner.
|
carpe diem »
seize the day, make the most of today, enjoy the present
|
carpe diem cras »
seize the day tomorrow, make the most of tomorrow
|
castle in the air »
A visionary project or scheme; a day-dream; an idle fancy; a pipe dream; any plan, desire, or idea that is unlikely to be ever realized; a near impossibility.
|
catch a buzz »
To become slightly inebriated, but not yet be drunk.
|
catch on »
To begin to understand; to realize or detect.
|
catch some z's »
To sleep.
|
caught with one's hand in the cookie jar »
Observed or apprehended while committing a theft, especially while embezzling money.
|
chalkface »
A musical concept or genre in which music is completely improvised and never played twice. Most often mixing elements of hip-hop, metal, punk and avant-garde jazz.
|
cheaper by the dozen »
Things are handled more efficiently as a group, rather than individually.
|
chopped liver »
A Jewish food made by frying liver and onions in schmaltz.
|
clean code »
Software code that is formatted correctly and in an organized manner so that another coder can easily read or modify it.
|
closed book »
A person or thing that cannot be easily understood; someone or something incomprehensible or puzzling.
|
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.
|
come unhinged »
To become angered or crazy; to lose control of one's senses or sanity.
|
corner the market »
To monopolize a resource or commodity, as with the intent of driving up prices.
|
cotton on »
To realize; come to understand.
|
cozy up »
With "to", to ingratiate oneself .
|
crown jewels »
A prized possession or asset.
|
dawn on »
To occur to somebody; to be realized.
|
dead wood »
Personnel no longer contributing to an organization.
|
deliver the message to Garcia »
Programmers are consistently dehumanized because so many do indeed deliver the message to Garcia only to be at best ignored.
|
devil's advocate »
A canon lawyer appointed by the Church to argue against the canonization of the proposed candidate.
|
dime a dozen »
So common as to be practically worthless.
|
dirty money »
Money that is illegally gained, illegally transferred or illegally utilized. Especially money gained through forgery, bribery, or thievery.
|
doze off »
To fall asleep unintentionally.
|
draw on »
To appeal to, make a demand of, rely on; to utilize or make use of, as a source.
|
dummy out »
From a video game in the process of localizing that game from a foreign country.
|
eat crow »
To recognize that one has been shown to be mistaken or outdone, especially by admitting that one has made a humiliating error.
|
everything happens for a reason »
All events are purposeful.Everything happens for a reason, so there is no such thing as failure. Mary-Kate OlsenPeople like to say "everything happens for a reason." If you repeat that in your head long enough that starts to sound like "anything can happen with a razor." Laura KightlingerI believe that everything happens for a reason, but I think it's important to seek out that reason - that's how we learn. Drew Barrymore
|
fall off »
To diminish in size or value.
|
fall over »
To fall from an upright or standing position to a horizontal or prone position.
|
fit into »
To be of the right size and shape to be placed in a location.
|
flogging the land »
Damaging agricultural land through excessive grazing or clearing.
|
fly off the handle »
To become very angry or enraged; to throw a fit or go crazy.
|
for goodness' sake »
This interjection expresses surprise or amazement.
|
for XYZ reasons »
For reasons unknown and not worth speculating on.
|
friend with benefits »
A friendship with no reserves when it comes to the release of shared sexual tension thus leading to sexual fraternization.
|
from A to Z »
Covering a complete range; comprehensively.
|
full of shit »
Characterized by speaking nonsense or falsehoods.
|
get it »
To realize or understand why a joke is funny.
|
get on somebody's case »
To lecture, berate, or complain to somebody, especially to find fault or criticize.
|
get one's act together »
To become serious, organized, worthwhile, etc.
|
go figure »
Expresses perplexity, confusion, surprise, or puzzlement.
|
go from zero to hero »
To become very popular after being unpopular.
|
go from zero to hero »
To change from negative outcome to positive outcome. To improve one's fortunes significantly.
|
go large »
To supersize.
|
go out on a limb »
To hazard a guess.
|
go over »
To look at carefully; to scrutinize; to analyze.
|
golden duck »
The score of zero runs after getting out on the first ball faced.
|
gongoozle »
To leisurely watch the passage of boats, from the bank of a canal, lock or bridge.
|
gongoozle »
To observe things idly.
|
good enough for jazz »
Good enough.
|
grate »
A horizontal metal grille through which water, ash, or small objects can fall, while larger objects cannot.
|
greasy spoon »
An inexpensive diner or other informal restaurant, especially one specializing in frying or grilling.
|
great minds think alike »
Used to emphasize a coincidence, or two people reaching the same conclusion in any manner at the same time.
|
grey area »
An area intermediate between two mutually exclusive states or categories where the border between the two is fuzzy.
|
hack into »
To gain unauthorized entry to, particularly by exploiting little-known weaknesses.
|
have a fit »
To experience an epileptic seizure.
|
have bats in one's belfry »
To be crazy or eccentric.
|
have it made »
To have accomplished all there is to do; to have no further work or difficulty; to have achieved a lifestyle characterized by good fortune and comfort.
|
have one's ducks in a row »
To be organized; to have one's affairs in order; specifically, to have a multi-person effort coordinated towards the exact same goal.
|
have to do with the price of tea in China »
To have any relation or bearing whatsoever on the topic at hand, usually used to emphasize the lack of relationship of a non sequitur.
|
head honcho »
The person in charge; the highest-ranking person in an organization.
|
head scratcher »
A particularly puzzling or confusing event.
|
hit on »
To discover, pinpoint; to think up; to realize; to invent.
|
hit upon »
To think of; to invent; to realize.
|
honest injun »
A phrase used to emphasize the truth of something.
|
horizontal dancing »
Sexual intercourse.
|
horizontal mambo »
Sexual intercourse.
|
household name »
A genericized trademark or anepronym.
|
in effigy »
Symbolizing, usually as an effigy.
|
in focus »
Sharp and clear with no fuzziness.
|
in for a dime, in for a dollar »
Americanised form of in for a penny, in for a pound.1983, Allen Drury, Decision, p. 356:In for a dime, in for a dollar, he thought crazily, and said what he had to say in a voice he forced to stay level and calm.1998, Ellen Miller, Like Being Killed, p. 47:In for a dime, in for a dollar. I whispered to Gerry,
|
in the act »
In the process of doing something; used to emphasize the eye-witness evidence.
|
in vain »
19C, Friedrich Nietzsche.
|
it takes all kinds to make a world »
Diversity is essential: the world would be incomplete if everyone were alike.He irons his clothes how?! That's crazy! Well, I guess it takes all kinds.
|
jack up »
To ruin; wreck; mess up; screw up; sometimes as a bowdlerized substitution for f** up.
|
jump on the bandwagon »
To profit from a craze; to join a trend.
|
jungle telegraph »
A gossip network; an informal communication system within a group or organization.
|
keel over »
Of a vessel: to roll so far on its side that it cannot recover; to capsize.
|
keep straight »
To avoid confusing or mixing up something; to keep something clear or organized.
|
kettle of fish »
A situation which is recognized as different from or as an alternative to some other situation, and which is not necessarily unfavorable.
|
knock somebody's socks off »
To impress greatly; amaze; stun.
|
lady's man »
A womanizer.
|
larger-than-life »
Of greater size or magnitude than is naturally or normally the case.
|
lay down »
To lie down; to place oneself in a reclined or horizontal position, on a bed or similar, for the purpose of resting.
|
learn by heart »
To memorize.
|
lemonize »
To add lemon.
|
lemonize »
To damage something and then deny or be aloof from the damage.
|
less is more »
That which is less complicated is often better understood and more appreciated than what is more complicated; simplicity is preferable to complexity; brevity in communication is more effective than verbosity.1855, Robert Browning, "Men and Women":Well, less is more, Lucrezia: I am judged.1954, "'Less Is More'," Time, 14 Jun.:The essence of Mies's architectural philosophy is in his famous and sometimes derided phrase, "Less is more." This means, he says, having "the greatest effect with the least means."2007, Gia Kourlas, "Dance Review: An Ordered World Defined With Soothing Spareness," New York Times, 3 Mar. (retrieved 22 Oct. 2008):The program, which features two premieres
|
like crazy »
To a great or excessive degree; with great speed, output, enthusiasm, etc.
|
like gangbusters »
Vigorously, rapidly, zealously, or forcibly; in a manner which has considerable impact.
|
like nobody's business »
In an extreme manner; rapidly; excessively; like crazy.
|
lion »
A stylized representation of a large cat, used on a coat of arms.
|
lion »
The arms of the University of the West Indies are Barry wavy of six Argent and Azure an open Book proper bound Gules garnished Or on a Chief of the third a Lion passant guardant Erminois. Crest: A Pelican proper. . See talk page.
|
little pitchers have big ears »
Small children often overhear more of what is said than adults realize or desire.1844, Charlotte M. Yonge, Abbeychurch, ch. 2:Seeing me listening to something she was saying to Mamma, she turned round upon me with that odious proverb, "Little pitchers have long ears."1939, "Bedtime Bedlam," Time, 17 Apr.:A caution to U. S. parents, but a joy to radio merchandising, is the dread truth that little pitchers have big ears.2002, Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, ISBN 9780743455961, p. 185:I suppose he might say pushed or went woowoo, but took a shit is, I fear, very much in the ballpark (little pitchers have big ears, after all).
|
live one »
Someone who is easily fooled, victimized, or ridiculed.
|
lock up »
To cease responding, to freeze.
|
log out »
To exit an account in a computer system so that it doesn't recognize you until you log in again.
|
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.
|
lose one's head »
To go crazy.
|
lose one's marbles »
To go crazy.
|
lot lizard »
A customer or salesperson at a used car lot.
|
lot lizard »
A low or stupid person.
|
lot lizard »
A prostitute at a truck stop.
|
lucky dip »
A game in which prizes are covered up and mixed together in a container, so that contestants can dip their hand into the container and randomly pull out a prize.
|
mad as a March hare »
Crazy, demented.
|
made in the shade »
In a condition characterized by comfort, success, easy living, or general well-being.
|
make a monkey out of »
To cause a person, organization, or action to appear foolish or inferior; to subject someone or something to ridicule..
|
make out »
To characterize as; often with to be.
|
man of parts »
A man that is talented in multiple areas of life. This includes but is not limited to the area of seduction. He puts very little emphasis on memorized scripts or "peacocking" and instead relies on individualized ways to charm a woman.
|
mark my words »
Listen to me; used before a statement one wishes to emphasize.
|
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
|
meatball surgery »
A nickname for surgery that is meant to be performed rapidly to stabilize the patient as quickly as possible.
|
melting pot »
Come together and are homogenized.
|
mind the store »
To take active responsibility for a group or process, especially within an organization.
|
monkey wrench »
A wrench with a smooth adjustable jaw to grip different sizes of nuts.
|
neither fish nor fowl »
Said of something not easily categorized or not fitting neatly into any established group.
|
no prize for guessing »
Used to form expressions emphasizing the unsurprising nature of what follows.
|
no score »
In a sporting event, a score of zero to zero.
|
nobody's perfect »
Used when someone's mistakes or flaws are acknowledged, to remind that everyone else makes mistakes and has flaws1995, New York Magazine Vol. 28, No. 5, 30 January 1995, The de-moralization of society (Book Review)Hypocrisy, particularly in sexual matters, is excused on the grounds that hey, nobody's perfect, and at least folks back then felt bad enough to lie.2000, Madonna, Nobody's PerfectI feel so sad. What I did wasn't right. I feel so bad and I must say to you: Sorry, but nobody's perfect. Nobody's perfect. What did you expect? I'm doing my best
|
not a zack »
No amount of money; no money at all.
|
nothing to sneeze at »
Not bad; decent; acceptable; worthwhile.
|
odd one out »
A visual puzzle where the guesser has to choose which word/picture/symbol etc. does not fit with the others.
|
off one's rocker »
Crazy; insane.
|
off the chain »
Crazy and exciting; delirious and wild. By analogy to a frenetic dog when unleashed.
|
off the deep end »
Crazy, erratic, or irrational.
|
off-the-shelf »
As purchased or as commonly available, without modification or customization.
|
off-the-wall »
Wildly unconventional; bizarre; absurd.
|
old time used to be »
Somebody Loan Me A Dime. lyrics by Boz Scaggs.
|
on acid »
Exaggerated, bizarre or unpredictable.
|
on sight »
I recognized him on sight.
|
on spec »
I'm writing an article on spec. I hope some magazine will buy it.
|
on thin ice »
In a dangerous, hazardous, or delicate situation; at risk.
|
one and the same »
The same person or thing. Used to emphasize the identity or equivalence of two things.
|
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.
|
opposite number »
A person who holds a position in an organization that corresponds to that held by another person in an other organization; a counterpart.
|
out of proportion »
Not in a proper or pleasing relation to other things, especially in terms of size.
|
out of reach »
The adult magazines were out of reach of toddlers.
|
out on the tiles »
I've had a pint of bitter and now I'm feeling better and I'm out on the tiles." Led Zeppelin in their song "Out on the tiles", 1970.
|
out the wazoo »
Out the ass; excessive or excessively; too much.
|
outsider »
A newcomer with little or no experience in an organization or community.
|
outsider »
One who is not part of a community or organization.
|
over a barrel »
In a disadvantageous or helpless situation, in which one may be controlled or victimized.
|
paper trail »
The records left by a person or organization in the course of activities.
|
pay one's dues »
To acquire status or to earn the right to enjoy certain benefits, especially through lengthy experience, hardship, or service to an organization.
|
people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones »
Do not criticize others if you have weaknesses yourself.
|
pick up »
To clean up; to return to an organized state.
|
pig out »
They watched the game and pigged out on chips and pizza.
|
press the flesh »
To shake hands and socialize, especially in a political gathering.
|
pretzel »
A toasted bread or cracker usually in the shape of a loose knot.
|
pretzel »
Anything that is knotted, twisted, or tangled.
|
prize fighter »
boxer
|
proverbs run in pairs »
Every proverb seems to be contradicted by another proverb with an opposed message, such as "too many cooks spoil the broth" and "many hands make light work."1863, Sir Richard Burton, Abeokuta and the Camaroons Mountains, vol. 1, Tinsley (London), p. 309:Moreover, all the world over, proverbs run in pairs, and pull both ways: for the most part one neutralizes, by contradiction, the other.
|
pump up »
To excite a person or group to a frenzy.
|
put away »
To store away, place out of the way, clean up, or organize.
|
put back »
To change the time in a time zone to an earlier time.
|
put by »
To preserve food by canning, freezing, drying, etc.
|
put forward »
To change the time in a time zone to a later time.
|
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.
|
put the clock back »
To change the time in a time zone to an earlier time.
|
put the clock forward »
To change the time in a time zone to a later time.
|
put through the wringer »
To interrogate or scrutinize closely; to subject to some trial or ordeal.
|
put to the test »
To test something or someone; to evaluate, scrutinize or explore by testing or experimentation.
|
quote unquote »
Emphasizes the following word or phrase for irony, as used almost exclusively in spoken language.
|
rocket scientist »
One specializing in the science or study of rockets and their design.
|
round the bend »
Crazy, mad or insane.
|
rub it in »
To add insult to injury; to emphasize one's strengths or another's weaknesses in a manner that degrades another.
|
run down »
To criticize someone or an organisation, often unfairly.
|
run down »
To reduce the size or stock levels of a business, often with a view to closure.
|
run to »
To reach a particular maximum amount, size, value, etc.
|
sacred cow »
Something which cannot be tampered with, or criticized, for fear of public outcry.
|
salad years »
The inexperienced, youthful prime of an individual, group, organization or entity.
|
scratch one's head »
To puzzle, ponder, or wonder about something.
|
scrimp and save »
To scrimp greatly; to economize; to live very frugally, particularly when saving for something.
|
seagull manager »
A manager who comes into the workplace or office only on occasion, especially when a problem arises or to criticize or critique employees.
|
second childhood »
The period or state of cognitive decline of an elderly person, characterized by childlike judgment and behavior.
|
seize the day »
To enjoy the present and not worry about the future; to live for the moment.
|
seize the day »
To make the most of today by achieving fulfillment in a philosophical or spiritual sense.
|
send to Coventry »
To ostracize, or systematically ignore someone.
|
set the Thames on fire »
To achieve something amazing; to do something which brings great public acclaim.
|
sexual congress »
Loose translation of the title of Aristophanes' play Ecclesiazousae, more literally translated as Assemblywomen.
|
shoot off at the mouth »
Don't let [presidential press secretary Ron] Ziegler shoot off at the mouth without our knowledge.
|
shoot the breeze »
To chat idly or generally waste time talking.
|
shotgun approach »
An approach in which the subject is indiscriminate and haphazard, using breadth, spread, or quantity in lieu of accuracy, planning, etc.
|
sign of the times »
A symbol of an era; a zeitgeist.
|
sign on the dotted line »
To formalize an agreement.
|
six of one, half a dozen of the other »
The two alternatives are equivalent or indifferent; it doesn't matter which one we choose.
|
size up »
To evaluate; to estimate or anticipate the magnitude, difficulty, or strength of something.
|
slob »
A lazy and slovenly person.
|
slob »
A term used to insult a lazy, obese person.
|
smallpox blanket »
An apparently benevolent offering whose real intent is to disrupt, destabilize or weaken.
|
snazz up »
To improve appearance or appeal by increasing stylishness or functionality, or by adding other attractive features.
|
socialized medicine »
A politically charged term used to contrast such systems with free market alternatives and emphasize the perceived link to socialism.
|
socialized medicine »
An umbrella term for any system of government-run health care.
|
some people »
Expresses disgust at the actions of a person; a response to a person doing something silly, bizarre, nonsensical or ill-mannered.
|
sort oneself out »
To organize or solve one's personal problems.
|
spill over »
To enter into another zone by way of accident or overcrowding; to overflow.
|
spring fever »
A feeling of laziness or listlessness associated with the arrival of the warm, comfortable weather of the spring season.
|
stand back »
To maintain a safe distance from a hazard.
|
stand for »
To mean; to symbolize; to represent.
|
step on a rake »
To fall victim to a hazard.
|
stepping razor »
A dangerous person, who is not to be messed with.
|
stick it to the man »
To take some action intended to defy a source of oppression such as globalization, commercialization, big business or government.
|
stir-crazy »
By extension, restless, uncomfortable, or impatient due to inactivity.
|
stir-crazy »
Of a prisoner, mentally unbalanced due to prolonged incarceration.
|
sum up »
To summarize.
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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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take a number »
Recognize that many others are in the same situation; recognize that one's concerns are not of high priority; be prepared to wait.
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take it to the bank »
Said to emphasize that something is known for sure.
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take leave of one's senses »
To go crazy; to stop behaving rationally.
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tar with the same brush »
To characterize using the same undesirable attribute, especially unjustly.
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throw enough mud at the wall and some of it will stick »
Try the same thing (or similar things) often enough, and, even if the general standard is poor, sometimes one will be successful.2005, Mike Busson (poster on UKScreen forum) Re: Voiceovers!, read at [1] on 02 Nov 06,In terms of places to send your URL or CD's, there's no easy answer. It really is a case of throw enough mud at the wall and some of it will stick.2005, "forwardone" (administrator posting on the HYIPForum), re: Alertpay phishing email, read at [2] on 02 Nov 06,I also think that sometimes they send out phishing e-mails in the hope that it`ll hit people who do have an account with a particular organization. You know, throw enough mud at the wall and some of it will stick theory.2006, Rob Manuel, How to be funny, read in Comedy Soup on the BBC website at [3] on 02 Nov 06,Throw enough mud at the wall and some of it will stick. Be prolific and don't be afraid to make stuff that's rubbish. If you keep trying eventually you'll get there.2006, Rex Pierce, Re: [303rd-Talk] D Day read on 303rd Bomb Group Talk Forum at [4] on 02 Nov 06,Believe the planners worked on the principle of "throw enough mud at the wall, and some of it will stick".If enough (perhaps false or reckless) accusations are made against someone, his reputation will suffer, whether or not this is deserved2006, "money" (poster on eTalk Money), Some thoughts about compact surfing, read at [5] on 02 Nov 06,Word of advice NVUS time to distance yourself from LuukH as quickly as possible and dish some dirt, otherwise well the saying goes - throw enough mud at the wall and some of it will stick.
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throw enough mud at the wall, some of it will stick »
Try the same thing (or similar things) often enough, and, even if the general standard is poor, sometimes one will be successful.2001, And still no one is shouting stop. read in The Kingdom archives at [1] on 02 Nov 06,Many team managers are of the philosophy that if you throw enough mud at the wall some of it will stick. They believe that team preparation is all about physical fitness. They run the players into the ground and they believe they will be "flying on the day".2001, Robert McCrum, Let them eat cake, in The Observer 16 Dec 01, read on Guardian Unlimited site at [2] on 02 Nov 06,Australian publishing boomed and in the past 10 years the country's literary culture has undergone a mini golden age, capped by Carey's triumph at the 2001 Booker Prize. As one Australian arts administrator said to me many years ago: 'Listen, mate, if you throw enough mud at the wall, some of it will stick.'2001, Chris Collin, Re: 2-cp speys on The Strathspey Server mailing list archive at [3] on 02 Nov 06,I am finding that "if you throw enough mud at the wall, some of it will stick". It doesn't always work of course (especially on the nights when the class is mostly the beginners), but the class seems to thrive on the challange.2005, Ray Craft (poster on The right scale blog), Fitzhooie and his Burden, read at [4] on 02 Nov 06,Prosecutors everywhere have bad habits of overcharging lots of cases, knowing that if the throw enough mud at the wall some of it will stick.2005, Sean Kelleher, Spike Milligan: His part in our downfall in Business 07 Aug 05, read at [5] on 02 Nov 06,As long as there is negligible regulation and enforcement anyone can actually try and do the job...Weak regulation allows the industry to build strategies on full time recruitment. The theory goes: throw enough mud at the wall, some of it will stick.c2005, Everything You've Learned About Marketing Is Wrong, read on LINC Performance website at [6] on 02 Nov 06,They have the money to continue to believe in the repetition side of the equation. You throw enough mud at the wall, some of it will stick. But it still isn
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throw one's cap over the windmill »
To act in a crazed manner.
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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.
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tight ship »
A well-organized and highly disciplined organization.
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today we are all »
An expression indicating that the speaker empathizes with members of an identifiable group that was the subject of a disaster, and projects that others empathize as well.
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top it all off »
To emphasize or underscore; to make something even better or worse.
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top shelf »
Books, magazines, or movies that have adult content, or soft-core porn.
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touch up »
To touch or to grope someone in flirtatious or sleazy way.
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track record »
An organization's, product's, or person's past performance reviewed in its entirety, usually for the purpose of making a judgment.
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trash out »
To criticize the person spoken to in a rant.
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trench mouth »
Acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis, a severe bacterial infection of the gums, typically characterized by inflammation, bleeding, deep ulceration, necrotized tissue, pain, fever, enlarged lymph nodes, fatigue, and halitosis.
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trick out »
To trick out; to mod or customize an object, typically for the purpose of both personalization as well as enhancing the object's performance capabilities and more particularly for the purpose of performing stunts with that object.
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under fire »
Criticized or held responsible for something.
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until hell freezes over »
Forever; One will never in their life get the results that they want, no matter what they're doing involving the situation.
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up the wall »
Crazy, mad.
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up the wazoo »
Up the ass; excessive or excessively; too much.
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urban fabric »
The physical aspect of urbanism, emphasizing building types, thoroughfares, open space, frontages, and streetscapes; while excluding without prejudice to this useful term, environmental, functional, economic and sociocultural aspects.
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walk the line »
To behave in an authorized or socially accepted manner, especially as prescribed by law or morality; to exercise self-control.
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walk the plank »
To be forced to resign from a position in an organization.
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waltz Matilda »
To travel with a swag; that is, with one's belongings wrapped in a cloth.
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warm fuzzy »
A good impression; a feeling of comfort or trust.
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water to my mill »
What energizes you; what stimulates you.
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way out »
excellent, amazing
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when Hell freezes over »
Never; not in this lifetime; not a chance.
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whistle past the graveyard »
To attempt to stay cheerful in a dire situation; To proceed with a task, ignoring an upcoming hazard, hoping for a good outcome.
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willy nilly »
Seemingly at random, haphazardly.
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wits' end »
A. 1911, John Muir, in John Muir and Michael P. Branch, John Muir's Last Journey: South to the Amazon and East to Africa, 2002, page 138.
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wooden spoon »
An ironic prize for finishing last in a competition.
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wrap up »
To summarize or recapitulate.
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wring out »
To squeeze a wet material, either by twisting with one's hands, or by passing it through a wringer, to remove the water.
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write off »
To reduce an asset's book value to zero.
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write off »
To record an notional expense such as amortization or depreciation.
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yellow journalism »
Material published in a broadcast or periodical, such as a tabloid newspaper or magazine, which is sensationalistic and of questionable accuracy and taste.
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you made your bed, now sleep in it »
A moralizing rejection said to someone looking for an easy out, especially of a situation they put themselves into.
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you snooze you lose »
If you are not alert and attentive, you will not be successful.
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zero in »
To focus one's aim; to zoom in and center on something.
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zero in on »
To aim precisely at a target.
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zero in on »
To successfully narrow down a search.
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zero in on »
To concentrate or focus one's attention on at task.
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zero in on »
To converge on something.
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zig when one should zag »
To misstep or err.
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zip it »
Be quiet; the same as zip one's lip.
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zip one's lip »
To stop talking; to be quiet.
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zip up »
To close with a zip fastener.
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zip up »
To close as if with a zip fastener.
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zip up »
To convert a computer file into a smaller package.
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zone out »
To stop paying attention and think about something else, or to think about nothing.
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zonk out »
To fall suddenly into a very deep sleep.
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zoom along »
To proceed quickly a long distance.
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zoom down »
To move quickly along a particular route, list, etc.
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zoom in »
To focus a zoom lens in order to obtain a larger image, or a closer view.
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zoom in »
So as to make it larger and possibly more detailed.
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zoom out »
To focus a zoom lens in order to obtain a smaller image, or a more distant view.
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zoom out »
So as to make it smaller and possibly less detailed.
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zoom past »
To pass very quickly.
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