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Phrases related to: not touch something with a barge pole Page #24

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small beerSomething that is of relatively little importance.Rate it:

(1.50 / 2 votes)
under fireCriticized or held responsible for something.Rate it:

(1.33 / 3 votes)
ace up one's sleeveA surprise advantage of which others are not aware.Rate it:

(1.00 / 1 vote)
anyone's guessA mystery, something unpredictable.Rate it:

(1.00 / 1 vote)
Appendix:Snowclones/don't X meUsed as a reply, it means "don't say X to me", where X is something that the interlocutor just said.Rate it:

(1.00 / 1 vote)
arse about faceSomething that is placed or arranged the opposite way to the way it should be.Rate it:

(1.00 / 1 vote)
back-burnerHaving low urgency; not currently important.Rate it:

(1.00 / 1 vote)
Behind the Eight BallGetting into trouble or difficult situation due to bad luck, a situation through which, one might not get out easilyRate it:

(1.00 / 1 vote)
bit in the biten of lakeIt means that a person is in a serious mood where he is not thinking for the serious matter. Its proper meaning is "serious"Rate it:

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Blood is Thicker than WaterThere is no other replacement for blood relations. What a person from your family or relatives can do for you, will not be done by strangers in a good senseRate it:

(1.00 / 2 votes)
box oneself into a cornerTo create a predicament or problem for oneself; to do something that leaves one with no good alternatives. or solutions.Rate it:

(1.00 / 1 vote)
brain crampA temporary mental lapse, such as an inability to remember something, to focus one's attention, to understand something, or to perform some other mental task of which one would ordinarily be capable.Rate it:

(1.00 / 1 vote)
breathe easyTo relax or feel secure about something.Rate it:

(1.00 / 1 vote)
bring owls to athensPerhaps we have not been sufficiently aware that talking about access and its implications in Scandinavia is like bringing owls to Athens. — Herbert Burkert.Rate it:

(1.00 / 1 vote)
bug in one's bonnetSomething that makes someone act crazy or excites them or is of particular interest or concern to them; something that bothers or irritates someone; a lesser known version of the expression “bee in one’s bonnet”Rate it:

(1.00 / 1 vote)
Buy a Pig in a PokeTo buy something immediately without even examining itRate it:

(1.00 / 1 vote)
calm as a millpondVery calm, not choppyRate it:

(1.00 / 1 vote)
camp outTo wait in a spot for something expected to occur.Rate it:

(1.00 / 1 vote)
cap it all offTo surpass or outdo something.Rate it:

(1.00 / 1 vote)
carry coals to newcastleTo do something that is unneeded or redundant.Rate it:

(1.00 / 1 vote)
ce n'est qu'un feu de pailleIt is only a flash in the pan; It will not last.Rate it:

(1.00 / 1 vote)
chase a rainbowTo pursue something illusory, impractical, or impossible.Rate it:

(1.00 / 1 vote)
cherry-pickTo pick out the best, or most desirable items from a list or group, especially to obtain some advantage or to present something in the best possible light.Rate it:

(1.00 / 1 vote)
close enough for government workIt is not worth investing additional time on perfecting this thing.Rate it:

(1.00 / 1 vote)
Come AgainTo ask someone to repeat something, as words or tone delivered earlier were not clear enoughRate it:

(1.00 / 1 vote)
Cost an Arm and a LegSomething very expensive and not worth the cost in few casesRate it:

(1.00 / 1 vote)
deadNot in play.Rate it:

(1.00 / 1 vote)
dog in the huntThis is often used erroneously to indicate that one has no stake in the outcome. As such this is a bastardization of two Southern idioms: "no dog in the fight," and "that dog won't hunt." (The latter indicates something is a bad idea or prone to fail.) Use of the phrase "no dog in the hunt" when one wishes to indicate they have no "dog in the fight" will generate funny glances from any Southerners who overhear it.Rate it:

(1.00 / 1 vote)
don't shoot the messengerThe bearer of bad news should not be held accountable for the bad news.Rate it:

(1.00 / 1 vote)
duck outTo depart quickly or exit abruptly, especially in a manner which does not attract notice and before a meeting, event, etc. has concluded.Rate it:

(1.00 / 2 votes)
fan the flamesTo intensify something; to worsen an already difficult situation or unfavourable set of circumstances.Rate it:

(1.00 / 1 vote)
fearA phobia, a sense of fear induced by something or someone.Rate it:

(1.00 / 1 vote)
feel up toTo be confident in being able to do something.Rate it:

(1.00 / 1 vote)
fine feathers make fine birdsSomething that appears beautiful or good is by definition beautiful or good.Rate it:

(1.00 / 1 vote)
fudge the issueAdopt a solution to a specific problem which does not address the larger, more general problem of which the specific problem is an instance.Rate it:

(1.00 / 1 vote)
get backTo do something to hurt or harm someone who has hurt or harmed you.Rate it:

(1.00 / 1 vote)
get into one's strideTo become familiar with something recently learnt.Rate it:

(1.00 / 2 votes)
get into troubledo something wrong; get into a bad situation; get reprimanded; have consequencesRate it:

(1.00 / 1 vote)
get the hang ofTo learn to handle something with some skill, through practice or diligence, which can lead to an almost unconscious performance thereof.Rate it:

(1.00 / 1 vote)
gift that keeps on givingSomething with continuing consequences.Rate it:

(1.00 / 2 votes)
ginger upTo make something more interesting, fun, lively etc.Rate it:

(1.00 / 1 vote)
give one's left nutPay a very high price for something.Rate it:

(1.00 / 3 votes)
hand overTo relinquish control or possession of something to someone.Rate it:

(1.00 / 1 vote)
Hit the Nail Right on the HeadTo say something exactly accurate or correct, to reach at right conclusion of somethingRate it:

(1.00 / 1 vote)
hold one's waternot have to pee; try not to urinateRate it:

(1.00 / 1 vote)
hunger is a good sauce(dated) Being hungry makes one less concerned about the taste of one's food.1854, Mark Lemon, Henry Mayhew, Tom Taylor, Shirley Brooks, Francis Cowley Burnand, Owen Seaman, Punch, Vol. XXVI, Punch Publications Ltd., page 74:His bread and cheese were somewhat dry, to be sure; his ale had become flat, and considerably warmer than was desirable; but hunger is a good sauce, and thirst is not particular.Rate it:

(1.00 / 1 vote)
I know you are but what am IAssertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party, and not of the person using the phrase. Usually considered to be a playground taunt.Rate it:

(1.00 / 1 vote)
if it's yellow let it mellow, if it's brown flush it downIn order to save water, only flush the toilet after defecation, not after urination.Rate it:

(1.00 / 1 vote)
il n'est pas si diable qu'il est noirThe devil is not as black as he is painted.Rate it:

(1.00 / 1 vote)
il ne vaut pas le pain qu'il mangeHe is not worth his salt.Rate it:

(1.00 / 2 votes)

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