,text,explanation,origin
0,A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush,"The proverb 'A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush' means  that it's
          better to hold onto something you  have rather than take the risk of getting something better  which may come to nothing.",English
1,A bunch of fives,"'A bunch of fives' is a slang term for
          a fist, especially one used for punching. The
          fives are the four fingers and the thumb.",English
2,A chain is only as strong as its weakest link,"The proverb 'A chain is only as strong as its weakest link' has a literal meaning, although the 'weakest link' referred to is figurative and usually applies to a person or technical feature rather than the link of an actual chain.",English
3,A change is as good as a rest,"A  change is as good as a rest is a proverb that expresses, in a fairly straightforward literal way, the notion that a change from one's regular occupation is as restorative as a holiday.",English
4,A countenance more in sorrow than in anger,Literal meaning - a person or thing that displays more  sadness than  anger.,English
5,A Daniel come to judgement,Someone who makes a wise judgement about something that has previously proven difficult to resolve.,English
6,A diamond in the rough,Someone who is basically good hearted but lacking social graces and respect for the law.,English
7,A diamond is forever,"Advertising
slogan for De Beers' diamonds.",English
8,A different kettle of fish,'A different kettle of fish' is an alternative to what has been previously considered; a different thing altogether.,English
9,A dish fit for the gods,An offering of high quality. ,English
10,A dog is a man's best friend,"An animal that performs valuable service to humans, often with reference to dogs. ",English
11,A drop in the bucket,A drop in the bucket is a very small and insignificant proportion of the whole.,English
12,A drop in the ocean,A drop in the bucket is a very small and insignificant proportion of the whole.,English
13,A fate worse than death,"Any misfortune that would make life unlivable, especially rape
 or loss of virginity. The phrase was formerly a euphemism for rape. ",English
14,A feather in one's cap,A symbol of honour and achievement.,English
15,A fish rots from the head down ,"When an organization or state fails, it is the leadership that is the root cause.",English
16,A fish out of water,"Someone who is in a situation they are unsuited to.
",English
17,A fly in the ointment,A fly in the ointment is a small but irritating flaw that spoils the whole. In the 20th century the expression has also come to be used to describe a small flaw that comes to light to spoil  an otherwise faultless plan.,English
18,A fool and his money are soon parted,Literal meaning.,English
19,A fool's paradise,A state of happiness based on false hope.,English
20,A foot in the door,"An introduction or way in to something, made in order that progress may be made later. ",English
21,A foregone conclusion,A decision made before the evidence for it is known. An inevitable conclusion. ,English
22,A friend in need is a friend indeed,There are various interpretations of the meaning of 'a friend in need is a friend indeed'.,English
23,A golden key can open any door,"'A golden key opens any door' is the opinion that sufficient money, or the promise of it, will allow the possessor of it to do anything they wish.",English
24,A good man is hard to find,"A modern-day proverb, bemoaning the difficulty of finding a suitable male partner. ",English
25,A hard man is good to find,"A risqué comic play
on words on a good man is hard to find.",English
26,A hiding to nothing - On ,"To be faced with a situation which is pointless, as a successful outcome is impossible. This is usually expressed in terms of a sporting contest in which one of two outcomes is foreseen, either a hiding or nothing. The 'to' in the phrase indicates alternative outcomes, as in terms like '6 to 1' or 'dollars to doughnuts'. ",English
27,"A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse","'A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse' is one of Shakespeare's best known lines. The king spoke the line in Act V of the play Richard III, after losing his horse in battle. ",English
28,A house divided against itself cannot stand,Literal meaning (house meaning household).,English
29,A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step,"The proverb 'a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step' puts forward the notion that, however difficult a task is, you can only complete it if you first start it.",English
30,A knight in shining armour,"A knight in shining armour is a person, usually a man, who comes to the aid of another, usually a woman, in a gallant and courteous manner. ",English
31,À la carte,"'A la carte' means 'on the menu', with each dish separately priced.",English
32,À la mode,"Fashionable. Also, in the USA, a dessert served with ice cream.",English
33,A legend in one's own lifetime,'A legend in their own lifetime' refers to  a living person of considerable fame. ,English
34,A leopard cannot change its spots,"The
          proverbial saying 'A leopard cannot change its spots' expresses the notion that things cannot change their innate nature. It is normally used to suggest that  people who have done bad things will always be bad people.",English
35,A little bird told me,I was told by a private or secret source. ,English
36,A little knowledge is a dangerous thing,"The proverb 'A little knowledge is a dangerous thing' expresses the idea that a small amount of knowledge can mislead people into thinking that they are more expert than they really are, which can lead to mistakes being made.",English
37,A little of what you fancy does you good,A euphemistic way of expressing the benefits of sex. ,English
38,A load of cobblers,"Nonsense, rubbish. ",English
39,A load of codswallop,Nonsense. ,English
40,A man after my own heart,"A
kindred spirit - someone I can agree with.",English
41,A man who is his own lawyer has a fool for a client,Literal meaning.,English
42,A millstone around one's neck,A heavy and inescapable burden or responsibility.,English
43,A ministering angel shall my sister be,"To minister is to serve, or act as a subordinate agent. So a ministering angel is a kind-hearted person, providing help and comfort.",English
44,A miss is as good as a mile,A narrow miss is as bad as a wide miss - they are both misses. ,English
45,A nation of shopkeepers,"This proverbial saying has a straightforward literal meaning, although it is intended to imply criticism of the English as a nation with little ambition.",English
46,A nest of vipers,"A group of iniquitous people, congregating together.",English
47,A no-brainer,Something that requires little mental effort or intelligence to perform or understand. The term is often applied to decisions which are straightorward or sometimes to people who appear to lack intelligence. ,English
48,A nod is as good as a wink,"'A nod is as good as a wink' expresses the idea that, to a person who is ready to understand or undertake something, any subtle signalling of it is sufficient. The context is usually of some undertaking that is borderline illegal or of sexual innuendo. ",English
49,A norange,"In 1914 the Danish grammarian Otto Jespersen coined the term 'metanalysis'. That's rather a dry start to a piece on what is a lively and intriguing facet of the English language. To find out what prompted Jespersen to believe that we needed a new word, let's bring in a stage prop - the humble orange. ",English
50,A penny for your thoughts,An invitation to a person lost in thought to share his or her preoccupation.,English
51,A picture is worth a thousand words,"A picture tells a story just as well as, if not better than, a lot of written words.",English
52,A piece of the action,"A share in an activity, or in its profits. ",English
53,A pig in a poke,"A pig in a poke is an
              offer or deal that is foolishly accepted without being examined first.",English
54,A place for everything and everything in its place,The proverbial notion that there should be 'a place for everything and everything in its place' is the idea that everything should have somewhere to be stored  and that it should be tidily returned there when not in use. ,English
55,A plague on both your houses,"A frustrated
 curse on both sides of an argument.",English
56,A priori,From the previous. ,English
57,A red rag to a bull,"To wave a red rag to a bull is to  deliberately provoke it. More generally, the expression denotes any deliberate action intended to bring about an adverse reaction. ",English
58,A riddle wrapped up in an enigma,'A riddle wrapped up in an enigma' is a puzzle - something especially difficult to understand or to solve.,English
59,A rolling stone gathers no moss,Someone who does not settle in one place rarely prospers.,English
60,A rose by any other name would smell as sweet,"The saying 'A rose by any other name would smell as sweet' means that what matters is what something is, not what it is called.",English
61,A rose is a rose is a rose,"The meaning most often attributed to 'a rose is a rose is a rose' is the notion that, when all is said and done, a thing is what it is. This is in similar vein to Shakespeare's 'a rose by any other name would smell as sweet'. However, that's not the interpretation given by the author of the phrase - see below. ",English
62,A safe pair of hands,"A
reliable, if somewhat dull, person who can be entrusted not to make a mistake
with a task.",English
63,A sea change,"A
radical change or transformation.",English
64,A skeleton in the closet,"The expression 'a skeleton in the closet' refers to a secret source of shame, potentially ruinous if exposed, which a person or family makes efforts to conceal.",English
65,A sledgehammer to crack a nut,To use 'a sledgehammer to crack a nut' means to use disproportionate force or expense to overcome a minor problem. ,English
66,A shot in the arm,"A
stimulus.",English
67,A sight for sore eyes,A welcome sight;  someone or something you are glad to see.,English
68,A sorry sight,A regrettable and unwelcome aspect or feature. Now also used to mean something or someone of untidy appearance. ,English
69,A stitch in time saves nine,A 'stitch in time' is a timely effort that will prevent more work later.,English
70,A stone's throw,"A
short distance.",English
71,A thing of beauty is a joy forever,The experience of beauty is blissful and lasting.,English
72,A tinker's damn,Something that is insignificant or worthless.,English
73,A turn up for the books,An unexpected piece of good fortune. ,English
74,A watched pot never boils,The proverbial expression 'a watched pot never boils' refers to the feeling time seems to go slower when you are anxiously waiting for something to happen.,English
75,A wolf in sheep's clothing,'A wolf in sheep's clothing' is someone who hides malicious intent under the guise of kindliness. ,English
76,A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle,"""A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle"" is a
feminist slogan, humorously expressing the view that a woman can live her life perfectly well without a man. ",English
77,A woman's place is in the home,Literal meaning.,English
78,A word in edgeways,Join a conversation in which another is speaking continually and leaving little opportunity for others. ,English
79,A word in your shell-like,"I
would like to talk to you.",English
80,A young man's fancy,The expression 'A young man's fancy' alludes to  light  thoughts of romantic love.,English
81,A1 at Lloyds,The highest quality.,English
82,Abandon all hope ye who enter here,"'Abandon hope all ye who enter here' is the
 supposed inscription at the entrance to Hell.",English
83,Abide with me,"The name of the well-known Christian hymn, written by Henry
 Francis Lyte in 1847. A plea for God to be always present, in one's life and through death. ",English
84,About face,Change direction.,English
85,About turn,Change direction.,English
86,Above board,"Openly; without
any trickery.",English
87,Abracadabra,An exclamation used by conjurers when performing  tricks.,English
88,Absence makes the heart grow fonder,The missing of a person or thing increases the desire for it.,English
89,Absent without leave,Absent without permission.,English
90,Absolute power corrupts absolutely,"The proverbial saying 'power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely'  conveys the opinion that, as a person's power increases, their moral sense diminishes.",English
91,Accidentally on purpose,"Deliberately,
but feigning accident.",English
92,Accidents will happen,"Things sometimes go wrong, despite our best efforts.",English
93,According to Hoyle,In accord with the highest authority; in accord with a strict set of rules.,English
94,Ace in the hole,"Something
that can supply a sure victory when revealed.",English
95,Achilles' heel,"An Achilles' heel is a 
weak or vulnerable factor - especially one where all other components are strong.",English
96,Acid test,"A
sure test, giving an incontestable result.",English
97,Acronyms,Acronyms are words which are formed from the initial letters of other words. ,English
98,Across the board,Embracing all classes or categories without exception.,English
99,Act of God,"An
act which is accepted legally as being outside human control.",English
100,Act the giddy goat,Behave foolishly. ,English
101,Action man,"A dynamic, macho type of man. ",English
102,Actions speak louder than words,This proverb express the idea that a person's actions are a better indication of their character than what he or she says.,English
103,Adam's ale,Water.,English
104,Adversity makes strange bedfellows,"The proverbial saying 'adversity makes strange bedfellows' suggests that, in times of trouble, people who wouldn't normally associate with each other may form an alliance.",English
105,After the fact,"'After the fact' means after an action is performed; in legal parlance, after a crime has been committed.",English
106,Aga saga,An 'aga saga' is a genre of popular fiction usually set in comfortable middle-class English homes.,English
107,Against the grain,"Against
one's inclination or natural tendency.",English
108,Age before beauty,"Older people should be given precedence over the younger and, by implication, more beautiful. This is normally used jocularly, often by the older person in order to flatter the younger. ",English
109,"Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale her infinite variety","From
Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra, 1606:",English
110,Agree to disagree,Set aside an irreconcilable difference in order to maintain a civil dialogue.,English
111,Aid and abet,"To help and encourage, usually in the commission of a crime or anti-social act. ",English
112,Aide-mémoire,"'To aid memory' - a literal translation
from the French.",English
113,Air kiss,The act of greeting (or sometimes of farewell) by making a kissing gesture into the air while brushing cheeks - or in a near miss. ,English
114,Air quotes,"A gesture with raised pairs of fingers, when making a statement, to simulate quotation marks. It indicates that what is being said is ironic or otherwise not to be taken verbatim.",English
115,Al fresco,"From the Italian, literally translated as 'in the fresh'. In English, used to mean either 'in the open air' or, where specifically related to mural painting, 'on fresh plaster'. ",English
116,"Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio","The dramatic line 'Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio' comes from Shakespeare's Hamlet. Hamlet speaks the line in a graveyard, as a meditation on the fragility of life, as he looks at the skull of  Yorick. ",English
117,Alike as two peas in a pod ,'Two peas in a pod' are two identical items or people.,English
118,Alive and kicking,Definitely alive; lively and active. ,English
119,All agog,"Excited, in high spirits; in eager expectation. ",English
120,All at sea,In a state of confusion and disorder. ,English
121,All fingers and thumbs,"Clumsy, unable to hold things steadily in one's hands. 'All fingers and thumbs' is how we might describe ourselves during a temporary loss of manual dexterity. ",English
122,All Greek to me,It was unintelligible to me. ,English
123,All in all,All things having been taken into account. ,English
124,All intents and purposes,In effect; for all practical purposes.,English
125,All mouth and no trousers,"'All mouth and no trousers' means 'loud-mouthed and boastful, but lacking in substance'.",English
126,All of a sudden,'All of a sudden' means suddenly. ,English
127,All present and correct,"Everything, or everyone, is accounted for.",English
128,All publicity is good publicity,"'There is no such thing as bad publicity' is the notion that all mentions in the media aid a person's cause, even if they put them in a bad light.",English
129,"All singing, all dancing",Full of verve and vitality; more recently - with many features or attributes.,English
130,All systems go,'All systems go' is what someone might say when all systems are functional and ready to proceed. ,English
131,All that glitters is not gold / All that glisters is not gold,The proverbial saying 'All that glitters is not gold' means that not everything that is shiny and superficially attractive  is  valuable.,English
132,All the tea in China - Not for ,Not at any price.,English
133,All things come to those who wait,"A literal meaning, advocating patience.",English
134,All things must pass,Nothing lasts forever.,English
135,All you can eat,A restaurant advertising slogan (usually followed by a price). ,English
136,All's fair in love and war,"The proverbial saying 'All's fair in love and war' expresses the idea that, like war, where any strategy is accepted, affairs of the heart are also  no-holds-barred contests.",English
137,All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy,The proverbial saying 'All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy' expresses the idea that working constantly and making no time for enjoyment makes one bored and boring.,English
138, Alter ego,A second self. ,English
139,Amber nectar,Lager.,English
140,An albatross around one's neck,"A
burden which some unfortunate person has to carry.",English
141,An apple a day keeps the doctor away,"The proverb 'An apple a day keeps the doctor away' has a straightforward literal, and very probably correct, meaning - that the eating of fruit maintains good health.",English
142,An arm and a leg ,"A large, possibly exorbitant, amount of money. ",English
143,An axe to grind,"To have an axe to grind is to have a dispute to take up with someone or, to have an ulterior motive; to have private ends to serve.",English
144,An Englishman's home is his castle,The English dictum that a man's home is his refuge. ,English
145,"An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth","The proverb 'an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth' expresses the notion that for every wrong done there should be a compensating measure of justice.",English
146,An ill wind ,A misfortune.,English
147,An offer he can't refuse,"The
 'offer' being 'do as I say or I'll kill you'.",English
148,An Oxford scholar,"A
dollar.",English
149,Anchors aweigh,"Said in preparation of getting underway, especially of a ship. ",English
150,Angry young man,"Often applied to the British 'kitchen sink' playwrights of the 1950s. Also anyone, particularly young men obviously, who rails against the establishment. ",English
151,Ankle biter,A small child. Also applied to small dogs. ,English
152,Annus horribilis,A horrible year.,English
153,"Another day, another dollar","The proverbial phrase 'another day, another dollar' is a weary resignation that the day to come will be one of tedious work, the only benefit being the small amount of payment at the end of it. ",English
154,Another think coming,"To have 'another think coming' is to be greatly mistaken. The phrase is usually spoken by an antagonist as 'you have another think coming'; the implication being that one will shortly be obliged to adopt a different viewpoint, either by the presentation of indisputable evidence, or by force. ",English
155,Apple of my eye - The ,"The apple of one's eye originally referred to the central aperture of the eye. Figuratively it is something, or more usually someone, cherished above others. ",English
156,Apple pie order,"Tidy
and well-ordered.",English
157,April fool,"The
victim of a trick played on April 1st, or the trick itself. ",English
158,Arm candy - see ear candy,Music with an instant appeal but with little lasting significance.,English
159,Arms akimbo,"A stance, with the hands on the hips and elbows directed outwards. ",English
160,"Ars longa, vita brevis","The translation into Latin of part of a quotation by the Greek 'Father of Medicine' - Hippocrates.
",English
161,Arty-farty,"Pertaining to, or having an interest in, the arts - often pretentiously and affectedly so. ",English
162,Asap - As soon as possible,Literal meaning.,English
163,As X as Y,A simile is a comparison of one thing with another.,English
164,As alike as two peas in a pod ,'Two peas in a pod' are two identical items or people.,English
165,As bald as a coot,"Completely
          bald.",English
166,As black as Newgate's knocker," 'As black as Newgate's knocker' means pitch
          black.",English
167,As bold as brass, The simile 'as bold as brass' means 'very bold; blatant.,English
168,As brown as a berry,Entirely or very brown; often referring to a suntanned skin. ,English
169,As busy as a bee,Very busy.,English
170,As busy as a one-armed paperhanger, The simile 'as busy as a one-armed paperhanger' means 'frenetically busy'.,English
171,As cold as any stone,Very cold.,English
172,As cool as a cucumber,'As cool as a cucumber' means calm and unruffled.,English
173,As cute as a bug's ear,Very cute.,English
174,As daft as a brush,To be 'as daft as a brush' is to be very stupid or foolish.,English
175,As dead as a dodo,Unambiguously and unequivocally dead.,English
176,As dead as a doornail,"To be 'as dead as a doornail' is to be utterly dead,  devoid of life (when applied to people, plants or animals) or finished with, unusable (when applied to inanimate objects). ",English
177,As different as chalk and cheese,Two things that are  very different from each other. ,English
178,As easy as pie ,Very easy.,English
179,As fast as greased lightning,Very fast.,English
180,As fine as frog's hair,"Extremely fine, that is, delicate and slender.",English
181,As fit as a butcher's dog,Very fit.,English
182,As fit as a fiddle,To be 'as fit as a fiddle' is to be very fit and well.,English
183,As good as gold,Well-behaved and obedient.,English
184,As good luck would have it,If something is 'as good luck would have it' it has come about by some fortunate chance.,English
185,As happy as...,"Regular readers of this mailing list will know that it has often featured 'as x as y' similes. These provide a rich source of colour in the language and most English speakers will be familiar with hundreds of them (see this list). The term's usual format makes a link between some creature or object, say 'a dodo', and a well-known property of the same, that is, 'dead', and that applies to virtually all examples of this type of simile, e.g. 'as black as coal/pitch/the ace of spades', 'as white as a sheet/ghost/snow'. However this pattern breaks down when it comes to happiness. Larks and dogs with two tails fit the bill as creatures known to be happy but the three best-known 'happy' similes are 'as happy as a clam/a sandboy/Larry'. It is not now common knowledge as to why clams, sandboys or Larry should have been happy. For the phrases to have been adopted into the language in the first place such knowledge must have been widespread at some time. Let's see if we can resurrect it. ",English
186,As happy as a clam,Very happy and content.,English
187,As happy as a sandboy,Very happy and content.,English
188,As happy as Larry,"Very
happy.",English
189,As high as a kite,"Highly excited, or under the influence of drink or drugs.",English
190,As keen as mustard,Very enthusiastic.,English
191,As mad as a hatter,"Completely
          mad. This is now commonly understood to mean crazy, although the original meaning is unclear and may have meant annoyed. ",English
192,As mad as a March hare,"To be 'as mad as a March hare' is to be completely
              mad.",English
193,As nice as ninepence,"Neat, tidy, well-ordered. ",English
194,As old as Methuselah,"Very
old.",English
195,As old as the hills,Exceedingly old.,English
196,As pleased as Punch,"Very
pleased.",English
197,As pure as the driven snow,Entirely pure.,English
198,As safe as houses,Completely safe and secure.,English
199,As queer as a nine bob note,"Odd
or unusual. Also used to mean homosexual. ",English
200,As snug as a bug in a rug,To be 'as snug as a bug in a rug' is to be very comfortable and cosy.,English
201,As straight as a die,Completely straight.,English
202,As the crow flies,"In a direct line, without any of the detours caused by following a road.",English
203,As thick as thieves,Close friends with; sharing  confidences.,English
204,As thick as two short planks,Exceedingly stupid.,English
205,As white as snow,"Pure white. What better to symbolise whiteness than snow? Not only the intensity of colour on a bright winter's day, but also the purity of untrodden snow is summoned up by the simile. Shakespeare used this association to good effect in as pure as the driven snow. ",English
206,Ashes to ashes dust to dust,The phrase 'ashes to ashes' expresses the notion that we come from dust and we return to dust. ,English
207,Ask a silly question and you'll get a silly answer,Literal meaning.,English
208,(Ask not) for whom the bell tolls,"'For whom the bells tolls' is a quotation from a work by John Donne, in which he explores the interconnectedness of humanity.",English
209,"(H)asta la vista, baby",'Hasta la vista' translates from the Spanish as 'see you later'.,English
210,At loggerheads,In dispute with.,English
211,At one fell swoop,'At one fell swoop' means 'suddenly; in a single action'.,English
212,At one's beck and call,To be at someone's beck and call is to be entirely subservient to them; to be responsive to their slightest request.,English
213,At one's wit's end,To be at your wit's end is to be perplexed; unable to think what to do.,English
214,At sixes and sevens,"A state of confusion and disorder, or of disagreement between parties.",English
215,Attack is the best form of defence,The proverbial phrase 'attack is the best form of defence' expresses the opinion that a pre-emptive strike is the best way to defend yourself.,English
216,Augur well,"To foreshadow a successful outcome, indicated by some circumstance or event.",English
217,Auld lang syne,"The Anglicized version of 'auld lang syne', which means old long-since or old long-ago. ",English
218,Away with the fairies,Not facing reality; in a dream-world.,English
219,Baby blues,"Feelings of depression or anxiety, experienced by some mothers following childbirth.",English
220,Baby boomer,"A person born during the temporary peak in the birth-rate that occurred in several countries following WWII, notably the USA and the UK. ",English
221,Baby father,The father of an infant who is not married to or in an exclusive relationship with the mother.,English
222,Back of beyond - The ,A lonely forsaken place.,English
223,Back-seat driver,"Someone
who criticizes from the sidelines.",English
224,Back the field,"Place a bet on all the horses in a race, except one.",English
225,Back to basics,"A
return to previously held values of decency.",English
226,Back to square one,'Back to square one' means back to the beginning; start again.,English
227,Back to the drawing board,Start again on a new design  or plan after the  failure of an earlier attempt.,English
228,Backroom boy,"One
who works in anonymity in an organization while others take on more public roles.",English
229,Backward in coming forward,Shy or reluctant to do something. Here 'backward' means shy or unwilling; 'come forward' means present oneself into view.,English
230,Bacon - Bring home the,"To earn money, particularly for one's family; to be successful, especially financially successful. ",English
231,Bad books,To be in disgrace or out of favour.,English
232,Bad egg,Someone or something that disappoints expectations. ,English
233,Bad hair day,"A
'bad hair day' originally had a literal meaning - a day on which one's hair seems unmanageable. The expression's meaning has been extended to mean a day when everything seems to go wrong.",English
234,Bad money drives out good,"The proverbial saying 
'bad money drives out good' can be understood literally. It is known as Gresham's Law, which is that money which is labelled as 'bad' will harm the prospects of money that is labelled as 'good'. Of course, we need to know what bad and good money are to understand that (see below).",English
235,Badger to death,Harass or persecute.,English
236,Bag and baggage,One's bag and baggage is the sum total of  one's possessions.,English
237,Baker's dozen,"A baker's dozen is 13 (or, more rarely, 14). ",English
238,Balance of power - The ,"The
distribution of power between nations in such a way that no single state has dominance
over the others.",English
239,Balance of trade - The,"The
difference between the value of the imports and exports that a nation makes.",English
240,Bald as a coot,"Completely
          bald.",English
241,Bale out/bail out,"Various meanings, including 'making an emergency parachute escape from an aeroplane' and 'ladling water from a boat'. ",English
242,Ball and chain,"A 20th century slang term, meaning wife.",English
243,Bandy words ,"To
argue persistently.",English
244,Bane of your life,The agent of ruin or woe.,English
245,Bang on about,Talk repetitively and boringly about something.,English
246,Baptism of fire,"An
ordeal or martyrdom. More recently, a soldier's first experience of battle.",English
247,Barge-pole - Wouldn't touch with a ,Said of something or someone so unappealing that one wouldn't want to go anywhere near.,English
248,Barking mad,Insane; intensely mad.,English
249,Barking up the wrong tree,Making a mistake or a false assumption in something you are trying to achieve.,English
250,Barrel of laughs,The source of abundant fun and enjoyment.,English
251,Basket case,"An
infirm or failing person or thing - unable to  function properly. Originally
this referred to soldiers who had lost arms and legs and had to be carried by others. More recently it has been used to denounce a failing organisation or scheme and is less often applied to people. ",English
252,Bated breath,Breathing that is subdued because of some emotion or difficulty. ,English
253,Bats in the belfry,Crazy; eccentric. ,English
254,Batten down the hatches,Prepare for trouble.,English
255,Battle royal,General mayhem; a free-for-all fight.,English
256,"Be afraid, be very afraid","Ostensibly, a warning that something dangerous is imminent. In reality, this is usually said with comic intent. The thing being warned of is more likely to be mildly unwelcome than actually dangerous; for example, ""That fierce librarian was asking about your overdue books - be afraid, be very afraid.""",English
257,Be enthralled,To be captivated; to be held spellbound by pleasing qualities.,English
258,"Be still, my beating heart","'Be still, my beating heart' is an expression of excitement when seeing the object of one's romantic affections.",English
259,Beam ends - On your,Hard up; in a bad situation. ,English
260,Bean counter,"A disparaging term for an accountant, or anyone   excessively concerned with  statistical records or accounts. ",English
261,Beast with two backs,Partners engaged in sexual intercourse.,English
262,Beat a hasty retreat,Withdraw rapidly.,English
263,Beat around the bush,To prevaricate and avoid coming to the point.,English
264,Beat swords into ploughshares,Turn to peaceful pursuits and away from war.,English
265,Beat the living daylights out of someone,"To beat the living daylights out of someone is to beat them severely, to the point where they lose consciousness. ",English
266,Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,'Beauty in the eye of the beholder' has a literal meaning - that the perception of beauty is subjective - what one person finds beautiful another may not. ,English
267,Beauty is only skin deep,Physical beauty is superficial.,English
268,Beck and call,To be at someone's beck and call is to be entirely subservient to them; to be responsive to their slightest request.,English
269,Bed of roses,The expression 'a bed of roses' describes a pleasant or easy situation.,English
270,Bee in your bonnet,"Preoccupied
or obsessed with an idea.",English
271,Beef and reef,"A type of cuisine that combines both meat and seafood (especially lobster and steak), or restaurants that serve such cuisine.",English
272,Beelzebub has a devil for a sideboard,Misheard lyric.,English
273,"Been there, done that","When someone says ""been there, done that"" they mean that whatever is being talked about is commonplace to them, to the point of boredom.",English
274,Beer and skittles,'Beer and skittles' is shorthand for a life of indulgence spent in the pub.,English
275,Beer goggles,"Having your 'beer goggles' on means you are sexually attracted to someone, who you wouldn't normally find attractive, because you are drunk.",English
276,Bee-line - make a bee-line for ,Go directly towards.,English
277,Bee's knees - The ,If something is said to be the bee's knees it is excellent - the highest quality.,English
278,Beetle-browed,"With a furrowed or prominent brow, or worried expression. Formerly, with large or bushy eyebrows.",English
279,Before the fact,"'After the fact' means after an action is performed; in legal parlance, after a crime has been committed.",English
280,Before you can say Jack Robinson ,In a very short time; suddenly. ,English
281,Beg the question,This is one of those rare phrases in which the meaning is more debated than the origin. ,English
282,Beggar belief,To defy or go beyond what is believable. ,English
283,Beggars can't be choosers,If you request something to be given you should not question what you are given. ,English
284,Behind every great man there's a great woman,'Behind every great man there's a great woman' has a straightforward literal meaning. The implication behind the saying is that the great woman is often ignored or taken for granted.,English
285,Behind the eight ball,A difficult position from which it is unlikely one can escape.,English
286,"Bell, book and candle","The phrase 'bell, book and candle' is the final line of an incantation denoting excommunication from the Catholic church.",English
287,Bell the cat,"To hang a bell around a cat's neck to provide a warning. Figuratively, the expression refers to any task that is difficult or impossible to achieve.",English
288,Belle of the ball,The most attractive woman at a social gathering. ,English
289,Below the belt,"An unfair, underhand tactic.",English
290,Below the salt,Common or lowly. See also 'beyond the pale'.,English
291,Bells and whistles,Attractive additional features or fittings,English
292,Belt and braces,'Belt and braces' means being careful -  taking double measures to avoid risk. It alludes to the use of both belt and braces to hold up a person's trousers.,English
293,Belt up,"'Be quiet'. Also, since the introduction of car seat belts - an injunction to fasten one's belt.",English
294,Best bib and tucker,One's best clothes.,English
295,Best laid schemes of mice and men - The ,The most carefully prepared plans may go wrong.,English
296,Bet your bottom dollar,Bet your last coin.,English
297,Better half ,My husband or my wife. ,English
298,Better late than never,"To arrive or do something later than expected isn't good, but it is better than not at all.",English
299,Better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all,The proverbial saying 'It's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all' has a straightforward literal meaning.,English
300,Between a rock and a hard place,"In difficulty, faced with a choice between two unsatisfactory options.",English
301,Between the Devil and the deep blue sea,"In difficulty, faced with two dangerous alternatives.",English
302,Between two stools,"To be 'between two stools' is to fail, due to being unable to choose between two alternatives.",English
303,"Between you, me and the bed-post","The phrase 'between you, me and the bed-post' is used when divulging a secret; something that only the speaker and the listener should hear.",English
304,Beware of Greeks bearing gifts,Don't trust your enemies.,English
305,Beware the Ides of March ,The Ides of March is just the 15th of March.,English
306,Beyond a shadow of a doubt,"If something is said to be 'beyond a shadow of a doubt' the speaker is certain that it is true, with no possibility of ambiguity.",English
307,Beyond belief,Outside the range of what is normally considered  believable. ,English
308,Beyond our ken,Beyond our understanding.,English
309,Beyond the pale,To be 'beyond the pale' is to be unacceptable; outside agreed standards of decency.,English
310,Biblical phrases,"
The King James Version of the Bible has been enormously influential in the development of the English language. It ranks with the complete works of Shakespeare and the Oxford English Dictionary as one of the cornerstones of the recorded language. After Shakespeare, the King James, or Authorized, Version of the Bible is the most common source of phrases in English. The King James in question was James I of England and James VI of Scotland. He didn't write the text of course, he merely authorized it, hence the name by which the book is best known in the UK (King James Version, or KJV, being more commonly used in the USA).

",English
311,Big Apple - The ,"Nickname
for New York, USA.",English
312,Big cheese - The ,The most important person.,English
313,Big Easy - The ,"Nickname
for New Orleans, USA, referring
to the easy-going, laid back attitude to life that jazz musicians and local residents indulge in there.",English
314,Big fish in a small pond - A,Someone who is important but only within a limited area of influence.,English
315,Big fleas have little fleas upon their back to bite 'em,"Everyone is preyed up[on by someone, who in turn has someone preying on them.",English
316,Big wig,"An important person. Now usually spelled as single word, 'bigwig'.",English
317,(A) bigger bang for your buck,More for your money.,English
318,Bill Stickers is innocent,"Play on words, based on 'Bill Stickers...' notices.",English
319,Billy-o - Like ,"An extreme standard of comparison; for example, ""It rained like billy-o; we were all soaked through."". ",English
320,Billy no mates,Someone with no friends.,English
321,Binge drinking,Drinking to excess in a short space of time. ,English
322,Bird in the hand is worth two in the bush - A ,"The proverb 'A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush' means  that it's
          better to hold onto something you  have rather than take the risk of getting something better  which may come to nothing.",English
323,Birds and the bees - The ,'The birds and the bees' is a  phrase that refers to coy explanations about sex and reproduction that are given to children. ,English
324,Birds of a feather flock together,Those of similar taste congregate in groups.,English
325,Bite the bullet,Accept the inevitable impending hardship and endure the resulting pain with fortitude.,English
326,Bite the dust,"Fall to the ground, wounded or dead.",English
327,Bitter end - The ,"To the
limit of one's efforts - to the last extremity.",English
328,Black as Newgate's knocker," 'As black as Newgate's knocker' means pitch
          black.",English
329,Black-on-black,"Interactions that occur between black people, notably crime that is perpetrated by one black person against another.",English
330,Black sheep of the family,"A
disreputable or disgraced member of a family.",English
331,Blast from the past - A,"Something
or someone that returns after a period of obscurity or absence. It is normally applied to things that that were thought fondly of previously and are making a welcome return - particularly pop songs. ",English
332,Blaze a trail,To lead the way.,English
333,Bless you! (after a sneeze),"'Bless you!', or sometimes 'God bless you!' or 'God bless!', is a response often said when someone sneezes. ",English
334,Blind leading the blind - The ,"Uninformed
and incompetent people leading others who are similarly incapable.",English
335,Blind-man's buff,"A game, in which a blindfolded player tries to catch others. ",English
336,Bling-bling,"Ostentatious, over-the-top jewellery or dress. Often used to demonstrate the wearer's wealth. ",English
337,Blonde bombshell,A glamorous blonde.,English
338,Blood and thunder,"An oath, alluding to mayhem and bloodshed. ",English
339,Blood is thicker than water, By saying 'blood is thicker than water' we mean that family bonds are closer than those of outsiders.,English
340,Blood toil tears and sweat,A line from Sir Winston Churchill's WWII speech on becoming prime minister of the UK in 1940.,English
341,"Blood, sweat and tears",Hard work and effort in  difficult circumstances. ,English
342,Bloody-minded,"Tiresome, stubborn and obstructive. ",English
343,Blot on the landscape,"Something
that spoils the view or ruins a previously comfortable situation.",English
344,Blow a raspberry - see raspberry tart,Fart.,English
345,Blow your mind,Expand your mind by use of hallucinatory drugs.,English
346,Blow your own trumpet,"Act in a boastful, self-promoting manner.",English
347,Blown to smithereens,Disintegrated into small fragments by a sudden impact or explosion. ,English
348,Blue blood,The blood that which flows in the veins of old and aristocratic families.,English
349,Blue moon (Once in a),Very rarely. ,English
350,Blue-plate special,A set meal provided at a reduced price. ,English
351,Bob's your uncle,"'Bob's your uncle'  is an archetypically English phrase and is so familiar here for it to have spawned jokey variants. As 'take the Mickey' has an extended alternative 'extract the Michael', 'Bob's your uncle' is sometimes extended to 'Robert's your auntie's husband'. People  in other English speaking countries won't be so familiar with the phrase, so I'll give some examples that may explain the meaning. ",English
352,Bode well,"To foreshadow a successful outcome, indicated by some circumstance or event.",English
353,Bodice ripper,A 'Bodice ripper' is a sexually suggestive romantic novel; usually in a historical setting and always with a plot involving the seduction of the heroine.,English
354,Body - phrases related to the human body ,"All of the phrases below contain a reference to a part of the human body - brain, shoulder, face, toe etc. There are more of them than you might expect, around 600 here and no doubt you can think of a few others...",English
355,Body surfing,"Surfing (a.k.a. surfboarding) is, in its literal meaning, the riding of a wave while standing or lying on a surfboard. ",English
356,Bog standard,The basic unrefined article.,English
357,Bold as brass, The simile 'as bold as brass' means 'very bold; blatant.,English
358,Bolt from the blue,"A
complete surprise, like
a bolt of lightning from a clear blue sky.",English
359,Bone dry,Completely dry.,English
360,Bone idle,Utterly lazy.,English
361,Bone up on,"To study hard, usually in preparation for a test.",English
362,Booby prize,A prize given to make fun of the loser in a contest or game.,English
363,Booby trap,A practical joke. Also a concealed and possibly lethal trap.,English
364,Boogie-woogie,"A style of blues music, with close links to jazz forms like ragtime and stride, usually played on the piano. ",English
365,(Too big for your) boots,Conceited; having a too high opinion of oneself. ,English
366,Booze cruise,"A
sea trip from England to continental Europe to buy cheap drink.",English
367,Born again,"Christians
 who affirm their renewed and strengthened commitment to their religion are
 called 'born again'. To be born again is to be 'born
 of the spirit'; the first birth being the physical birth of
 the flesh.",English
368,Born with a silver spoon in one's mouth,To be born with a silver spoon in one's mouth is to be born into a wealthy and privileged family. ,English
369,Born within the sound of Bow Bells,Literal meaning. ,English
370,Boss eyed,Cross-eyed or squinty.,English
371,Bottle out,Give up an attempt at something after losing one's nerve.,English
372,Bottom drawer,"A 'bottom drawer' is a place where valuables are stored, especially  clothes, linen, etc. Typically this was the place that a woman might store items in preparation for her marriage. Literally, the lowest drawer of a chest of drawers.",English
373,Bottom-up,An approach to organisation or planning that is built up from basic details rather than from a guiding principal or theory. It is a form of organisation often associated with the democratic involvement of many individuals rather than one governed by an individual or small group. ,English
374,Bought the farm,"To die, particularly in an accident or military action.",English
375,Bowled a maiden over,To bowl a maiden over is to sweep a woman off her feet with a romantic gesture.,English
376,Box and Cox,To take turns.,English
377,Box-seat - in the ,"In
a superior or advantageous position.",English
378,Boxing Day,See also: our list of 'Christmas Card Sayings and Expressions'. ,English
379,Boys will be boys,"The proverbial saying 'boys will be boys' is used to express resignation at, or even encouragement of,  the bad behaviour of boys, imagining it to be an inevitable consequence of their gender.",English
380,Brand spanking new,Entirely new.,English
381,Brass monkey weather ,"If it's said to be 'cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey' it is very
cold indeed. ",English
382,Brass tacks - get down to ,Engage with the basic facts or realities.,English
383,Bread always falls buttered side down,The 'buttered side down' view of life is one that is pessimistic and fatalistic.,English
384,Bread of life - The ,"

A name used by Christians to denote Jesus Christ.",English
385,Break a leg,"The phrase 'break a leg' is a jovial encouragement, said to actors for good luck before they go on stage, especially on an opening night. ",English
386,Break the ice,To break down social formality and stiffness. ,English
387,Bricks and clicks,A sales model that utilizes both traditional stores (bricks) and Internet trading (clicks).,English
388,Bring home the bacon,"To earn money, particularly for one's family; to be successful, especially financially successful. ",English
389,Broad in the beam,Having wide hips or buttocks. ,English
390,"Broke - if it ain't, don't fix it ","If something is working adequately well, leave it alone. ",English
391,Brook no truck with,To reject or to have nothing to do with.,English
392,Bronx cheer,"A sound of contempt or derision, made by blowing through closed lips, usually with the tongue protruding..",English
393,Brown as a berry,Entirely or very brown; often referring to a suntanned skin. ,English
394,Browned off,To be 'browned off' is to be bored or fed-up.,English
395,Brownie points,A notional mark of achievement or kudos for performing some creditable act.,English
396,Brummagem screwdriver,A 'Brummagem screwdriver' is a disparaging term for a hammer.,English
397,Brush - As daft as a ,To be 'as daft as a brush' is to be very stupid or foolish.,English
398,Bubble and squeak,"In the 18th century this was a dish of fried meat and cabbage. Nowadays it is more often fried potatoes and other vegetables, usually greens. ",English
399,Buck stops here - The ,The slogan 'The buck stops here' is a promise that responsibility will not be passed on to anyone else.,English
400,Bucket list,A list of things that a person wants to experience or achieve before they die.,English
401,Buckle down,Apply oneself to hard work.,English
402,Build a better mousetrap and the world will beat a path to your door,To 'build a better mousetrap' is to make an improvement to an existing product or service. It especially refers to simple and straightforward changes that are obvious advances on earlier devices.,English
403,Bugger Bognor!,NO INFORMATION,English
404,Buggins' turn,'Buggins' turn' is the method of appointing people to positions based on rotation rather than on merit.,English
405,"Bullet - Bit the, Bite the ",Accept the inevitable impending hardship and endure the resulting pain with fortitude.,English
406,Bums on seats,"The paying audience at a venue with seating, usually a theatre or cinema. ",English
407,Bun in the oven,"To have 'a bun in the oven' is to be pregnant. Oven = womb, baby = bun.",English
408,Bunch of fives - A ,"'A bunch of fives' is a slang term for
          a fist, especially one used for punching. The
          fives are the four fingers and the thumb.",English
409,Bunny boiler,"An
obsessive and dangerous female, in pursuit of a lover who has spurned her.",English
410,Burn the candle at both ends,To live at a hectic pace.,English
411,Burning the midnight oil,"To 'burn the midnight oil' is to work late into the night. Originally this was by the light of an oil lamp or candle. More recently, the phrase is used figuratively, alluding back its use before electric lighting. ",English
412,Bury the hatchet,To bury the hatchett is to settle your differences with an adversary.,English
413,Bury your head in the sand,Refuse to confront or acknowledge a problem.,English
414,Busy as a bee,Very busy.,English
415, Butt end of the stick - The ,To get the short end of the stick is to come off worst in a bargain or contest.,English
416,Butter no parsnips - Fine words,The proverb 'Fine words butter no parsnips' means that nothing concrete is achieved by empty words or flattery.,English
417,Butter side down,The 'buttered side down' view of life is one that is pessimistic and fatalistic.,English
418,Butter wouldn't melt in his mouth,"Prim and proper, with a cool demeanour ",English
419,Butterfingers,A name playfully applied to someone who  fails to catch a ball or lets something slip from their fingers.,English
420,By and large,On the whole; generally speaking; all things considered.,English
421,By dint of,By means of; as a result of - especially by the means of force.,English
422,By gum,"Exclamation of surprise. This is an example of a minced-oath, and is a euphemism for 'By God'.",English
423,By hook or by crook,To do something 'by hook or by crook' is to do it by whatever means are necessary - be they fair or foul. ,English
424,By the board,"Finished with, as in thrown overboard.",English
425,By the book,"Correctly; according to
the rules.",English
426,By the short hairs,"To be 'caught/got/held by the short hairs', or in the UK equivalent '... by the short and curlies', is to be trapped by an opponent in a position one can't easily escape from.",English
427,By the skin of your teeth,Narrowly; barely. Usually used in regard to a narrow escape from a disaster.,English
428,By your leave,Without even asking for permission.,English
429,Bygones be bygones - Let,To 'let bygones be bygones' is to allow the unpleasant things that have happened in the past  be forgotten.,English
430,Caesar Salad,"The name of a salad typically consisting of cos lettuce, garlic, croutons and anchovies, dressed with olive oil, lemon juice and parmesan cheese.",English
431,Call a spade a spade,To call a spade a spade is to speak plainly - to describe something as it really is.,English
432,Call of the wild - The ,The appeal of nature in the raw.,English
433,Camera cannot lie - The ,Literal meaning. ,English
434,Can't be overestimated/can't be underestimated,"There has always been some muddling up of the words overestimate and underestimate. The use of the negative in the expressions 'can't be over/underestimated' makes it easy to slip up. Also, the fact that, when you use either phrase, the context of what you are saying usually makes your meaning clear. Many speakers (and the people they are speaking to) just don't bother to check. ",English
435,Can't hold a candle to,"The expression 'can't hold a candle to' refers to someone who
compares badly to an known authority - to be unfit even to hold a subordinate position. ",English
436,Canteen culture,The colloquial name for the conservative and discriminatory attitudes held by some sections of the British police forces. ,English
437,Canterbury pace,The pace of mounted pilgrims. ,English
438,Carbon-copy,An exact duplicate. ,English
439,Carbon footprint,The amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted during an industrial or domestic process; a measure of how that process contributes toward global warming. ,English
440,Card-sharp,"Someone who is skilful at playing or manipulating cards, or one who makes a living by cheating at cards. ",English
441,Carey Street - On,"Euphemism
for being bankrupt or in debt.",English
442,Carpe diem,"
'Carpe diem' is usually translated from the Latin as 'seize the day'. However, the more pedantic of Latin scholars may very well seize you by the throat if you suggest that translation. ",English
443,Carry coals to Newcastle,To do something pointless and superfluous.,English
444,Cart before the horse - Put the ,Reverse the accepted or logical order of things.,English
445,Carte blanche,Having free rein to choose whatever course of action you want.,English
446,Cash on the nail,Payment made immediately.,English
447,(Ne'er) cast a clout till May be out,"With most phrases and sayings the meaning is well understood but the origin is uncertain. With this one the main interest is the doubt about the meaning. So, this time, we'll have the origin first. ",English
448,Cast the first stone,"Be the first to attack a sinner. The implication in Jesus' teaching was that the members of the congregation were only in a position to condemn a sinner if they were without sin themselves - in other words, 'judge not lest you be judged'. ",English
449,Cat burglar,A 'Cat burglar' is a burglar who enters buildings by extraordinarily skilful feats of climbing.,English
450,Cat got your tongue?,'Has the cat got your tongue' is a light-hearted question addressed to someone who is inexplicably silent.,English
451,Cat may look at a king - A ,An inferior isn't completely restricted in what they may do in the presence of a superior. ,English
452,Cat out of the bag - Let the ,"To let the cat out of the bag is to disclose a secret, either deliberately or inadvertently.",English
453,Catbird seat - In the,"In
a superior or advantageous position.",English
454,Catch 22,'Catch-22' is a paradox in which the attempt to escape makes escape impossible. ,English
455,Cat's Cradle,"A box-like shape which is made by from twisting a loop of string around their fingers. It is usually played by two players, although some variations may be played by one. ",English
456,Cat's pajamas - The,If something is said to be the cat's pajamas it is excellent - the highest quality.,English
457,Caught in a cleft stick,In a position where advance and retreat are both impossible; in a fix.,English
458,Caught by the short hairs,"To be 'caught/got/held by the short hairs', or in the UK equivalent '... by the short and curlies', is to be trapped by an opponent in a position one can't easily escape from.",English
459,Caught red-handed,"To be caught red-handed is to be caught in the act of committing a misdemeanour, with the evidence there for all to see. ",English
460,Chain is only as strong as its weakest link - A ,"The proverb 'A chain is only as strong as its weakest link' has a literal meaning, although the 'weakest link' referred to is figurative and usually applies to a person or technical feature rather than the link of an actual chain.",English
461,Chaise lounge,A 'chaise lounge' is the American name of a form of sofa with a backrest at one end only. Elsewhere these sofas are called chaise longues.,English
462,Chalk and cheese,Two things that are  very different from each other. ,English
463,Champ at the bit,Be restless and impatient to commence; especially during an unwelcome delay. ,English
464,Chance would be a fine thing,"There is not much chance of that [thing], welcome though it would be. ",English
465, Channel surfing,"Surfing (a.k.a. surfboarding) is, in its literal meaning, the riding of a wave while standing or lying on a surfboard. ",English
466,Charity begins at home,"The proverb 'charity begins at home' expresses the overriding demand to take care of one's family, before caring for others.",English
467,Charley horse,Leg cramp or stiffness.,English
468,Charm offensive,"A
publicity campaign, usually by politicians, that attempts to attract supporters
by emphasizing their charisma or trustworthiness.",English
469,Charmed life,"A life of guaranteed good fortune or invulnerability, by virtue of a charm or spell.",English
470,Cheap at half the price,Of uncertain meaning - see below. ,English
471,Cheek by jowl,Side by side; in close or intimate proximity,English
472,Cherchez la femme,"The translation from the French is ""look for/seek the woman"". It is used when a man behaves unusually or gets into a quarrel or other difficulty and the reason for it is sought. ",English
473,Chew the cud,"To 'chew the cud', in a literal sense, is for ruminant animals to masticate regurgitated food. In a metaphorical sense it is, for humans, to chat in an aimless manner.",English
474,Chick flick,A film with characterization and story-lines that appeal especially to women. ,English
475,Chickens come home to roost,Bad deeds or words return to discomfort their perpetrator. ,English
476,Children should be seen and not heard,Literal meaning. ,English
477,Chinese whispers,"Inaccurately transmitted gossip. 'Chinese whispers' refers to a sequence of repetitions of a story, each one differing slightly from the original, so that the final telling bears only a scant resemblance to the original.",English
478,Chinless wonder,"A
member of the upper classes - usually male.",English
479,Chip off the old block,A person or thing that derives from the source or parentage.,English
480,Chip on your shoulder,A 'chip on your shoulder' is a perceived grievance or sense of inferiority.,English
481,Chit-chat,Casual small-talk or gossip. ,English
482,Chock-a-block,Crammed so tightly together as to prevent movement. ,English
483,Chop and change,To  change one's mind or action again and again.,English
484,Chop-chop,Be quick; hurry up.,English
485,Chow down,Sit down to eat - similar in meaning to the British term 'tuck in'. ,English
486,Christmas box - A ,See also: our list of 'Christmas Card Sayings and Expressions'. ,English
487,Christmas card verses,"Self-made cards with goodwill verses have been sent, by hand or by post, for centuries. The first that's recognizable as what we now think of as a Christmas card, that is, a printed card sent by post, was sent at Christmas 1843.",English
488,Clean breast - make a ,To make a full disclosure; to confess.,English
489,Cleanliness is next to godliness,The proverb 'cleanliness is next to godliness' expresses the idea that those who are pure and wholesome are close to God.,English
490,Clear blue water,Originally a term from competitive rowing referring to an obvious gap between the leading boat and those following. In more recent years it has been used allusively to mean the discernible distance between the ideologies of two political parties.,English
491,Cleft stick - In a ,In a position where advance and retreat are both impossible; in a fix.,English
492,Cliff-hanger,A story or situation in which the main consideration is one of suspense. ,English
493,Climb on the bandwagon,"Join a growing movement in support of someone or something, often in an opportunist way, when that movement is seen to have become successful.",English
494,Cloak and dagger,"Concerned with, or characteristic of espionage or intrigue, especially in the context of drama.",English
495,Clod-hopper,"A rough, unsophisticated countryman. ",English
496,Clog up,To  become obstructed.,English
497,"Close, but no cigar",The expression 'close but no cigar' is used to indicate that someone has fallen just short of a successful outcome and failed to secure any reward. ,English
498,Close quarters,"Close contact with, especially in a military context - close contact with the enemy.",English
499,Close your eyes and think of England,'Close your eyes and think of England' is a reference to unwanted sexual intercourse - specifically advice to an unwilling wife when sexually approached by her husband. ,English
500,Cloud cuckoo land,"A realm of fanciful or impractical, idealistic notions.",English
501,Cloud nine,To be 'on cloud nine' is to be in a state of blissful happiness.,English
502,Club sandwich,"A club sandwich is a sandwich of bread, sometimes toasted, and several other ingredients, often chicken or turkey,  bacon, lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise. The sandwiches are usually cut into halves or quarters to form small triangles.",English
503,Clue - don't have a,Without any knowledge or understanding. ,English
504,Clutch at straws,"Try any route to get out of a desperate situation, no matter how unlikely it is to succeed.",English
505,Coals to Newcastle - Carry ,To do something pointless and superfluous.,English
506,Coat of many colours ,"From the Bible, Genesis 37:3 (King James Version):",English
507,Cobblers - A load of ,"Nonsense, rubbish. ",English
508,Cock-a-hoop,In a state of exuberant elation.,English
509,Cock-sure,"Certain. This term has been used in many ways, all with different but related meanings; for example, 'absolutely sure or safe', 'completely dependable', 'sure in one's own mind', etc. The common thread through all of these is certainty. ",English
510,Cock a snook,A derisive gesture. ,English
511,Cock and bull story,"A
fanciful and unbelievable tale.",English
512,Cock-up,A blunder; a confused situation. ,English
513,Cockney rhyming slang,A type of slang in which  words are replaced by  words or phrases they rhyme with. ,English
514,Codswallop - a load of ,Nonsense. ,English
515,Cogito ergo sum,"Usually translated from the Latin as 'I think, therefore I am'.",English
516,Coin a phrase,To create a new phrase.,English
517,Cold as any stone,Very cold.,English
518,Cold comfort,Slight consolation or encouragement in the face of a reverse. ,English
519,Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey,"If it's said to be 'cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey' it is very
cold indeed. ",English
520,Cold feet,"To 'get cold feet' is to become disheartened or timid, losing one's previous enthusiasm or courage. ",English
521,Cold shoulder,"A display of coldness or indifference, intended to wound.",English
522,Cold turkey,"The sudden and complete withdrawal from an addictive substance and/or the physiological effects of such a withdrawal. Also, predominantly in the U.S.A., plain speaking. ",English
523,Colder than a witch's tit,'Colder than a witch's tit' is an expressive way of saying 'very cold' - usually in reference to the weather.,English
524,Collywobbles - The ,"A
state of intestinal disorder, usually accompanied by a rumbling stomach; for example, 'butterflies in the stomach'.",English
525,Colour up ,To blush or turn red in the face.,English
526,Come a cropper,Fall over or fail at some venture.,English
527,Come clean,To make a full disclosure; to confess. ,English
528,Come on down,The catchphrase used to invite audience members to the stage to become contestants in game shows.,English
529,Come up trumps,"To complete something well or successfully, especially in circumstances in which it isn't expected.",English
530,Come what come may,Let whatever events crop up come to pass. ,English
531,Comes to the crunch - (When it) ,When a decisive point at which one's future course is determined.,English
532,(Coming in) on a wing and a prayer,"In a difficult situation, relying on meagre resources and luck to get out of it. ",English
533,Common sense,Good practical sense. The natural intelligence that is believed to be available to all rational people. ,English
534,Comparisons are odious,Literal meaning. ,English
535,Compassion fatigue,A weariness of and diminishing public response to frequent requests for charity.,English
536,Complete shambles,A scene of disorder; a ruin; a mess. ,English
537,Concrete overcoat,"A jocular reference to a form of coffin, alluding to a body being dumped beneath a layer of concrete. ",English
538,Cook the books,"The deliberate distorting of a firm's financial accounts, often with the aim of avoiding the payment of tax. ",English
539,Cookie cutter,"Originally, a utensil for cutting shaped pieces out of dough. More recently, characterising a lack of originality. ",English
540,Cool as a cucumber,'As cool as a cucumber' means calm and unruffled.,English
541,Cool Britannia,"Used to describe the contemporary culture of the United Kingdom, primarily during the 1990s. ",English
542,Cop an attitude,Adopt an aggressive or antagonistic bearing.,English
543,Copper-bottomed,"A thing that is copper-bottomed, whether it be an object or an idea, is genuine; trustworthy; unlikely to fail.",English
544,Cor blimey,'Cor blimey' is an exclamation of surprise. ,English
545,Cordon bleu,"The rating of 'Cordon bleu' is an indication of high quality, especially of cooking.",English
546,Cost an arm and a leg ,"A large, possibly exorbitant, amount of money. ",English
547,Cotton on to,To get to know or understand something. ,English
548,Cotton-picking,"'Cotton-picking' ia an intensifier, used as a general term of disapproval. A substitute for the word 'damned'.",English
549,Count your chickens before they are hatched,Don't be hasty in evaluating one's assets.,English
550,Countenance more in sorrow than in anger - A ,Literal meaning - a person or thing that displays more  sadness than  anger.,English
551,Counting sheep,Counting sheep is  a distraction technique used to help people get to sleep. ,English
552,Country bumpkin,"An awkward, unsophisticated rustic; a clown",English
553,Course of true love never did run smooth - The ,Literal meaning.,English
554,Crack of doom - The ,"The sound that heralds the day of the Last Judgment, when God will decree the fates of all men according to the good and evil of their earthly lives.",English
555,Crackpot,A crazy person; a crank.,English
556,Crapper - The ,"The
 lavatory.",English
557,Crocodile tears,To weep crocodile tears is to put on an insincere show of sorrow. ,English
558,Crop up,To emerge or occur incidentally or unexpectedly.,English
559,Crown jewels,"Literally, the Crown Jewels are the state jewellery of the United Kingdom. In a figurative sense 'the crown jewels' is a slang term for the male genitalia.",English
560,Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war,The military order Havoc! was a signal given to the English military forces in the Middle Ages to direct the soldiery (in Shakespeare's parlance 'the dogs of war') to pillage and chaos.,English
561,Curate's egg,Something bad that is called good out of politeness or timidity.,English
562,Curiosity killed the cat,Inquisitiveness can lead one into dangerous situations.,English
563,Curry favour,"To curry favour is to attempt to gain benefit or ingratiate oneself, by officious courtesy or flattery.",English
564,Customer is always right - The ,"'The customer is always right' is a trading slogan that states a company's keenness to be seen to put the customer first. The implied suggestion is that the company is so customer focussed that they will say the customer is right, even if they aren't.",English
565,Cut and run,Run away.,English
566,Cut of your jib - The ,One's general appearance and demeanour.,English
567,Cut off without a penny,Disinherited.,English
568,Cut off your nose to spite your face,To 'cut off your nose to spite your face' is to disadvantage yourself in order to do harm to an adversary. ,English
569,Cut the mustard,To succeed; to come up to expectations.,English
570,Cut to the chase,Get to the point - leaving out unnecessary preamble. ,English
571,Cute as a bug's ear,Very cute.,English
572,Daft as a brush,To be 'as daft as a brush' is to be very stupid or foolish.,English
573,Damp squib,"A 'damp squib' is something that fails ignominiously to satisfy  expectations; an anti-climax, a disappointment.",English
574,Dance attendance on,To wait upon someone in an overly assiduous or sycophantic manner.,English
575,Daniel come to judgement,Someone who makes a wise judgement about something that has previously proven difficult to resolve.,English
576,Darby and Joan,'Darby and Joan' are an archetypal elderly couple. The phrase is used as a general term for old age.,English
577,Dark horse,"A dark horse is someone, who was previously little known, emerges to prominence in a competition.",English
578,Darkest hour - The ,The darkest hour is the time when bad events are at their worst and most dispiriting.,English
579,Darkest hour is just before the dawn - The ,"There is hope, even in the worst of circumstances.",English
580,Dark side - The ,"The evil and malevolent aspect of human personality or society, often referred to in a lighthearted or comic context. ",English
581,Darling buds of May,An appreciation of what is fresh and new. ,English
582,Dash to pieces,Break into fragments.,English
583,Date rape,Rape by an acquaintance during a social engagement. ,English
584,Davy Jones' locker,The bottom of the sea; the mythical resting place of drowned mariners.,English
585,Daylight robbery,Blatant and unfair overcharging.,English
586,Dead as a dodo,Unambiguously and unequivocally dead.,English
587,Dead as a doornail,"To be 'as dead as a doornail' is to be utterly dead,  devoid of life (when applied to people, plants or animals) or finished with, unusable (when applied to inanimate objects). ",English
588,Dead cat bounce,A dead cat bounce is a small and temporary recovery in a financial market following a large fall. ,English
589,Dead in the water,A dead in the water ship is one that is motionless and without power. The figurative expression 'dead in the water' means 'unable to function; without hope of future  success;  doomed'.,English
590,Dead ringer,"An
exact duplicate.",English
591,Delusions of grandeur,A false and exaggerated belief about one's status or importance. ,English
592,Derring-do,Heroic daring. ,English
593,Designer stubble,"A short growth of beard, aimed to affect a rugged masculine or deliberately unkempt appearance.",English
594,Deus ex machina,"Something or someone that comes in the nick of time to solve a difficulty, especially in works of fiction.",English
595,Devil and the deep blue sea ,"In difficulty, faced with two dangerous alternatives.",English
596,Devil Incarnate - The ,The Devil in human form. ,English
597,Devil take the hindmost - The ,A proverbial phrase indicating that those who lag behind will receive no aid.,English
598,Devil to pay - The ,'The devil to pay' means serious trouble because of a particular circumstance or obligation. ,English
599,Devil's advocate,"Figuratively, one who takes a contrary position for the sake of testing an argument, or just to be perverse.",English
600,Diamond in the rough,Someone who is basically good hearted but lacking social graces and respect for the law.,English
601,Diamond is forever - A,"Advertising
slogan for De Beers' diamonds.",English
602,Dicky-bird - Not a,Not a sound; not an utterance.,English
603,Die-hard,"A person who holds stubbornly to a minority view, in defiance of the circumstances.",English
604,Die has been cast - The ,"'The die has been cast' means that an
irrevocable choice has been made.",English
605,(As)  different as chalk and cheese,Two things that are  very different from each other. ,English
606,Different kettle of fish,'A different kettle of fish' is an alternative to what has been previously considered; a different thing altogether.,English
607,Differently abled,To be 'differently abled' is to be physically or mentally handicapped or disabled but to show qualities that the able-bodied do not have. The expression is intended to avoid the perceived negative connotations of the prefix 'dis' in disabled.,English
608,Dirt bag,Originally a bag or sack with dirt in it. More recently an unkempt or slovenly person.,English
609,Dish fit for the gods - A ,An offering of high quality. ,English
610,Do unto others as you would have them do to you,Literal meaning.,English
611,Dock your pay,Make a deduction from a person's pay.,English
612,Doesn't know shit from Shinola,Someone might be said not to know shit from Shinola if they display poor judgment or knowledge. ,English
613,Doff your hat,To doff your hat is to raise your hat in acknowledgement of or deference to another.,English
614,Dog days,The 'dog days' are the very hot days during July and August.,English
615,Dog in the manger,"Spiteful
 and mean-spirited.",English
616,(A) Dog is a man's best friend,"An animal that performs valuable service to humans, often with reference to dogs. ",English
617,Dog's bollocks,Excellent - the absolute apex. In other contexts the word bollocks (meaning testicles) has a negative connotation; for example:,English
618,Dog's breakfast,A confused mess or muddle.,English
619,Dog's dinner,The expression 'dog's dinner' has several meanings:,English
620,Doldrums - in the ,In low spirits; feeling dull and drowsy.,English
621,Dollars to doughnuts,An outcome that is almost assured; a certainty.,English
622,Done a runner,Left in a hurry. ,English
623,Done to a turn,Cooked just right. ,English
624,Donkey's years,A very long time. ,English
625,"Don't call us, we'll call you",Don't bother to pursue your application further.,English
626,Don't cast your pearls before swine,Items of quality offered to those who aren't cultured enough to appreciate them.,English
627,Don't change horses in midstream,Don't change your leader or your basic position when part-way through a campaign or a project .,English
628,Don't count your chickens before they are hatched,Don't be hasty in evaluating one's assets.,English
629,Don't die like I did,NO INFORMATION,English
630,"Don't get mad, get even","The proverbial saying 'don't get mad, get even' means that, when suffering a loss at the hands of another, don't waste your energy on anger but work towards redressing the harm done.",English
631,Don't go there,I don't want to discuss that.,English
632,Don't have a clue,Without any knowledge or understanding. ,English
633,Don't keep a dog and bark yourself,The proverbial saying 'don't keep a dog and bark yourself' is advice that you should not  pay someone to do a task and then do it yourself.,English
634,Don't know shit from Shinola,Someone might be said not to know shit from Shinola if they display poor judgment or knowledge. ,English
635,Don't let the bastards grind you down,The meaning of this proverbial saying is self evident. ,English
636,Don't look a gift horse in the mouth,The proverbial saying 'don't look a gift horse in the mouth' means don't be ungrateful when you receive a gift.,English
637,Don't shut the stable door after the horse has bolted,Don't waste time taking precautions when the damage has already been done.,English
638,Don't throw good money after bad,"You 'throw good money after bad' when, following the loss of some money, you to incur a further loss in trying to make good.",English
639,Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater,Don't discard something valuable along with something undesirable.,English
640,Don't try to teach your Grandma to suck eggs,Don't offer advice to someone who has more experience than oneself.,English
641,Doom and gloom,"A feeling of pessimism and despondency, often with regard to business or political prospects. ",English
642,Double cross,"An act of treachery, perpetrated on a previous partner in a deceit.",English
643,"Double, double toil and trouble, fire burn, and cauldron bubble","From Shakespeare's Macbeth, 1605.",English
644,Double Dutch,Nonsense; gibberish - a language one cannot understand.,English
645,Double entendre,A figure of speech in which a phrase can be understood in two ways - one of them risqué. Commonly used  to convey sexual puns.,English
646,Double standard,A double standard is a rule which is applied more strictly to one group than to another. ,English
647,Double whammy,A double blow or setback.,English
648,Down at heel,Impoverished. ,English
649,Down in the dumps,Unhappy; depressed.,English
650,Down to the wire,Referring to the decisive moment at the very end of a close contest.,English
651,Down the pan,If something has gone 'down the pan' it is wasted and unrecoverable. ,English
652,Down the tubes,Wasted and unrecoverable. ,English
653,Drag race,A race between road vehicles - usually two vehicles over a quarter mile straight track and from a standing start. The race is essentially a competition to determine which vehicle has the greater acceleration. ,English
654,Dragged through a hedge backwards,Said to someone who is unkempt and whose hair needs brushing.,English
655,Draw a blank,To fail to recall a memory or fail in some speculative effort.,English
656,Draw your horns in,Restrain one's ardour; lower one's ambitions.,English
657,Dreams of empire,The aimless longing for glory. ,English
658,Dressed to the nines,To be 'dressed to the nines' is to be dressed flamboyantly or smartly.,English
659,Drink like a fish,"To 'drink like a fish' is to drink heavily, especially of alcoholic drink.",English
660,Driving while black,An ironic name for the imagined crime of being a black driver.,English
661,Drop-dead gorgeous,Breathtakingly beautiful.,English
662,Drop in the bucket - A ,A drop in the bucket is a very small and insignificant proportion of the whole.,English
663,Dropping like flies,Falling down ill or dead in large numbers.,English
664,Drummed out of the army,Dismissed from army service to the sound of a drum.,English
665,Ducks and drakes,To behave recklessly; to idly squander one's wealth. ,English
666,Dumb blonde,A conspicuously attractive but stupid blonde woman.,English
667,Dust up,"A
 fight.",English
668,Dutch - My old ,An affectionate term for wife.,English
669,Dutch courage,Confidence gained from being drunk.,English
670,Duvet day,A duvet day is a paid day's work in which the employee is allowed to stay at home for rest and relaxation.,English
671,Ear candy,Music with an instant appeal but with little lasting significance.,English
672,Early bird catches the worm - The ,Success comes to those who prepare well and put in effort. ,English
673,"Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise",Literal meaning.,English
674,Ear-mark,To set aside for a particular purpose.,English
675,"East, west, home's best","This proverbial saying express the idea that, wherever you travel in the world, your home is the best place to be.",English
676,Easy as pie ,Very easy.,English
677,Eat drink and be merry,"From the Bible, Ecclesiastes VIII 15 (King James Version):",English
678,Eat humble pie,"Act submissively and apologetically, especially in admitting an error.",English
679,Eat my hat,"A display of confidence in a particular outcome; for example, 'She's always late. If she gets that train I'll eat my hat'.",English
680,Eaten out of house and home,"This is one of the phrases that, while having been long attributed to Shakespeare, was in fact used earlier by others and has now been demoted to 'popularised by' rather than 'coined by' the bard. There is a definition of the expression in Thomas Cooper's glossary Thesaurus Linguae Romanae Britannicae, 1578:",English
681,Economical with the truth,"Conveying an untrue version of events by leaving out the important facts. A euphemism for lying, in short. ",English
682,"Eeny, meeny, miny, mo",The first line of a popular children's counting rhyme.,English
683,Egg on,To egg someone on is to encourage them and urge them forward.,English
684,Eighty six,This little term originally meant that a restaurant had run out of an item that was on the menu.,English
685,Elbow-grease,Energetic labour.,English
686,Elementary my dear Watson,"The supposed explanation that Sherlock Holmes gave to his assistant, Dr. Watson, when explaining deductions he had made.",English
687,Elephant in the room,"An important and obvious topic, which everyone present is aware of, but which isn't discussed, as such discussion is considered to be uncomfortable. ",English
688,Elvis has left the building,The expression 'Elvis has left the building' was originally a literal announcement that Elvis Presely had left after a show. It later took on a more general meaning of 'the show is over; there's nothing more to say'.,English
689,Emperor's new clothes,The label given to any fictional item that viewers have been induced into believing as real.. ,English
690,End of story,The talking is over - there's no more to be said. ,English
691,Ends of the earth  - The,The furthest reaches of the land. ,English
692,Enough is as good as a feast,To get Enough is enough is to come off worst in a bargain or contest.,English
693,Enough is enough,To get Enough is enough is to come off worst in a bargain or contest.,English
694,Englishman's home is his castle,The English dictum that a man's home is his refuge. ,English
695,Eponymous Phrases,NO INFORMATION,English
696,"Et tu, Brute","""Et tu Brute"" are supposedly the dying words of Julius Caesar. They translate from Latin as 'You too, Brutus?'.",English
697,Ethnic cleansing,The expression 'ethnic cleansing' is a  euphemism for the ruthless removal or killing of an ethnic or religious group from areas that have been taken over by opposing forces. ,English
698,Euphemisms,"English has a wealth of euphemisms. They are coded expressions that we use when whatever we are referring to is considered inappropriate for the circumstances or when we are embarrassed or uncomfortable with the literal version. As one might expect, many euphemisms relate to death or to what a true euphemist would refer to as 'the trouser region'. ",English
699,Even at the turning of the tide,"The 'turning of the tide' is literally the change of the tide from incoming to outgoing, or vice-versa. Normally the phrase is used to denote some change from a previously stable course of events.",English
700,Every cloud has a silver lining,"The proverbial saying 'every cloud has a silver lining' is used to convey the notion that, no matter how bad a situation might seem, there is always has some good aspect to it. ",English
701,Everybody out,An injunction to workers to 'down tools' come out on strike.,English
702,Exceedingly well read,Erudite and literate. ,English
703, Exception that proves the rule - The ,"Normally with these meanings and origins the meaning is well-understood or self-evident and the interesting aspect is how, where and when the phrase originated. This one is a little different - it's the meaning that is generally not understood. ",English
704,Excuse me while I kiss this guy,A misheard lyric.,English
705,Excuse my French,Please forgive my swearing. ,English
706,Extraordinary rendition,"A procedure whereby criminal suspects are sent for interrogation from one country to a second country, where less strict laws governing interrogation apply. ",English
707,Eye candy - see ear candy,Music with an instant appeal but with little lasting significance.,English
708,"(An) eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth","The proverb 'an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth' expresses the notion that for every wrong done there should be a compensating measure of justice.",English
709,"Eye of newt and toe of frog, wool of bat and tongue of dog",The archetypal recipe for spells and enchantments.,English
710,Face that launched a thousand ships - The ,"A reference to the mythological figure Helen of Troy (or some would say, to Aphrodite). Her abduction by Paris was said to be the reason for a fleet of a thousand ships to be launched into battle, initiating the Trojan Wars.",English
711,Face the music,Accept the unpleasant consequences of one's actions.,English
712,Faff about,Dither ineffectually.,English
713,Fag end,"The  remnant of something, especially the part left after the best part has been used.",English
714,Failing to plan is planning to fail,Literal meaning .,English
715,Faint-hearted,Having one's intentions divided; not fully committed; lacking zeal or courage.,English
716,Fair and square,"Honest and straightforward, especially of business dealings.",English
717,Fair dinkum,Honest; genuine; fair play.,English
718,Fair exchange is no robbery,An exchange of two things of equal value is a reasonable and honest trade.,English
719,Fair play,"'Fair play' is the properly conducted conditions for a game, giving all participants an equal chance. The expression is also used more widely to mean fairness and justice in contexts other than games. ",English
720,Fair to middling,Slightly above average.,English
721,Fairy-tale ending,"A perfect, joyful and  simplistic ending  to a story, like those often found in fairy tales.",English
722,Fait accompli ,An accomplished fact; an action which is completed before those affected by it are in a position to query or reverse it.,English
723,Faith will move mountains,Faith is immensely powerful. ,English
724,Fall from grace,To fall from position of high esteem. ,English
725,Fall guy,"A scapegoat; one who takes on the responsibilities or workload of others. Here 'fall' is used with the criminal slang meaning of 'arrest' or 'period in prison'. More recently, it has also come to mean a person who is easily duped or outmanoeuvred. ",English
726,Fall off the back of a lorry,A euphemism for 'acquired illegally'.,English
727,Fall on your sword,"To 'fall on your sword' is, literally, to commit suicide or, figuratively, to offer your resignation. ",English
728,Famous for fifteen minutes,"This is a well-known as a quotation from Andy Warhol. It does derive from Warhol - his actual line was ""In the future everybody will be world famous for fifteen minutes."".",English
729,Famous last words (dying statements of famous people - a list) ,NO INFORMATION,English
730,Famous last words (the ironic phrase) ,"'Famous last words' might be used ironically when a remark or prediction  is likely to be proved wrong by events. No one is suggesting that  death might be the result, merely a mild inconvenience. For example:",English
731,Fancy free,To be 'fancy free' is to be without any ties or commitments. ,English
732,Fancy pants,"Overly elaborate, swanky or pretentious - especially of dress. Also applied to people who act in that manner. ",English
733,Fanny Adams - Sweet ,Nothing.,English
734,Far be it from me,A disassociation from something - 'God forbid that I should... ' [do that thing].,English
735,Far from the madding crowd,A quiet and rural place. ,English
736,Farmers,Haemorrhoids. Haemorrhoids -> piles -> Farmer Giles -> Farmers. ,English
737,Fashion victim,Someone who slavishly follows fashion trends.,English
738,"The word fast, and phrases that derive from it.",Stable and firmly fixed in  place; not easily moved. ,English
739,Fast and loose,Be inconstant and unreliable.,English
740,Fast asleep,Soundly asleep.,English
741,Fathom out,To ascertain something; to deduce from the facts.,English
742,(The) fat of the land,Living well; fed by abundant crops. ,English
743,Fate worse than death - A ,"Any misfortune that would make life unlivable, especially rape
 or loss of virginity. The phrase was formerly a euphemism for rape. ",English
744,Feather in one's cap - A ,A symbol of honour and achievement.,English
745,Fed up,"To  have had more than enough of something or someone, or to be  bored with or tired of the same.",English
746,Feeding frenzy,An aggressive attack on prey by a group of sharks. The resulting boiling and bloody sea results in the sharks wildly attacking any creature nearby - even their own kind.,English
747,(It) fell off the back of a truck,A euphemism for 'acquired illegally'.,English
748,Fell swoop - At one,'At one fell swoop' means 'suddenly; in a single action'.,English
749,Fellow traveller,"Someone
 sympathetic toward a certain point of view without being a fully paid-up member
 of the club.",English
750,Female of the species is more deadly then the male - The,See also: the List of Proverbs.,English
751,Fend for yourself,"To  'fend for yourself' is to provide for yourself - to be able to cope with whatever life throws at you. The expression is usually applied to youngsters, animal or human, who have previously been taken care of by their parents.",English
752,Fend off,To  'fend off' is to resist; to keep (someone or something) from coming near.,English
753,Fiddlesticks,"An exclamation made to indicate ""nonsense; rubbish"".",English
754,Fiddling while Rome burns,To occupy oneself with unimportant matters and neglect priorities during a crisis.,English
755,"Fie, foh, fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman","A nonsense rhyme, usually heard as part of the Jack The Giant Killer fable.",English
756,Field day,A day of excitement or a circumstance of opportunity.,English
757,Fifteen minutes of fame,"This is a well-known as a quotation from Andy Warhol. It does derive from Warhol - his actual line was ""In the future everybody will be world famous for fifteen minutes."".",English
758,Fifth column,Infiltrators or collaborators with the enemy. ,English
759,Fight fire with fire,Respond to an attack by using a similar method as one's attacker.,English
760,Fight the good fight,An evangelical call to believe in and spread the Christian faith.,English
761,Filthy rich,"Very rich, possibly having become so by unfair means.",English
762,Finagle's Law,"The so-called law is usually expressed as 'If anything can go wrong, it will'.",English
763,Fine as frog's hair,"Extremely fine, that is, delicate and slender.",English
764,Fine words butter no parsnips,The proverb 'Fine words butter no parsnips' means that nothing concrete is achieved by empty words or flattery.,English
765,Finger lickin good,Excellent - especially of food. Known primarily as the slogan of the KFC food chain.,English
766,Fingers and thumbs,"Clumsy, unable to hold things steadily in one's hands. 'All fingers and thumbs' is how we might describe ourselves during a temporary loss of manual dexterity. ",English
767,First dibs,"'First dibs' is an exclamation that is used, primarily by children but also by adults, to establish a claim on something. The first person to call out 'dibs' or 'first dibs' has the option on the first use or the ownership of the item claimed.",English
768,First water,Of the highest quality. ,English
769,First World,"Originally the term referred just to the USA
 (see origin below), but now is understood to mean the most industrially
 developed, wealthy and powerful nations of the world. These
 countries are often referred to loosely as 'The West', although
 the First World certainly includes Japan and Australia.",English
770,Fish rot from the head down ,"When an organization or state fails, it is the leadership that is the root cause.",English
771,Fish or cut bait,"There is some uncertainty about the precise meaning of this phrase. Some use it to mean 'make a choice about what you intend to do'; others have it that it means 'either get to work in a productive manner or do something else and let someone else work'. The second meaning, which I favour, and which is more common, is similar in meaning to 'put up or shut up', or the 20th century US vulgarism 'shit or get off the pot'.",English
772,Fish out of water - A ,"Someone who is in a situation they are unsuited to.
",English
773,As fit as a butcher's dog,Very fit.,English
774,Fit as a fiddle,To be 'as fit as a fiddle' is to be very fit and well.,English
775,Fifth column,Infiltrators or collaborators with the enemy. ,English
776,Fifth estate,The fifth power in the land.,English
777,Fits and starts,Spasmodically; at irregular intervals.,English
778,Fits to a tee,If something is said to fit 'to a T' it fits exactly; properly; precisely.  ,English
779,Five o'clock shadow,"Beard regrowth that darkens a man's features late in the day, following a morning shave.",English
780,Fixer-upper,A property or item that is in need of repair and is offered for sale at a low price.,English
781,Flash in the pan,"Something which disappoints by failing to deliver anything of value, despite a showy beginning.",English
782,Flat out,Using all of one's efforts; at top speed.,English
783,Flavor of the month,"Something that is prominent in the public eye for a short time then fades out of interest. Originally a term of approval for something that was up to the minute and desirable. It has been used ironically from the late 20th century to pass disdainful comment on things which pass out of fashion quickly; for example, the ""one hit wonders"" of the music business. ",English
784,Flesh and blood,"One's flesh and blood may refer to one's family, or may denote all mankind. It is also used to denote the living material of which people are mostly composed. ",English
785,Flogging a dead horse,To flog a dead horse is to attempt to revive an interest which has died out;  to engage in fruitless effort.,English
786,Floozie in the jacuzzi - The ,"The floozie (or floosie or floozy) in the jacuzzi is the nickname of the bronze statue, properly called Anna Livia, previously in O'Connell Street, Dublin, Ireland. It personifies the River Liffey, which passes nearby. ",English
787,Flotsam and jetsam,"Ships' goods which are lost at sea. Also used figuratively in non-nautical contexts to means odds and ends, bits and pieces.",English
788,Fly by the seat of one's pants,"To 'fly by the seat of your pants' is to decide a course of action as you go along, using your own initiative and perceptions rather than a predetermined plan or mechanical aids.",English
789,Fly in the ointment,A fly in the ointment is a small but irritating flaw that spoils the whole. In the 20th century the expression has also come to be used to describe a small flaw that comes to light to spoil  an otherwise faultless plan.,English
790,Fly off the handle,Lose self control.,English
791,Fly on the wall,Alludes to the position of being able to freely observe a situation without being oneself noticed. ,English
792,Foam at the mouth,Display furious rage.,English
793,Fobbed off,To put off deceitfully; to attempt to satisfy with   something of inferior quality or something less than one has been led to expect.,English
794,Folk Etymology - The Nonsense Nine ,"

People like to retell stories about the origin of some phrase or other. I get mail, phone calls, posts on Facebook. ",English
795,Fool and his money are soon parted - A ,Literal meaning.,English
796,Fools rush in where angels fear to tread,The rash or inexperienced will attempt things that wiser people are more cautious of. ,English
797,Fool's errand,A pointless undertaking. ,English
798,Fool's gold,"The name given to iron pyrites, which looks a little like gold but is worthless.",English
799,Fool's paradise - A,A state of happiness based on false hope.,English
800,Foot in the door - A ,"An introduction or way in to something, made in order that progress may be made later. ",English
801,Foot of our stairs - The,An exclamation of surprise.,English
802,For all intents and purposes,In effect; for all practical purposes.,English
803,For crying out loud,For Christ's sake.,English
804,For ever and a day,Indefinitely.,English
805,For every thing there is a season,There is an appropriate time for everything. ,English
806,For good measure,As an additional extra.,English
807,For keeps,"Play to keep the winnings. Also, more generally, especially in America, 'in deadly earnest; in such a way that the result will stand'.",English
808,For the birds,Trivial; worthless; only of interest to gullible people.,English
809,For whom the bell tolls,"'For whom the bells tolls' is a quotation from a work by John Donne, in which he explores the interconnectedness of humanity.",English
810,Forbidden fruit,A prohibited article. ,English
811,Foregone conclusion,A decision made before the evidence for it is known. An inevitable conclusion. ,English
812,Forewarned is forearmed,Advance warning provides an advantage.,English
813,Forgive them for they know not what they do,"'Forgive them for they know not what they do' are reported as Jesus' words from the cross, asking forgiveness for those who put him to death. More widely, of course, the plea was for all humanity.",English
814,Forlorn hope,A hopeless or desperate enterprise.,English
815,Foul play,Dishonest or treacherous behaviour; also violent conduct.,English
816,Four by two,Jew. ,English
817,Four corners of the earth,All parts of the Earth. ,English
818,"Frailty, thy name is woman",Alluding to the alleged inherent weakness of character of women. ,English
819,Freeze the balls off a brass monkey - cold enough to ,"If it's said to be 'cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey' it is very
cold indeed. ",English
820,Freezing temperatures,"A colloquial expression, used to denote icy weather. ",English
821,French phrases,"Here's a list of French phrases and sayings that are used in English often enough to have become part of the language. Many of these relate to those French preoccupations, fashion and food.",English
822,Friday afternoon car,"A faulty or sub-standard car. More widely, any poor effort. ",English
823,Friend in need is a friend indeed - A ,There are various interpretations of the meaning of 'a friend in need is a friend indeed'.,English
824,"Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears",This quotation from Julius Caesar is one of Shakespeare's best-known lines. Mark Antony delivers a eulogy in honour of the recently murdered Julius Caesar: ,English
825,Frog in the throat - A,Temporary hoarseness caused by phlegm in the back of the throat.,English
826,Frog's hair- as fine as ,"Extremely fine, that is, delicate and slender.",English
827,From pillar to post,"From one place to another, haphazardly and to little purpose..",English
828,From sea to shining sea,From one coast to another.,English
829,From strength to strength,Progress from one success to another higher level of success.,English
830,Fruits of your loins,One's children. ,English
831,Fuddy-duddy,A stuffy or foolishly old-fashioned person.,English
832,Full Monty - The ,"Complete, the whole thing.",English
833,Full of piss and vinegar,"Rowdy, boisterous, full of youthful energy. ",English
834,Full tilt,At top speed; with maximum energy.,English
835,Full to the gunwales,Full to the brim; packed tight.,English
836,Funny farm,Mental institution. ,English
837,Fuzzy wuzzy,"A derogatory term for a black person, especially one with fuzzy hair. ",English
838,Gad zooks (or gadzooks) ,An exclamation - a euphemistic shortening of God's hooks (the nails on the cross). ,English
839,Game is afoot - The ,"The phrase 'the game is afoot' means 'the process is underway'; for example, 'The teams are on the pitch - the whistle blows - the game is afoot.' ",English
840,Game is up - The ,The original meaning was 'the game is over - all is lost'. More recently it has come to be used to mean ' we have seen through your tricks - your deceit is exposed'.,English
841,Game of two halves,Circumstances have changed suddenly. ,English
842,Gee whiz,An interjection or exclamation of surprise.,English
843,Generation X,"The generation of people born between the 1950s and early 1970s, who were anarchic and directionless. ",English
844,Genius is one percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration,"Genius is largely the result of hard work, rather than an inspired flash of insight. ",English
845,Get a word in edgeways,Join a conversation in which another is speaking continually and leaving little opportunity for others. ,English
846,Get down to brass tacks,Engage with the basic facts or realities.,English
847,Get medieval,Use violence or extreme measures.,English
848,Get off on the wrong foot,"Make
 a bad start to a project or relationship.",English
849,Get off your high horse,A request to someone to stop behaving in a haughty and self-righteous manner. ,English
850,Get on my wick,To get on someone's wick is to annoy them; get on their nerves. ,English
851,Get one's dander up,Become agitated or angry.,English
852,Get over it,Don't concern yourself with something that's already in the past; accept it and move on to more productive pursuits. ,English
853,Get the pip,Become irritated or annoyed. ,English
854,Get the sack,Be dismissed from a job. ,English
855,Get the upper hand,Take a dominant position. ,English
856,Get thee behind me Satan,Jesus's response when tempted by the Devil.,English
857,Get underway,Begin a journey or a project.,English
858,Get used to it,Accept that a particular state of affairs is inevitable.,English
859,Get your dander up,Become agitated or angry.,English
860,Get your goat,Make you annoyed or angry.,English
861,Giddy aunt,An exclamation of surprise. ,English
862,Giddy goat,Behave foolishly. ,English
863,Gild the lily,To apply unnecessary ornament - to over embellish.,English
864,Gilt off the gingerbread,Remove an item's most attractive qualities. ,English
865,Ginned up ,Drunk; by drinking gin or other alcoholic drink. Alternatively; enlivened. ,English
866,Ginger,"Ginger beer = queer, that is, homosexual. ",English
867,Ginger up ,To excite or enthuse.,English
868,Give a man a fish and you will feed him for a day,This proverbial saying  suggests that the ability to work is of greater benefit than a one-off handout.,English
869, Give a wide berth,A goodly distance.,English
870,Give no quarter,"Show no mercy or concession; in its original usage, show no mercy for a vanquished opponent. ",English
871,Give the Devil his due,"Literally, pay the devil what you owe him. Used figuratively to mean 'give back what you owe', either money or favours. ",English
872,Give up the ghost,"To
 die, or in the case of inanimate objects, to cease working. ",English
873,Giving me gyp,Someone might complain of some ailment 'giving them gyp' if it were causing them nagging ongoing pain. ,English
874,Glass ceiling,"The glass ceiling is an unacknowledged, self-imposed barrier to workplace advancement, usually in regard to women or minority groups. ",English
875,Gloom and doom,"A feeling of pessimism and despondency, often with regard to business or political prospects. ",English
876,Go and boil your head,"An insult, of the form go and do something bad for yourself. Other examples are, go and play in the traffic and the more recent, and vehement, eat shit and die. ",English
877,Go berserk,To 'go berserk' is to behave in a frenzied and violent manner.,English
878,Go by the board,"Finished with, as in thrown overboard.",English
879,Go by the book,"Correctly; according to
the rules.",English
880,Go Dolally,"Originally 'doolally tap', meaning unbalanced state of mind. ",English
881,Go-faster ,Any peripheral and pointless device which is added to a product to make it appear to perform better. ,English
882,Go for a burton,Something which has 'gone for a burton' is no longer functional - a reference to a person who had died or an item that was broken.,English
883,Go haywire ,"To go wrong, to become overly excited or deranged. ",English
884,Go like the clappers,Go very fast; in a vigorous manner.,English
885,Go off half-cocked,Speak or act prematurely.,English
886,Go out on a limb,Put oneself in an isolated  position in one's support of someone or something.,English
887,Go postal,"Fly into a violent rage, especially when provoked by workplace stress.",English
888, Go over like a lead balloon,Fail completely and be considered a flop by the public.,English
889,Go pound sand,"'Go pound sand' is an American expression of disdain, along the same lines as 'get lost', 'go and play in the traffic', etc.",English
890,Go the whole hog,To perform some act or adopt some opinion fully and thoroughly.,English
891,Go to hell in a handbasket,To be 'going to hell in a handbasket' is to be rapidly deteriorating - on course for disaster.,English
892,Go to pot,To go to pot is to become ruined; to go to pieces.,English
893,Go to the dogs,Become ruined.,English
894,Go to the foot of our stairs,An exclamation of surprise.,English
895,Go to the mattresses,To go to the mattresses is to prepare for a battle or adopt a warlike stance. ,English
896,God bless you! (after a sneeze),"'Bless you!', or sometimes 'God bless you!' or 'God bless!', is a response often said when someone sneezes. ",English
897,God is dead,"This quotation is widely attributed to Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900), who wrote in Die Frohliche Wissenschaft, 1882:",English
898,God rot them,Drat or doggone.,English
899,Godfrey Daniel,God damn them.,English
900,Going for a burton,Something which has 'gone for a burton' is no longer functional - a reference to a person who had died or an item that was broken.,English
901,Golden key can open any door - A ,"'A golden key opens any door' is the opinion that sufficient money, or the promise of it, will allow the possessor of it to do anything they wish.",English
902,"GOLF - Gentlemen only, ladies forbidden","GOLF - Gentlemen only, ladies forbidden. The phrase that is sometimes supposed to be the origin of the word golf. ",English
903,Gone for a burton,Something which has 'gone for a burton' is no longer functional - a reference to a person who had died or an item that was broken.,English
904,Good as gold,Well-behaved and obedient.,English
905,Good in parts,Something bad that is called good out of politeness or timidity.,English
906,Good man is hard to find - A ,"A modern-day proverb, bemoaning the difficulty of finding a suitable male partner. ",English
907,Good measure - For,As an additional extra.,English
908,Good men and true,"Dependable men, of rank and honour. The phrase was adapted later to 'twelve good men and true', indicating the twelve (originally all men, now both sexes) of a criminal jury. ",English
909,Good money after bad,"You 'throw good money after bad' when, following the loss of some money, you to incur a further loss in trying to make good.",English
910,Good riddance,An expression of pleasure on being rid of some annoyance - usually an individual.,English
911,Good Samaritan,Someone who helps another in need for compassionate motives and with no thought of reward.,English
912,Good things come to those that wait,"A literal meaning, advocating patience.",English
913,Goodnight Vienna,"'Goodnight Vienna' means 'it's all over', for example ""Jack stepped on the landmine and it was goodnight Vienna"". It is also used to refer to an implied coming conclusion which has become inevitable, for example  ""She winked and beckoned me towards her bedroom and I knew it was goodnight Vienna"".",English
914,"Goody, goody gumdrops",A childish exclamation of delight.,English
915,Goody two-shoes,"Someone who is virtuous in a coy, smug or sentimental manner.",English
916,Gordon Bennett,The expression 'Gordon Bennett!' is an exclamation of incredulous surprise.,English
917,Got my mojo working,My magic charm is working.,English
918,Grace of God - There but for ... ,"I too, like someone seen to have suffered misfortune, might have suffered a similar fate, but for God's mercy. ",English
919,(Take with a) grain of salt,To take a statement with 'a grain of salt' (or 'a pinch of salt') means to accept it while maintaining a degree of scepticism about its truth.,English
920,Grand slam,"Winning all that's on offer in a sports competition,
 e.g. all the tricks in a game of bridge, or the all the major competitions in a sport in a single year - especially associated with tennis and golf. More generally, any all-out achievement.	",English
921,Grandfather clock,"A   grandfather clock is a colloquial name for the kind of weight-and-pendulum eight-day clock in a tall case, formerly in common use.",English
922,Granny dumping,The abandonment of elderly relatives by their carers.,English
923,Grasp the nettle,To tackle a difficult problem boldly.,English
924,Grass up,Inform on someone to the police.,English
925,Graveyard shift,A late-night/early-morning work shift.,English
926,Greased lightning,Very fast.,English
927,Great balls of fire,An exclamation of surprise or delight. ,English
928,Great minds think alike,"The proverb 'great minds think alike' has a straightforward literal meaning. However, the usage is often ironic, that is, it is used when two unexceptional  minds have the same thought.",English
929,Great unwashed - the ,"The common, lower classes; the hoi polloi.",English
930,Green eyed monster,Jealousy.,English
931,Gregory Peck,The neck.,English
932,Gridlock,"Severe traffic congestion, where backed-up traffic blocks movement on intersecting roads and progress is completely halted.",English
933,Grind to a halt,Lose momentum and stop.,English
934,Grinning like a Cheshire cat,Grinning broadly.,English
935,Grist to the mill,All things are a potential source of profit or advantage.,English
936,Gry - Words ending in,"Don't waste your time looking for the mythical 'third word ending in GRY'. If you have come here looking for it, read the explanation
below and relax - you can stop searching. The story goes like this:",English
937,Guinea pig,A person or animal who is used as the subject of an experiment.,English
938,Gung ho,Zealous and eager.,English
939,Gussied-up,"Smartened up, in a showy or garish way.",English
940,Guts for garters,"To threaten to 'have someone's guts for garters' is to state the intention to do them serious harm. The threat isn't an actual and literal one and the overstatement of reprisal is meant to indicate humour, but with an indication that the threatened person has done something which has been something of an annoyance.",English
941,Hair of the dog that bit you,"The hair of the dog is a small measure of drink, intended to cure a hangover. ",English
942,Hairy eyeball,A glance made with partially lowered eyelashes. This usually indicates suspicion or hostility but may signal other emotions too. ,English
943,Halcyon days,"Calm, peaceful days.",English
944,Half a loaf is better than no bread,"Something, even if it isn't what you ideally would prefer, is better than nothing.",English
945,Half-cocked,Speak or act prematurely.,English
946,Half-hearted,Having one's intentions divided; not fully committed; lacking zeal or courage.,English
947,Half inch,Pinch (steal).,English
948,Hand over fist,Quickly and continuously.,English
949,Handbags at ten paces,"'Handbags at ten paces', sometimes shortened just to 'handbags', is a comic reference to a confrontation which is histrionic but which doesn't involve physical violence. Such confrontations are also called handbag situations. ",English
950,Handle with kid gloves,"Handle a situation, or a person or  an object,  delicately and gingerly.",English
951,Hands down,"Win easily, with little effort.",English
952,"Hanged, drawn and quartered","A gruesome form of torture and, eventually, death by execution.",English
953,Hanky-panky,"Trickery - double dealing. Also, more recently, sexual shenanigans.",English
954,Happy as a clam,Very happy and content.,English
955,Happy as a sandboy,Very happy and content.,English
956,Happy as Larry,"Very
happy.",English
957,Happy clappy,"A disparaging name for the form of Christian religious observance which is informal, musical and spontaneous.",English
958,Happy slapping,"Unprovoked attacks on individuals made in order to record the event, and especially the victim's shock and surprise, on video phones.",English
959,Harbinger of doom,"A sign, warning of bad things to come.",English
960,Hard and fast,Rigidly adhered to - without doubt or debate.,English
961,Hard cases make bad law,"'Hard', that is, exceptional, legal cases aren't suitable as the source of generalised laws.",English
962,Hard cheese ,Hard luck.,English
963,Hard hearted,Lacking mercy; incapable of pity.,English
964,Hard lines,Bad luck.,English
965,Hard man is good to find - A ,"A risqué comic play
on words on a good man is hard to find.",English
966,"Hark, hark! the lark at heaven's gate sings","In Shakespeare's Cymbeline, Cloten uses lewd language to talk about Cymbeline. In an attempt to use musicians to court her, he calls on them to play 'a wonderful sweet air'. The hark, hark!... line is chosen to represent sweetness and refinement, as a counterpoint to the previous crudities.",English
967,Harp on,To repeatedly and boringly speak about a topic.,English
968,Harvest moon,The  full moon  closest to the autumn equinox.,English
969,Has the cat got your tongue?,'Has the cat got your tongue' is a light-hearted question addressed to someone who is inexplicably silent.,English
970,"Hasta la vista, baby",'Hasta la vista' translates from the Spanish as 'see you later'.,English
971,Haste makes waste,Rushing into a decision may cause mistakes that waste more time than would have been taken by proceeding more carefully.,English
972,Hat trick,"A series of three consecutive successes, in sport or some other area of activity.",English
973,Have a Captain Cook,Have a look.,English
974,Have a dekko,Have a look.,English
975,Have an axe to grind,"To have an axe to grind is to have a dispute to take up with someone or, to have an ulterior motive; to have private ends to serve.",English
976,Have an inkling,Have a vague intimation of; have a slight knowledge of.,English
977,Have no truck with,To reject or to have nothing to do with.,English
978,Haven't got a clue,Without any knowledge or understanding. ,English
979,Have your guts for garters,"To threaten to 'have someone's guts for garters' is to state the intention to do them serious harm. The threat isn't an actual and literal one and the overstatement of reprisal is meant to indicate humour, but with an indication that the threatened person has done something which has been something of an annoyance.",English
980,Have your work cut out ,To have your work cut out is to be faced with a lengthy or difficult task.,English
981,"He who can, does; he who cannot, teaches","A criticism of the teaching profession, portraying it as second best. ",English
982,He who laughs last laughs longest,See also: the List of Proverbs.,English
983,He who sups with the devil should have a long spoon,"This proverbial saying suggests that, if you have dealings with wicked people you should be cautious and distance yourself from them, or else you may be corrupted into their evil ways.",English
984,He will give the Devil his due,"Literally, pay the devil what you owe him. Used figuratively to mean 'give back what you owe', either money or favours. ",English
985,Head over heels,To be 'head over heels' is to be very excited. In a literal sense the expression also refers to turning cartwheels to demonstrate one's excitement.,English
986,Heads up,This little phrase has several meanings - an advance warning - being wide awake and alert - being the head of - a type is display screen. ,English
987,Heads will roll,The expression 'heads will roll' is the promise or prediction that  people responsible for some failure or disaster will be dismissed or otherwise held to account. ,English
988,Hear hear,A shout of acclamation or agreement.,English
989,Heard it through the grapevine,An indication that a piece of information was obtained via an informal contact.,English
990,Heart's content,To one's (or your) heart's content means to one's complete inner satisfaction - until one's heart is content. ,English
991,Heavens to Betsy,A mild exclamation of surprise. ,English
992,Heavens to Murgatroyd,"A stylised exclamation of surprise, similar to 'Heavens to Betsy'.",English
993,Heavy metal,"Hard
 rock music, usually electric guitar-based and always loud.",English
994,Heebie-jeebies - The ,"A feeling of anxiety, apprehension or illness.",English
995,Hedge your bets,To avoid committing oneself; to leave a means of retreat open. ,English
996,(Go to) Hell in a handbasket,To be 'going to hell in a handbasket' is to be rapidly deteriorating - on course for disaster.,English
997,Hell has no fury like a woman scorned,"'Hell has no fury like a woman scorned' conveys the idea that a scorned woman (that is, one who has been betrayed) is more furious than anything that hell can devise.",English
998,Hell or high water,Any great difficulty or obstacle.,English
999,Hell's bells,'Hell's bells' is an expression of anger or annoyance.,English
1000,Helter-skelter,'Helter-skelter' means 'pell-mell - in chaotic and disorderly haste'. ,English
1001,Hem and haw,"To hem and haw is to speak indistinctly. making frequent pauses. More generally, hemming and hawing is acting indecisively.",English
1002,Here lies one whose name is writ in water,"Fame, and indeed life, is fleeting.",English
1003,Het up,Agitated.,English
1004,Hiding to nothing - On a ,"To be faced with a situation which is pointless, as a successful outcome is impossible. This is usually expressed in terms of a sporting contest in which one of two outcomes is foreseen, either a hiding or nothing. The 'to' in the phrase indicates alternative outcomes, as in terms like '6 to 1' or 'dollars to doughnuts'. ",English
1005,Higgledy-piggledy,Chaotic and disorderly; in jumbled confusion.,English
1006,High and dry,"Stranded, without help or hope of recovery.",English
1007,High and mighty,"Powerful and superior, or arrogantly affecting to be so.",English
1008,High as a kite,"Highly excited, or under the influence of drink or drugs.",English
1009,High five,A gesture of celebration in which two people slap palms with the hands held above above the head. ,English
1010,High-flyer,"High-flyers, sometimes spelled high-fliers, are people who have achieved notable success, especially those who have become successful more quickly than is normal. The term is also used to describe speculative stock that has reached a high price in a short time. ",English
1011,High horse - get off your ,A request to someone to stop behaving in a haughty and self-righteous manner. ,English
1012,High on the hog,Affluent and luxurious.,English
1013,High time,"The
 time that something is due (bordering on overdue) to be done. ",English
1014,"High, wide and handsome","In a carefree, stylish manner.",English
1015,Hissy fit,A temperamental outburst; a tantrum.,English
1016,History is bunk,"Live in the present, not the past.",English
1017,Hit for six,"To be hit (or knocked) for six is to be dealt a severe blow, emotional or physical, or to have one's arguments or schemes swept aside.",English
1018,Hit the ground running,Get off to a brisk and successful start.,English
1019,Hit the hay,Go to bed.,English
1020,Hit the nail on the head,Get to the precise point. Do or say something exactly right. ,English
1021,Hither and yon,Here and there; to this place and that place.,English
1022,Hobson's choice,'Hobson's choice' is no real choice at all. ,English
1023,Hobby-horse,A favourite topic that one frequently refers to or dwells on; a fixation.,English
1024,Hocus pocus,'Hocus pocus' is a  supposed magical charm previously uttered by magicians. More recently it has been used as a general term for trickery or magic.,English
1025,Hoi polloi,The common masses.,English
1026,Hoist with your own petard,Injured by the device that you intended to use to injure others.,English
1027,Hoity-toity," Pretentiously self-important, haughty or pompous.",English
1028,(Can't) hold a candle to,"The expression 'can't hold a candle to' refers to someone who
compares badly to an known authority - to be unfit even to hold a subordinate position. ",English
1029,Hold your horses,Hold on; be patient.,English
1030,Home is where the heart is,"The proverb 'home is where the heart is' means that, wherever you are and whoever you are with, your home and family  provide the greatest emotional bond.",English
1031,Homonyms,"Hononyms are words that have the same pronunciation but different meaning, origin, or spelling. For example, 'right', 'wright', 'write' and 'rite'.",English
1032,Honesty is the best policy,"The proverb 'Honesty is the best policy' has a straightforward literal meaning, which encourages the populace to tell the turth and avoid crime.",English
1033,Honey catches more flies than vinegar,This proverbial saying expresses the idea that it is more effective to be polite and ingratiating than to be hostile or demanding.,English
1034,Hooray Henry,A loud-mouthed but ineffectual upper class fool.,English
1035,Horse and cart,Fart.,English
1036,Horse feathers,"Rubbish, nonsense.",English
1037,Horse-sense,A  robust form of common sense believed to be found in poorly educated but shrewd people.,English
1038,"Horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse - A ","'A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse' is one of Shakespeare's best known lines. The king spoke the line in Act V of the play Richard III, after losing his horse in battle. ",English
1039,Horse's mouth - straight from the ,From the highest authority.,English
1040,Hot-blooded,"Having a passionate nature, or being inclined to quick temper.",English
1041,Hot off the press,Freshly printed.,English
1042,Hot on the heels,"In close pursuit of someone/something, or immediately after some event.",English
1043,House divided against itself cannot stand - A ,Literal meaning (house meaning household).,English
1044,Household words,Words or sayings that are in common use; names that are familiar to everyone.,English
1045,"Houston, we have a problem",Originally a genuine report of a life-threatening fault. Now used humorously to report any kind of problem.,English
1046,How are the mighty fallen?,The previously powerful are now reduced.,English
1047,How do you do?,"A greeting, considered by the English upper classes to be the only correct form of greeting when meeting someone for the first time.",English
1048,How now brown cow?,"A nonsense phrase with no real meaning as such, although it also sometimes used as a jovial greeting.",English
1049,How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have a thankless child,Literal meaning - it is especially painful to raise an ungrateful child.,English
1050,Hugger-mugger,In secret; in a clandestine manner. ,English
1051,"Hung, drawn and quartered","A gruesome form of torture and, eventually, death by execution.",English
1052,Hunky-dory, Satisfactory; fine.,English
1053,Hunt and peck, Typing by looking for characters on the keyboard individually.,English
1054,Hush puppies,"A type of suede shoes. Also, in the USA, a form of corn-bread fritter.",English
1055,I bear a charmed life,"A life of guaranteed good fortune or invulnerability, by virtue of a charm or spell.",English
1056,I have not slept one wink,I have not slept at all.,English
1057,I have nothing to declare but my genius,"Supposedly said by Oscar Wilde at Customs Control in New York, 1882. ",English
1058,I have nothing to offer but blood toil tears and sweat,A line from Sir Winston Churchill's WWII speech on becoming prime minister of the UK in 1940.,English
1059,I haven't got a clue,Without any knowledge or understanding. ,English
1060,I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips,I see you are ready and anxious to depart.,English
1061,I spy with my little eye,'I spy with my little eye' is a rhyme used in the children's guessing game to indicate what it is that is being looked at.,English
1062,I told you is was ill,NO INFORMATION,English
1063,I will swing for you,"""I will kill you and am prepared to be hanged as a consequence"", or ""I will swing a punch at you"". ",English
1064,I will wear my heart upon my sleeve,"Display your feelings openly, for all to see.",English
1065,Identity theft,"The use of personal details of another in order to use their identity dishonestly; for example, in order to obtain money, credit etc. fraudulently.",English
1066,Idioms quiz,NO INFORMATION,English
1067,(Beware the)  Ides of March ,The Ides of March is just the 15th of March.,English
1068,If I had my druthers,If I had my preference.,English
1069,"If it ain't broke, don't fix it","If something is working adequately well, leave it alone. ",English
1070,"If music be the food of love, play on","'If music be the food of love, play on' is the famous opening line from Shakespeare's comedy Twelfth Night. ",English
1071,If the cap fits,"If a description applies to you, then accept it. ",English
1072,"If the mountain will not come to Muhammad, then Muhammad must go to the mountain","The proverbial phrase 'If the mountain will not come to Muhammad...' means that , if one's will does not prevail, one must submit to an alternative.",English
1073,If the shoe fits,"If a description applies to you, then accept it. ",English
1074,"If wishes were horses, beggars would ride","This proverb is recorded in English from quite an early date. A version of the expression appeared in the published works of William Camden in the  17th century. Camden was an interesting character; a historian and one of the select few who could write 'Herald' as his job description. He was one of three    senior heralds of the College of Arms under Queen Elizabeth I. In 1605, Camden collected together his miscellaneous notes on English and Classic history and published them under the title  The Remaines of a Greater Worke Concerning Britain. He didn't put his name to the work and dismissed it as ""the rude rubble and out-cast rubbish… of a greater and more serious worke"". The book was republished in several versions and  included this proverb:",English
1075,"If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen","Don't persist with a task if the pressure of it is too much for you. The implication being that, if you can't cope, you should leave the work to someone who can. ",English
1076,"If you think that, you have another think coming","To have 'another think coming' is to be greatly mistaken. The phrase is usually spoken by an antagonist as 'you have another think coming'; the implication being that one will shortly be obliged to adopt a different viewpoint, either by the presentation of indisputable evidence, or by force. ",English
1077,Ill wind ,A misfortune.,English
1078,I'll be there with bells on,Eager; ready to participate.,English
1079,I'll go to the foot of our stairs,An exclamation of surprise.,English
1080,I'll have your guts for garters,"To threaten to 'have someone's guts for garters' is to state the intention to do them serious harm. The threat isn't an actual and literal one and the overstatement of reprisal is meant to indicate humour, but with an indication that the threatened person has done something which has been something of an annoyance.",English
1081,I'm stumped,"Stumped: Stuck - unable to proceed, often regarding being confounded by some intellectual puzzle. ",English
1082,Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery,Literal meaning.,English
1083,In a cleft stick,In a position where advance and retreat are both impossible; in a fix.,English
1084,In a pickle,In a quandary or some other difficult position.,English
1085,In a pig's eye,An expression of emphatic disbelief.,English
1086,In a quandary,Faced with a dilemma - perplexed and uncertain what to do.,English
1087,In a nutshell,In a few words; concisely stated.,English
1088,In a trice,"In a single moment, with no delay.",English
1089,In an interesting condition,A euphemism for pregnant.,English
1090,"In for a penny, in for a pound","This expression indicates the intention of seeing a course of action through, regardless of what it may entail. It suggests that, if one is decided to do something, one may as well do it wholeheartedly.",English
1091,In like Flynn,"To be 'in like Flynn' is to be quickly and/or emphatically successful, usually in a sexual or romantic context.",English
1092,In limbo,"In a state of being neglected and immobile, with no prospect of movement to a better place. ",English
1093,In my minds eye,One's visual memory or imagination.,English
1094,In someone's bad books,To be in disgrace or out of favour.,English
1095,In spades,In abundance; very much. ,English
1096,In stitches,"Laughing
uproariously.",English
1097,In the bag,Virtually secured - as good as in one's possession.,English
1098,In the box-seat,"In
a superior or advantageous position.",English
1099,In the buff,Naked.,English
1100,In the cart,In trouble.,English
1101,In the catbird seat,"In
a superior or advantageous position.",English
1102,In the club,"Euphemism, meaning pregnant.",English
1103,In the doghouse,In disgrace; out of favour.,English
1104,In the doldrums,In low spirits; feeling dull and drowsy.,English
1105,In the limelight,At the centre of attention.,English
1106,In the nick of time ,Just in time; at the precise moment.,English
1107,In the pink ,"In perfect condition, especially of health.",English
1108,In the red,To be 'in the red' is to be in debt.,English
1109,In the same boat ,In the same circumstances; facing the same predicament..,English
1110,In your face ,In a bold confrontational manner.,English
1111,"Including, but not limited to",In a bold confrontational manner.,English
1112,Indian giver,"One
who gives a gift but later takes it back.",English
1113,Indian summer,"An unseasonably warm, dry and calm weather, usually following a period of colder weather or frost in the late Autumn (or in the Southern hemisphere, where the term is less common, the late Spring).",English
1114,Infra dig,Unbecoming of one's position - beneath one's dignity. ,English
1115,Innocent until proven guilty,The legal concept that the guilt of an accused person cannot be presumed and that they must be assumed to be innocent until proven otherwise.,English
1116,Inside out,With the inside on the outside .,English
1117,For all intents and purposes,In effect; for all practical purposes.,English
1118,Iron hoof,"Poof
(homosexual).",English
1119,Is the Pope Catholic?,A jokey rhetorical question. ,English
1120,Is the Pope Polish?,A jokey alternative version of 'Is the Pope Catholic?'.,English
1121,Is this a dagger which I see before me?,"This is one of the best-known lines from Shakespeare's Macbeth, 1605. Shakespeare used the image of a dagger in many of his plays. In fact there are few of his plays that don't have a reference to daggers in some form - most commonly deployed as symbolic of treachery. In the Scottish play, Macbeth has a vision of a dagger, pointing toward the King Duncan's chamber and perhaps indicating that he should use it to follow through on his and Lady Macbeth's plan of murdering the King. ",English
1122,It ain't over till the fat lady sings,Nothing is irreversible until the final act is played out. ,English
1123,It came like a bolt from the blue,A complete and sudden surprise.,English
1124,It is meat and drink to me,"Meat and drink in this phrase has two meanings, which appear to be independent of each other.
 Either, to be a source of support or pleasure or, to be a simple and routine matter.",English
1125,It never rains but it pours,When troubles come they come together.,English
1126,It's all Greek to me,It was unintelligible to me. ,English
1127,It's all grist to the mill,All things are a potential source of profit or advantage.,English
1128,It's better to give than to receive,The proverb 'It's better to give than to receive' has a straightforward literal meaning which needs no further explanation.,English
1129,It's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all,The proverbial saying 'It's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all' has a straightforward literal meaning.,English
1130,It's better to light a candle than curse the darkness,Literal meaning.,English
1131,It's not rocket science,It (the subject under discussion) isn't difficult to understand.,English
1132,It's that man again,The full title of the popular 1940s BBC radio comedy - ITMA.,English
1133,Ivory tower,"A
state of sheltered and unworldly intellectual isolation.",English
1134,Jack in the box,"A toy consisting of a box containing a figure with a spring, which leaps up when the lid is raised. ",English
1135,"Jack of all trades, master of none",A man who can turn his hand to many things. ,English
1136,Jack Palancing,Dancing.,English
1137,Jack - phrases that include the name Jack,"If it is true, as I'm sure it is, that the phrases in a language define a culture's interests and preoccupations then the English-speaking world must be fascinated by people. ",English
1138,Jack Robinson - Before you can say ,In a very short time; suddenly. ,English
1139,Jack tar,'Jack tar' is a generic name for a seaman of the British Royal Navy.,English
1140,Jack the lad,"A conspicuously self-assured, carefree and brash young man; a 'chancer'. ",English
1141,Jam tomorrow,"'Jam tomorrow' is some pleasant event in the future, which is never likely to materialize.",English
1142,Jerry built,If something is 'Jerry built' it is built in a makeshift and insubstantial manner.,English
1143,Jet-black,Absolutely black.,English
1144,Jimmy Horner,A corner.,English
1145,Jimmy Riddle,Urinate. Jimmy Riddle = piddle.,English
1146,Jobs for the boys,Favouritism where jobs or other benefits are given to friends and acquaintances.,English
1147,Join the colours,Enlist in the army.,English
1148,Joined at the hip,Inextricably linked; inseparable. ,English
1149,Johnny on the spot,Someone ready and available at the time needed. ,English
1150,Jot or tittle,A tiny amount. ,English
1151,Jump on the bandwagon,"Join a growing movement in support of someone or something, often in an opportunist way, when that movement is seen to have become successful.",English
1152,Jump the gun,Begin something before preparations for it are complete. ,English
1153,Jump the shark,To reach the point in a TV series that denotes it is irretrievably past its best by introducing a ridiculous or otherwise unbelievable plot device or characterisation in order to boost ratings. ,English
1154,Jury is still out,Judgement has not yet been finalised on a particular subject; especially due to information being incomplete. ,English
1155,Just deserts,That which is deserved. A reward for what has been done - good or bad. ,English
1156,Just in time,A manufacturing/delivery process where a minimum of goods are kept in stock. Items are planned to arrive precisely at the time they are required for use or despatch.,English
1157,Kangaroo court,"An unauthorized, bogus court. ",English
1158,Katy bar the door,"The expression 'Katy, bar the door' means take
 precautions; there's trouble ahead.",English
1159,Keel over,"To keel over is to fall, suddenly and in a heap. ",English
1160,Keep a wide berth,A goodly distance.,English
1161,Keen as mustard,Very enthusiastic.,English
1162,Keep body and soul together,To survive. The phrase is most often used specifically to refer to earning sufficient money to keep oneself alive.,English
1163,Keep schtum,Say nothing - especially in circumstances where saying the wrong thing may get you into trouble. ,English
1164,Keep a stiff upper lip,"Remain resolute and unemotional in the face of adversity, or even tragedy. ",English
1165,Keep at bay,"Prevent, either a person or an event, from advancing nearer. ",English
1166,Keep it under your hat,Keep it secret. ,English
1167,Keep the ball rolling,Maintain a level of activity in and enthusiasm for a project. ,English
1168,Keep up with the Joneses,"""Keeping up with the Joneses"" is striving to match one's neighbours in spending and social standing. ",English
1169,Keep your chin up,Remain cheerful in a difficult situation.,English
1170,Keep your distance,"Observe the  avoidance of familiarity which is appropriate to one's position. Also, in more recent usage, to remain aloof and detached from another person or situation.",English
1171,Keep your hands clean ,Be innocent of any wrongdoing; stay out of trouble.,English
1172,Keep your nose clean ,Be innocent of any wrongdoing; stay out of trouble.,English
1173,Keep your nose to the grindstone,To keep your nose to the grindstone is to apply yourself conscientiously to your work.,English
1174,Keep your pecker up,Remain cheerful - keep your head held high. ,English
1175,Keep your powder dry,Be prepared and save your resources until they are needed.,English
1176,Keeping up with the Joneses,"""Keeping up with the Joneses"" is striving to match one's neighbours in spending and social standing. ",English
1177,Keepy-uppy,"The skill of ball-juggling - to keep a ball in the air for as long as possible by bouncing it off any part of the body that is allowed in the rules of football, that is, any part except the hands and arms. Typically the ball is kept up using the feet and head. ",English
1178,Kettle of fish,"The expression 'a kettle of fish' is usually part of the phrases 'a fine kettle of fish', 'a pretty kettle of fish' etc, which mean 'a muddle or awkward state of affairs'. ",English
1179,Khyber pass,Arse.,English
1180,Kick the bucket,'Kick the bucket' is a colloquial expression for 'die'.,English
1181,Kick your heels,Wait impatiently to be summoned. ,English
1182,Kickin' - Alive and ,Definitely alive; lively and active. ,English
1183,Kilroy was here,"This was a graffito, of unknown origin but used predominantly by members of the US and UK military and predominantly during WWII. It was often combined with an earlier cartoon image, known as Chad, although the two aren't related apart from that conjunction. ",English
1184,King James' Version of the Bible,"
The King James Version of the Bible has been enormously influential in the development of the English language. It ranks with the complete works of Shakespeare and the Oxford English Dictionary as one of the cornerstones of the recorded language. After Shakespeare, the King James, or Authorized, Version of the Bible is the most common source of phrases in English. The King James in question was James I of England and James VI of Scotland. He didn't write the text of course, he merely authorized it, hence the name by which the book is best known in the UK (King James Version, or KJV, being more commonly used in the USA).

",English
1185,Kiss and tell,"Publicly retell of one's sexual exploits, often with the aim of revenge or monetary gain. ",English
1186,Kiss me Hardy,"Words spoken, on his deathbed, by Admiral Horatio Nelson to Captain Thomas Hardy.",English
1187,(The whole) kit and caboodle,A collection of things. ,English
1188,Kith and kin,One's kith and kin are one's friends and relations. ,English
1189,Knee-jerk reaction,"An
automatic response to something.",English
1190,Knick-knack,A dainty little trinket or ornament. ,English
1191,Knight in shining armour,"A knight in shining armour is a person, usually a man, who comes to the aid of another, usually a woman, in a gallant and courteous manner. ",English
1192,Knock back,"A
reversal of fortune or disappointment. Also used in a verb form as to knock-back,
meaning to refuse an offer. Drinkers in a hurry may also knock back their drink, that is, gulp it down. ",English
1193,Knock into a cocked hat ,To beat  severely. ,English
1194,Knock off,"To finish work for the day. Alternatively, to work quickly and complete a task - similar to polish off. A third alternative is a slang term meaning to steal. ",English
1195,Knock on wood,"This
phrase is used by people who rap their knuckles on a piece of wood hoping to stave off bad luck. In the UK, the phrase 'touch wood' is used - often jokingly by tapping one's head. The phrases are sometimes spoken when a person is already experiencing some good fortune and hope that it will continue - for example ""I've been winning on every race - touch wood"". ",English
1196,Know the ropes,To 'know the ropes' is to understand how to do something. To be acquainted with all the methods required.,English
1197,Know your onions,To be experienced in or knowledgeable about a subject. ,English
1198,Know which side your bread is buttered,To 'know on which side your bread is buttered' is to be aware of which side of a conflict it is in your interests to be on.,English
1199,Know which way the wind blows,To understand what is happening in changing circumstances and to be able to anticipate the future.,English
1200,Knuckle down,Get down to work and apply oneself earnestly to it. ,English
1201,Knuckle under,Give way; give in; submit. ,English
1202,Kowtow to,To accept the authority of another; to act in a  subservient manner.,English
1203,La-di-da,Used to highlight and ridicule snobbish forms of behaviour or speech.,English
1204,La dolce vita,"The good life, full of pleasure and indulgence.",English
1205,Labour of love,"Work
undertaken for the pleasure of it or for the benefit of a loved one.",English
1206,Lackadaisical,"In a listless, languid manner; without interest. .",English
1207,Ladies' room,Euphemism for going to the lavatory.,English
1208,Lager frenzy,Drink induced mayhem.,English
1209,Laid out in lavender,"Prepared for burial. The phrase has also been used to mean 'show something in the best possible light'. There are also reports of its use as meaning 'to criticize or condemn', but I can't confirm that usage.",English
1210,La-la land,"A notional place characterized by fantasy, self-absorption and blissful lack of touch with reality.",English
1211,Lamb to the slaughter,In an unconcerned manner - unaware of the impending catastrophe.,English
1212,Lame duck,"A person or thing that isn't properly able to function, especially one that was previously proficient.",English
1213,Land of nod - The,The Land of Nod is a mythical  land where we travel to to sleep.,English
1214,Lardy-dardy,Used to highlight and ridicule snobbish forms of behaviour or speech.,English
1215,Lark about,"Play the fool, in a childish or careless manner.",English
1216,Last but not least,"An introduction, often on stage, indicating that the person announced last is no less important than those introduced earlier.",English
1217,Last straw - The ,The final additional small burden that makes the entirety of one's difficulties unbearable.,English
1218,Latin Phrases,Here's a list of Latin phrases and sayings that are used in English often enough to have become part of the language.,English
1219,Laugh like a drain,"To laugh coarsely or loudly, especially at the discomfort of others. ",English
1220,Laughing-stock,A figure or object of ridicule and laughter.,English
1221,Laurels - rest on one's ,To be  satisfied with one's past success and to consider further   effort unnecessary.,English
1222,The law is an ass ,Said of the application of the law that is contrary to common sense.,English
1223,Lay it on with a trowel,"To lay something on with a trowel is to crudely labour a point, or flatter in an overly generous manner.",English
1224,Lead balloon - Go over like a ,Fail completely and be considered a flop by the public.,English
1225,Lead-pipe cinch,A complete certainty.,English
1226,Learn the ropes,To 'know the ropes' is to understand how to do something. To be acquainted with all the methods required.,English
1227,Left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing,One's varied interests are kept separate.,English
1228,Left in the lurch,Abandoned in a difficult position without help.,English
1229, Legend in one's own lifetime,'A legend in their own lifetime' refers to  a living person of considerable fame. ,English
1230,Leopard cannot change its spots - A ,"The
          proverbial saying 'A leopard cannot change its spots' expresses the notion that things cannot change their innate nature. It is normally used to suggest that  people who have done bad things will always be bad people.",English
1231,Less is more,The notion that simplicity and clarity lead to good design. ,English
1232,Let a thousand flowers bloom,Encourage many ideas from many sources.,English
1233,Let bygones be bygones,To 'let bygones be bygones' is to allow the unpleasant things that have happened in the past  be forgotten.,English
1234,Let not poor Nelly starve,NO INFORMATION,English
1235,Let not the sun go down on your wrath,Do not hold on to your anger for more than one day.,English
1236,Let or hindrance ,Without impediment.,English
1237,Let sleeping dogs lie,Avoid interfering in a situation which is currently stable.,English
1238,Let the cat out of the bag,"To let the cat out of the bag is to disclose a secret, either deliberately or inadvertently.",English
1239,Let them eat cake,"The origins of many English phrases are unknown. Nevertheless, many people would say that they know the source of this one. It is widely attributed to Marie-Antoinette (1755-93), the Queen consort of Louis XVI. She is supposed to have said this when she was told that the French populace had no bread to eat. ",English
1240,Let there be light,2011 sees the celebration of the 400th anniversary of the publication of the King James Version of the Bible (or Authorized Version). The KJV is a strong contender for the accolade of 'the book that has had more influence on the development of English than any other'.,English
1241,Let your hair down,Behave in a free or uninhibited manner.,English
1242,Let's roll,NO INFORMATION,English
1243,Level playing field,"Fair competition, where no advantage is shown to either side.",English
1244,Lick and a promise,"A
 cursory effort, for instance at painting or tidying up. It alludes to the perfunctory washing performed by children.",English
1245,Lick into shape,To transform a faulty object or venture into something that works effectively.,English
1246,Lickety-split,Headlong; at full speed. ,English
1247,Lie low,"Keep
out of sight; bide one's time. ",English
1248,"Lies, damned lies and statistics",This saying has a literal meaning. It suggests that statisyics can be used to mislead even more than the worst form of untruth.,English
1249,Life begins at forty,Life begins to be better in one's middle age. ,English
1250,Life in the 1500s - folk etymologies,"The message below contains several false attributions of the origin of some common English phrases. It began circulating on the Internet in April 1999, under the heading of ""Life in the 1500s"". ",English
1251,Life of Riley,'The life of Riley' is an easy and pleasant life.,English
1252,Life's not all beer and skittles,'Beer and skittles' is shorthand for a life of indulgence spent in the pub.,English
1253,Life's too short,Response to a request to do something that seems too petty to waste valuable time on. ,English
1254,Like a chicken with its head cut off,In a frenzied manner.,English
1255,Like a moth to a flame,Irresistibly and dangerously attracted to something or someone.,English
1256,Like being savaged by a dead sheep,This was said by combative UK Labour politician Dennis Healey on being criticized by the mild mannered Tory minister Geoffrey Howe in the UK House of Commons in June 1978. ,English
1257,Like billy-o,"An extreme standard of comparison; for example, ""It rained like billy-o; we were all soaked through."". ",English
1258,Like it or lump it,Said of an unpleasant outcome that one has no choice but to accept - one can either endure it willingly or endure it with suffering.,English
1259,Like the clappers,Go very fast; in a vigorous manner.,English
1260,Like the Dickens,A lot; as in 'hurts like the dickens'.,English
1261,Like two peas in a pod ,'Two peas in a pod' are two identical items or people.,English
1262,Like turkeys voting for Christmas,'Turkeys voting for Christmas' is used to describe people acting in a way that  is harmful to their own interests. ,English
1263,Lily-livered,Cowardly.,English
1264,Little bird told me - A ,I was told by a private or secret source. ,English
1265,Little knowledge is a dangerous thing - A ,"The proverb 'A little knowledge is a dangerous thing' expresses the idea that a small amount of knowledge can mislead people into thinking that they are more expert than they really are, which can lead to mistakes being made.",English
1266,Little of what you fancy does you good - A ,A euphemistic way of expressing the benefits of sex. ,English
1267,Little pitchers have big ears,"This proverbial saying means 'be careful, children are listening'.",English
1268,Lions led by donkeys,A description of the British soldiers of WWI. ,English
1269,Live long and prosper,"'Live long and prosper' is an
abbreviated version of a traditional Jewish religious blessing. It came to a wider public in the Star Trek TV series, where it was used
there by the character Mr. Spock (actor Leonard Nimoy, himself Jewish) as the
greeting of the Vulcan people.",English
1270,Living daylights,"To beat the living daylights out of someone is to beat them severely, to the point where they lose consciousness. ",English
1271,Living off the fat of the land,Living well; fed by abundant crops. ,English
1272,Living on borrowed time,Living after the time you would have expected to have died.,English
1273,Lo and behold,"An exclamation, on drawing others attention to something. Used especially to to announce things that are considered startling or important. The phrase is often written with an exclamation mark. ",English
1274,Load of cobblers,"Nonsense, rubbish. ",English
1275,Load of codswallop,Nonsense. ,English
1276,Loaf of bread,Head.,English
1277,Local derby,A sporting contest between rivals from the same district. Often referring to football (soccer) matches.,English
1278,Lock stock and barrel,"Lock, stock and barrel means the whole thing, entire and complete.",English
1279,Long in the tooth,"Old, especially of horses or people.",English
1280,Look before you leap,Check that you are clear what is ahead of you before making a decision that you cannot go back on.,English
1281,Loose cannon,"An unpredictable person or thing, liable to cause damage if not kept in check by others.",English
1282,Loose lips sink ships,'Loose lips sink ships' was a wartime expression meaning 'unguarded talk may give useful information to the enemy'.,English
1283,Lose face,Lose face - Be humiliated; lose one's reputation.,English
1284,Lose your marbles,Lose your wits.,English
1285,Love is blind ,"This expression is first found in Chaucer's  Merchant's Tale, circa 1405:",English
1286,Love that dare not speak its name - The,"A reference to homosexual love, although Oscar Wilde
 denied this in his defense of the charge of gross indecency.",English
1287,Loved-up,"Feeling euphoric and well-disposed towards those around you - induced by the use of drugs, notably Ecstasy (methylenedioxymethamphetamine).",English
1288,Lunatic fringe,"
  A minority group of adherents showing extreme support for a political  movement or a set of beliefs.",English
1289,Mad as a hatter,"Completely
          mad. This is now commonly understood to mean crazy, although the original meaning is unclear and may have meant annoyed. ",English
1290,Mad as a March hare,"To be 'as mad as a March hare' is to be completely
              mad.",English
1291,Magical realism,A literary genre in which magical features and storylines appear and are accepted as everyday reality. ,English
1292,Main chance,The most important issue. ,English
1293,Make a bee-line for,Go directly towards.,English
1294,Make a clean breast of it,To make a full disclosure; to confess.,English
1295,Make a pig's ear of,"As 'pig's ear' - Cockney rhyming slang for beer. 
  As 'in a pig's ear' - an expression of disbelief.
    
    As 
  'make a pig's ear of ' - make a mess or muddle.",English
1296,Make a virtue of necessity,Obtain kudos from apparently willingly doing something that one was in fact couldn't avoid doing. It is also used to mean 'submit with good grace'. ,English
1297,Make haste,Act quickly.,English
1298,Make hay while the sun shines,Make the most of one's opportunities while you have the chance.,English
1299,Make him an offer he can't refuse,"The
 'offer' being 'do as I say or I'll kill you'.",English
1300,Make my day,Carry on with what you are doing - it will give me an excuse to behave badly.,English
1301,Make no bones about,To state a fact in a way that allows no doubt. To have no objection to.,English
1302,Make your hair stand on end,Something that makes your hair stand on end is something alarming or frightening.,English
1303,Mal de mer,Seasickness.,English
1304,Man after my own heart - A ,"A
kindred spirit - someone I can agree with.",English
1305,Man does not live by bread alone,Physical nourishment is not sufficient for a healthy life; man also has spiritual needs.,English
1306,Man who is his own lawyer has a fool for a client - A ,Literal meaning.,English
1307,A dog is a man's best friend,"An animal that performs valuable service to humans, often with reference to dogs. ",English
1308,Man's inhumanity to man,Literal meaning.,English
1309,Many a little makes a mickle,Many small amounts accumulate to make a large amount.,English
1310,Many are called but few are chosen,"Literal meaning, alluding to the variety in qualities of humankind.",English
1311,Many happy returns,"Have
many more happy days, especially birthdays.",English
1312,Many a true word is spoken in jest,A literal meaning; that the truth is often found in comic utterances.,English
1313,'March' phrases,"March. That means spring is round the corner in the UK and, as is usual here at this time of year, the weather is madly changeable. Yesterday, we had a beautifully sunny spring day; today as I look out of the window I can see nothing but  freezing grey fog.",English
1314,Mare's nest,"A much vaunted discovery, which later turns out to be illusory or worthless. ",English
1315,Marital aid ,A euphemism for a sex toy or any device intended to enhance sexual stimulation. ,English
1316,Market forces,The economic factors affecting the price and availability of a commodity or product in a free market ,English
1317,"Marry in haste, repent at leisure",Literal meaning. ,English
1318,May you live in interesting times,May you experience much disorder and trouble in your life.,English
1319,McCoy - The real,The real thing - not a substitute. ,English
1320,Mea culpa,"I'm to blame. The literal translation from the Latin is 'through my own fault'.
Even those who don't speak Latin could probably make a guess that this phrase means 'I am culpable', or words to that effect. ",English
1321, Meat and drink,"Meat and drink in this phrase has two meanings, which appear to be independent of each other.
 Either, to be a source of support or pleasure or, to be a simple and routine matter.",English
1322,Meat and two veg.,"Meat and two vegetables, that is, meat with potatoes and another vegetable, is a traditional English meal.",English
1323,Meet your Waterloo,Arrive at a final decisive contest.,English
1324,Memory lane ,An imaginary idyllic place where people take sentimental journeys through their memories of  past  experiences. ,English
1325,Men in suits,Businessmen/bureaucrats/soldiers and the like who follow convention and the company line. Also called just 'suits'.,English
1326,Mend fences,Re-establish good relations with people one has disagreed with. ,English
1327,Ménage à trois,"A living arrangement comprising three people (not all of the same sex) in a sexual relationship. Alternatively, a sexual liaison between such a group of people. ",English
1328,Men's evil manners live in brass; their virtues we write in water,"From Shakespeare's Henry VIII, 1612: ",English
1329,Merry Christmas,See also: our list of 'Christmas Card Sayings and Expressions'.,English
1330,Method in my madness,Reason behind apparent folly or disorder. ,English
1331,Mexican wave,"A
wave effect formed when crowds in stadia rise up and down from their seats in
succession.",English
1332,Mickey Finn,A sedative (or sometimes in the US a purgative) drug surreptitiously slipped into someone's drink. ,English
1333,Middle for diddle,A rhyme used to decide who starts a darts match. ,English
1334,Middle of the road,Something unadventurous or inoffensive; opting to go neither one way or the other.,English
1335,Might and main,With might and main is 'with all of one's strength'. ,English
1336,(The pen is) mightier than the sword ,Literal meaning.,English
1337,Mighty oaks from little acorns grow,Great things may come from small beginnings.,English
1338,"Milk of human kindness
Minced oaths
Minced words
Mind your Ps and Qs
Mind's ear
Mind's eye
Ministering angel shall my sister be - A 
Mint condition



Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows
Misquotes
Miss is as good as a mile
Moaning Minnie
Mondegreens
Montezuma's Revenge
'Money' phrases
Money for old rope
Monstrous regiment of women
Monty - The full
Moot point
Morbid obesity
More bang for your buck
More fool you
More haste, less speed
More honoured in the breach than in the observance
More light!
Morning person
Mother country
Motley crew
Mouth-watering
Movable feast
Movers and shakers
Moving finger writes - The 
Moving the goalposts
Much Ado about Nothing
Much of a muchness
Mud - your name is
Mull (something) over
Multitude of sins
Mumbo jumbo
Mum's the word
Murphy's Law
Music has charms to soothe the savage breast
Mutt's nuts - The 
Mutt and Jeff
Mutton dressed as lamb
My bad 
My better half 
My cup of tea
My cup runneth over
My giddy aunt
My husband and I
My mind's eye
My old china
My old Dutch
My salad days
My stars and garters
My way or the highway
Nail your colours to the mast
Namby-pamby
Name and shame
Name is mud
Nasty, brutish and short
Nation of shopkeepers - A 
Nautical phrases
Near the knuckle 
Necessity is the mother of invention
Ne'er cast a clout till May be out
Ne'er do well
Needs must 
Neither a borrower nor a lender be
Neither fish nor flesh, nor good red herring
Neither here nor there
Nest-egg
Nest of vipers - A 
Never give a sucker an even break
Never knowingly undersold
Never look a gift horse in the mouth
Never-never land
Never the twain shall meet
New kid on the block
Nice as ninepence
Nice kettle of fish
(In the) nick of time 
Night owl
Nine days' wonder
Nip and tuck
Nip in the bud
Nitty-gritty
No-brainer
No dice
No holds barred
No laughing matter
No love lost
No man is an island
No more cakes and ale?
No names: no pack-drill
No quarter given
No rest for the wicked
No room to swing a cat
No truck with
No way, Jose
Nod is as good as a wink - A 
Nod - The land of
Norange - A 
Nosy parker
Not a dicky-bird
Not by a long chalk
Not my cup of tea
Not for all the tea in China
Not playing with a full deck
Not rocket science
Not tonight Josephine
Not worth a plugged nickel
Not worth the candle
Nothing is certain but death and taxes
Nothing succeeds like success
Nothing ventured, nothing gained
Now is the winter of our discontent
Nth degree 
Nul points
Nutshell - In a
O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?
O ye, of little faith
Odds bodkins
Off his own bat
Off the record
Off with his head



Offing - In the
Oh, my stars and garters
Oh, they have slain the Earl of Moray and Lady Mondegreen
Okay
Okey-dokey
Old as Methuselah
Old as the hills
Old chestnut
Old codger
Old hat
Old lang syne - see auld lang syne
On a hiding to nothing
On a wing and a prayer
On Carey Street
On cloud nine
On queer street
On tenterhooks
On the ball
On the bubble
On the button
On the dole
On the fiddle
On the pig's back
On the QT
On the shoulders of giants
On the side of the angels
On the wagon
On the warpath
On with the motley
On your beam ends
On your tod
Once bitten, twice shy
Once in a blue moon
Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more
One-hit wonder
One fell swoop - At
One for the road
One foot in the grave
One good turn deserves another
One hand washes the other
One over the eight
One sandwich short of a picnic
One small step for man
One stop shop
One swallow doesn't make a summer
One's heart's content
Oops-a-daisy
Open season
(The) order of the boot
Ough - the many ways to pronounce
Out of sight
Out of sight, out of mind
Out of sorts
Out of the jaws of death
Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings
Out on a limb
Over a barrel
Over-egg the pudding
Over the moon
Over the top
Overpaid, oversexed, and over here
Oxo cube
Ps and Qs - Mind your 
 Packed to the gunwales
Paddle your own canoe
Paint the town red
Panic stations
Paper tiger
Parting shot / Parthian shot 
Pass over to the other side
Pass the buck
Paying guest - A
P.D.Q. - pretty damn quick
Pearls before swine
Pears for your heirs
Peeping Tom
Peg out
Pell-mell
(The) pen is mightier than the sword 
Pennies from heaven
Penny dreadful
(The) penny drops 
Penny pinching
Penny for your thoughts - A
Penny saved is a penny earned - A 
Penny wise and pound foolish
Pester power
Peter out
Petty cash
Phrases and sayings quiz
Phrases that people get wrong
Physician heal thyself
Pick 'n' mix 
Picture is worth a thousand words - A 
Picture-perfect
Pie - as easy as 
Pie in the sky
Piece of cake - A
Piece of piss
Piece of the action
Pig in a poke
Pigeon-chested
Pig's back - on the 
Pig's ear
(In a) pig's eye
Pig and whistle
Piggyback
Pigs might fly
Pin money
(Take with a) pinch of salt
Pip - Get the/got the /have the 
Pipe down
Pipe dream - A
Piping hot
Piss and vinegar - Full of 
Pitch black
Pitch dark
Place for everything and everything in its place - A 
Plague on both your houses - A 
Plain sailing
Plates of meat
Play by ear
Play Devil's advocate
Play ducks and drakes
Play fast and loose
Play gooseberry
Play it again Sam
Play second fiddle
Play silly buggers
Play the giddy goat
Play the race card
Pleased as Punch
Plug-ugly
Plugged nickel
Poetic justice



Point-and-click 
Point Percy at the porcelain
Politically correct
Point-blank
Point to point
Pommy bashing
Pomp and circumstance
Pond life
Pony and trap
Pony up
Pop goes the weasel
Pop your clogs
Popular fallacies - The Nonsense Nine 
Pork pies
POSH - Port out, starboard home
Pot calling the kettle black - The 
Take potluck 
Pound of flesh
Pour oil on troubled waters
Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely
Power dressing
Powers that be - The 
Praying at the porcelain altar
Preaching to the choir
Preposterous
Press into service
Pretty kettle of fish
Pretty penny - A
Prick up your ears
Pride comes before a fall
Prime time
Primrose path
Procrastination is the thief of time
Proof of the pudding is in the eating - The
Proverbs - A list of 
Pull in your horns
Pull out all the stops
Pull the other one, it's got bells on
Pull the wool over your eyes
Pull up stakes
Pull your horns in
Pull your finger out
Pull yourself up by your bootstraps
Pulling one's leg
Punch above one's weight
Pure as the driven snow
Purple patch
Push the boat out
Push the envelope
Put a damper on
Put a sock in it
Put a spanner in the works
Put on the wooden overcoat
Put on your thinking cap
Put paid to
Put the cart before the horse
Put the mockers on
Put the wood in the hole
Put up your dukes
Put your back up
Put your best foot forward
Put your nose out of joint 
Put your shoulder to the wheel 
Pyrric victory
Quality time
Quantum leap
Quarter - Give no 
Queer as a nine bob note
Queer Street
Queer the pitch
Quick and the dead - The 
Quicker than lager turns to piss
Quid pro quo
Quotations
Rabbit and pork
Rack and ruin
Rag-and-bone man
Rack your brains
Rag, tag and bobtail
Raining cats and dogs
Raining stair-rods
Raise Cain
Rank and file
Raspberry tart
Raze to the ground
Rat arsed
Read between the lines
Read the riot act
Real McCoy
Red-handed (caught) 
Red herring
Red in tooth and claw
Red-letter day
Red rag to a bull - A 
Red sky at night ...
Red tape
Reduplicated phrases
Religion is the opium of the people 
Rest on his laurels
Revenge is a dish best served cold
Rhyme nor reason
Rhyming slang
Richard of York gave battle in vain
Richard the Third
Riddle wrapped up in an enigma - A 
Ride a cock-horse to Banbury Cross
Riding shotgun
Riff-raff
Riley - the life of 
[That] Rings a bell
Ring a ring o'roses, a pocketful of posies, atishoo, atishoo, all fall down
Ring down the curtain
Ring-fencing
Ring the changes
Rinky-dink
Rise and shine
Road less travelled - The 
Road apples
Road rage
Roasted to a turn
Rob Peter to pay Paul
Rock and roll 
It's not rocket science 
A rolling stone gathers no moss
Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?
Rose by any other name would smell as sweet - A 
Rose is a rose is a rose
Rosie Lea
Rough diamond



Round Robin
Route one
Rub of the green
Rule of thumb
Rum do
Rumpy-pumpy
Run a mile
Run amok
Run of the mill
Run out of steam
Run rings around
Run the gauntlet
Sacred cow
Safe as houses - As
Safe pair of hands - A 
Safe sex
Salad days
Salt of the earth - The 
San fairy Ann
Sandwich short of a picnic
Save face
Save one's bacon 
Saved by the bell
Savoir faire
Say cheese
Say goodnight Gracie
Scapegoat
Scarper
Scot-free
Scott (Sir Walter - phrases coined by) 
Screw your courage to the sticking place
'Scuse me while I kiss this guy
Sea change
Sealed with a loving kiss
Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness
Second-guess
Security blanket
See a pin and pick it up, all the day you'll have good luck; see a pin and let it lie, bad luck you'll have all day
See red
Seek and you shall find
Seen better days
Send packing
Senior citizen
Sent to Coventry
Separate the sheep from the goats
Set one's cap at
Set your teeth on edge
Sex and shopping
Seven-year itch
Sexton Blake
Shebang - The whole 
Shaggy dog story
Shake a leg
Shakers and movers
Shakespeare (phrases and sayings of) 
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Shambles
Shanks' mare/shanks' pony
Share and share alike
Shilly-shally
Ship shape and Bristol fashion
 Shit end of the stick - The 
Shit for brains
Shiver my timbers
Shoddy
Short end of the stick - The 
Shot across the bows
Shot heard 'round the world - The 
Shot in the arm
Shot in the dark
Shoot through
Short shrift
Show a leg - see shake a leg
Show your mettle
Shrinking violet
Shuffle off this mortal coil
Shut your cake-hole
Siamese twins
Sick puppy (A) 
Sight for sore eyes (A) 
Silly Billy
Silly season
Silver lining - every cloud has a 
Sir Walter Scott (phrases coined by) 
Silence is golden
Silver bullet
Similes
Sitting pretty
Sixes and sevens - At 
Skeleton in the closet
Skid row
Skin and blister
(By the) skin of your teeth
(The) sky's the limit
Sledgehammer to crack a nut - A 
Sleep like a top
Sleep on a clothesline
Sleep tight
Sleeveless errand
Sloane Ranger
Slush fund
Smallest room in the house - The
Smart casual
Smoke and mirrors
Snug as a bug in a rug
So sue me
Soap-dodger
Sod's Law
Sold down the river
Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon 'em
Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men, have mediocrity thrust upon them
Someone is walking over my grave
Something for the weekend sir?
Something nasty in the woodshed
Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue
Son of a bitch
Son of a gun
Sorry sight
Sound bite
Sound out
Sour grapes
Space, the final frontier
Spare the rod and spoil the child
Speak of the Devil
Speak softly and carry a big stick
Special relationship
Spelling-bee
Spend a penny
Spick and span
Spill the beans
Spin doctor



Spitting feathers
Spitting image
Spoonerisms
Spring forward, fall back
Spruce-up
Square meal
Squeaky bum time
Stand and deliver
Stand up guy
Standing on the shoulders of giants
Star-crossed lovers
Stark, raving mad
Stars and garters - My 
Start from scratch
Steal a march
Steal my thunder
Step up to the plate
Stick in the mud
Sticks and stones may break my bones
Sticky wicket
Stiff upper lip
Stiffen the sinews
Stinking rich
Stitch in time saves nine - A 
Stone the crows
Stone's throw
Stony-hearted
Stool pigeon
Storm in a teacup
Straight as a die
Straight from the horse's mouth
Strain at the leash
Strait-laced
Strait and narrow
Stranger danger
Stranger than fiction - Truth is 
Strike while the iron is hot
Stuff and nonsense
Stump up
Such is life
Surf and turf
 Surfing the Net/surfing the Internet/surfing the Web 
Survival of the fittest
Suspension of disbelief
Swan song
Sweet Fanny Adams
Swing for you
Swing the lead
Tail wagging the dog - The 
Take a back seat
Take care of the pence and the pounds will take care of themselves
Take down a peg or two
Take potluck 
Take the bit between your teeth
Take the cake
Take the gilt off the gingerbread
Take the Mickey
Take the upper hand
Take umbrage 
Take with a grain of salt
Taken aback
Taken for a ride
Talk of the Devil
Talk the talk
Talk through one's hat
Talk to the hand
Tall story
Tanstaafl - (there's no such thing as a free lunch)
Tattoo phrases and sayings
Tawdry
Tea leaf
Technicolor yawn
Tell it to the marines
Tell me about it 
Tempest in a teapot
Test your mettle - see show your mettle
That's all folks!
That's all she wrote
That's one small step for a man, a giant leap for mankind
The ants are my friends, they're blowing in the wind
The apple never falls far from the tree
The apple of my eye
The back of beyond
The balance of power
The balance of trade
The bane of my life
The bee's knees
The belle of the ball
The best  defense is a good offence
The best laid schemes of mice and men
The Big Apple
The Big Easy
The birds and the bees
The bitter end
The blind leading the blind
The bread of life
The buck stops here
The call of the wild
The camera cannot lie
The chickens come home to roost
The child is father to the man The collywobbles
The course of true love never did run smooth
The crack of doom
The Crapper
The customer is always right
The cut of your jib
The dark side
The darkest hour is just before the dawn
The Devil has all the best tunes
The Devil Incarnate
The Devil is in the details
The Devil makes work for idle hands to do
The Devil take the hindmost
The Devil to pay
The die has been cast
The early bird catches the worm
The elephant in the room
The emperor's new clothes
The ends of the earth 
The exception which proves the rule
The face that launched a thousand ships
The fat of the land
The female of the species is more deadly then the male
The fifth estate
The floozie in the jacuzzi
The fly in the ointment
The full monty
The game is afoot
The game is up
The great unwashed
The hair of the dog that bit you
The hairy eyeball
The heebie-jeebies
The jury is still out
The land of nod
The last straw



The law is an ass
The life of Riley
The living daylights
The love that dare not speak its name
The monstrous regiment of women
The more the merrier
The moving finger writes
The mutt's nuts
The nth degree 
The opera ain't over till the fat lady sings
The pen is mightier than the sword 
The pip - Get/got/have 
The pot calling the kettle black
The powers that be
The proof of the pudding is in the eating 
The quick and the dead
The real McCoy
The road less travelled
The road to hell is paved with good intentions
The salt of the earth 
The seven-year itch
The shoemaker always wears the worst shoes
The short end of the stick
The shot heard 'round the world
The sky's the limit
The smallest room in the house
The straw that broke the camel's back
The tail wagging the dog
The toast of the town
The third degree
The triumph of hope over experience
The upper hand
The usual suspects
The whole kit and caboodle
The whole nine yards
The whole shebang
The writing is on the wall
The wrong side of the blanket
The year dot
The Yellow Peril
There is more than one way to kill a cat
There are three kinds of lies... 
There but for the grace of God, go I
There is no alternative
There's an R in the month
There's method in my madness
There's no fool like an old fool
There's no place like home
There's no such thing as a free lunch (Tanstaafl)
There's no such thing as bad publicity
There's one (a sucker) born every minute
There's one law for the rich and another law for the poor
They couldn't hit an elephant at this distance
Thick and fast 
Thick and thin 
(As) thick as thieves
(As) thick as two short planks
Thin air - Vanish into 
Thing of beauty is a joy forever - A 
Things that go bump in the night
Think outside the box
Thinking cap
Third degree - The 
Third time lucky
Thomas Paine - The writings of
Thorn in the flesh
Thou shalt not kill
Though this be madness, yet there is method in it
Three score and ten
Three sheets to the wind
Three strikes and you are out
Through thick and thin 
Throw in the towel
Throw good money after bad
Throw your hat into the ring
Thumbs up
Thus far into the bowels of the land
Ticked off
Tickle the ivories
Tickled pink
Tide over
Tie the knot
Till the cows come home
Time and tide wait for no man
Tinker's damn
Tilting at windmills
Tissue of lies
Titfer
Tit for tat 
Tits up
To a T
To all intents and purposes
To be or not to be, that is the question
To beggar belief
To boldly go where no man has gone before
To boot
To cast the first stone
To err is human; to forgive divine
To gild refined gold, to paint the lily
To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub
To the manner born
To the nth degree 
To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive
Toast of the town
Toe the line
Toe-curling
Toffee-nosed
Tommy Atkins
Tomorrow is another day
Tongue in cheek
Too big for your breeches
Too much of a good thing
Toodle-oo
Tooth and nail
Top dog
Top drawer
Top notch
Topsy-turvy
Total shambles
Touch and go
Touch with a barge-pole - Wouldn't 
Touch wood 
Touchy-feely
Tout de suite
Tower of strength
 Train surfing
Trick or treat
Trip the light fantastic
Trouble and strife
True blue
Truth is stranger than fiction
Truth will out
Tuckered out
Turkeys voting for Christmas
Turn a blind eye
Turn of phrase
Turn the tables
Turn up for the books
Turn up trumps
Twelve good men and true
Twenty three skidoo
Twenty four seven
Two cents worth
Two heads are better than one
Two peas in a pod 
Under the thumb



Under your hat - Keep it 
Under the auspices of
Get - underway
Under wraps
Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown
Union Jack
The great - unwashed
The - unkindest cut of all
Up a blind alley
Up a gum tree
 Up in arms
Up the creek without a paddle
Up the apples and pears
Up the duff
Up the pole
Up the wooden hill to Bedfordshire
Up to snuff
Upper crust
Upper hand
Up in arms
Ups-a-daisy
Upset the apple-cart
Up the ante
Upside down
Urban myth
Use your loaf
Usual suspects - The 
Using a sledgehammer to crack a nut
Valentine's Day Poems and Sayings
Van surfing
Vanish into thin air
Veg out
Verbosity leads to unclear, inarticulate things
Vice versa
Vicious circle
Vis-a-vis
Visit the ladies' room
Vorsprung Durch Technik
Walk free
Walk the walk
Walk the plank
Walter Scott (phrases coined by) 
Warts and all
Watch the birdie
(A) watched pot never boils 
Watching brief
Wave a red rag to a bull
Wax lyrical
Wax poetic
We are a grandmother
We are not amused
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers
We have seen better days
We know where you live
Weakest link - A chain is only as strong as its 
Wear the trousers
Wear your heart on your sleeve
Weasel words
Wee-wee
Well heeled
Well read
Wet behind the ears
Wet blanket
What a piece of work is man
What are you like?
What football is all about
What God has joined together let no man put asunder
What part of no don't you understand?
What you see is what you get - wysiwyg
What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet
What's not to like?
What's up Doc?
When in Rome, do as the Romans do
When it comes to the crunch
When pigs fly
When the going gets tough, the tough get going
When the shit hits the fan
Where there's muck there's brass
Whet your appetite
Which  is which?
Which  witch is which?
While you live, tell truth and shame the Devil!
Whip round
Whipper snapper
Whipping boy
Whistle and flute
Whistle blower
Whistle down the wind
White as snow
White bread
White elephant
Whole kit and caboodle - The 
Whole-hearted
Whole nine yards - The
Whole shebang - The 
Whoops-a-daisy
Why does bread always fall butter side down?
Why should the Devil have all the best tunes?
Wick - you get on my 
Wide berth - Keep a 
Wild and woolly
Wild goose chase
Willy nilly
Win hands down
Win one for the Gipper
(On a) wing and a prayer
Wing it
Winter drawers on
Wish you were here
With bells on
Without a shadow of a doubt
Without let or hindrance 
Without so much as a by your leave
Woe betide you
Woe is me
Wolf in sheep's clothing
Woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle - A 
Woman's place is in the home - A 
Women and children first
Wooden hill to Bedfordshire
Word association football
Word for word
Word in edgeways - A 
Word in your shell-like - A 
Words ending in gry
Worse for wear
Worth one's salt
Wotcher
Wouldn't touch with a barge-pole
Wreak havoc 
Writing is on the wall - The 
 Wrong end of the stick - The
Wrong side of the blanket - The
Yada yada
Year dot - The
Yellow-belly
Yellow Peril
You are what you eat
You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar
You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink
You can lead a whore to culture but you can't make her think
You can't get blood out of a stone
You can't have your cake and eat it too 
You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear
You can't teach an old dog new tricks
You get on my wick
You look as if you've been dragged through a hedge backwards
You'll wonder where the yellow went when you brush your teeth with Pepsodent
Young turk
Your days are numbered
Your money or your life
Your name is mud
You've never had it so good
Zero tolerance
Zig-zag
",Care and compassion for others.,English
1339,Minced oaths,"The English, being a restrained lot, have a long list of euphemistic phrases, many of which became
 part of the language before it spread to other parts of the world. The root cause of these is a
 wish to communicate without being explicit. This is something the English are particularly fond of,
 hence their long tradition of double-entendre comedy.",English
1340,Minced words,"To mince words is to moderate one's language, to keep within the bounds of  what is prudent or polite. Minced words are usually referred to in the negative 'do not mince your words'.",English
1341,Mind your Ps and Qs,Be on your best behaviour; be careful of your language. ,English
1342,Mind's ear,One's aural memory or imagination.,English
1343,Mind's eye,One's visual memory or imagination.,English
1344,Ministering angel shall my sister be - A ,"To minister is to serve, or act as a subordinate agent. So a ministering angel is a kind-hearted person, providing help and comfort.",English
1345,Mint condition,A condition of perfection or newness suggestive of that of a freshly minted coin.,English
1346,Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows,"From Shakespeare's The Tempest, 1610:",English
1347,Misquotes,NO INFORMATION,English
1348,Miss is as good as a mile,A narrow miss is as bad as a wide miss - they are both misses. ,English
1349,Moaning Minnie,"A
habitual grumbler.",English
1350,Mondegreens,Mondegreens are misheard song lyrics. A fuller explanation of the meaning of the word mondegreen is best shown by retelling how it originated...,English
1351,Montezuma's Revenge,The diarrhoea (spelled in America as diarrhea)  that is often suffered by tourists when travelling to foreign parts.,English
1352,'Money' phrases,"Money: after sex and the weather, this must be our favourite topic of conversation. Here's the phrases and sayings that we use to talk about it:",English
1353,Money for old rope,A profitable return for little effort. ,English
1354,Monstrous regiment of women,"A disparaging description, often used to describe feminist or rowdy women by their detractors.",English
1355,Monty - The full,"Complete, the whole thing.",English
1356,Moot point,An irrelevant argument. ,English
1357,Morbid obesity,The condition of having a body weight high enough to pose a severe risk to health. This is informally measured as having a body weight which is more than twice the optimum. It is indicated more precisely by a 'body mass index' of 40 or over (BMI = the weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in metres).,English
1358,More bang for your buck,More for your money.,English
1359,More fool you,Said in reply to someone who has reported doing something that is considered to be obviously foolish.,English
1360,"More haste, less speed","Something, even if it isn't what you ideally would prefer, is better than nothing.",English
1361,More honoured in the breach than in the observance,This is usually thought to mean a rule which is more often broken than observed. The context of the play shows the real meaning as 'it is more honourable to breach than to observe'.,English
1362,More light!,NO INFORMATION,English
1363,Morning person,"Someone who functions better in the morning, as compared to later in the day. ",English
1364,Mother country,"One's native land, or the native land of one's ancestors. ",English
1365,Motley crew,An assorted and ill-disciplined group of ne'er do wells. ,English
1366,Mouth-watering,Delicious; tasty enough to make you salivate.,English
1367,Movable feast,A feast day that falls on the same day of the week each year but which has a date which varies.,English
1368,Movers and shakers,"People of energetic demeanour, who initiate change and influence events.",English
1369,Moving finger writes - The ,The phrase 'The moving finger writes...' expresses the notion that whatever one does in one's life is one's own responsibility and cannot be changed.,English
1370,Moving the goalposts,Changing the target of a process or competition to by one side in order to gain advantage.,English
1371,Much Ado about Nothing,'Much ado about nothing' means 'a great deal of fuss over a thing of little importance'.,English
1372,Much of a muchness,Similar - difficult to distinguish.,English
1373,Mud - your name is,You are unpopular.,English
1374,Mull (something) over,"To 'mull something over' is to turn it over in one's mind, in a reflective way.",English
1375,Multitude of sins,A number of undesirable qualities.,English
1376,Mumbo jumbo,"Nonsense, especially meaningless speech and often associated with spurious religious ritual. ",English
1377,Mum's the word,'Mum's the word' means 'keep quiet - say nothing'.,English
1378,Murphy's Law,"The so-called law is usually expressed as 'If anything can go wrong, it will'.",English
1379,Music has charms to soothe the savage breast,Literal meaning. That literal meaning is open to misinterpretation as this phrase is frequently written as 'music has charms to soothe the savage beast'.,English
1380,Mutt's nuts - The ,"Excellent
- the highest quality.",English
1381,Mutt and Jeff,When written and pronounced as Mutt 'n' Jeff this has the meaning deaf. It is also a slang term for the 'good cop/bad cop' method of police interrogation or any other pair of people or items which are contrasting in size or nature. ,English
1382,Mutton dressed as lamb,'Mutton dressed as lamb' is a put-down aimed at an ageing woman who is dressed or made up of someone much younger. ,English
1383,My bad ,My mistake - I'm to blame. ,English
1384,My better half ,My husband or my wife. ,English
1385,My cup of tea,Something or someone that one finds pleasing.,English
1386,My cup runneth over,'My cup runneth over' means 'I have more than enough for my needs'.,English
1387,My giddy aunt,An exclamation of surprise. ,English
1388,My husband and I,This turn of phrase has often been used by Queen Elizabeth II in public speeches. The Queen married the Duke of Edinburgh (formerly Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark) on 20 November 1947. Since that day he has been resigned to walking a few paces behind her in public. ,English
1389,My mind's eye,One's visual memory or imagination.,English
1390,My old china,Affectionate term for a friend.,English
1391,My old Dutch,An affectionate term for wife.,English
1392,My salad days,"The
 days of one's youthful inexperience.",English
1393,My stars and garters,A jocular exclamation or expression of astonishment. ,English
1394,My way or the highway,"The idiom 'my way or the highway' forcefully expresses the view that 'you can take it or leave it'. In fact, it really means 'take it or leave', as the highway refers to the road the listener should go down if they don't agree with the speaker.",English
1395,Nail your colours to the mast,"To defiantly display one's opinions and beliefs. Also, to show one's intention to hold on to those beliefs until the end.",English
1396,Namby-pamby,Childish and weakly sentimental. ,English
1397,Name and shame,The publication of the identity of a person or group that is culpable in some anti-social act in order to shame them into remorse. ,English
1398,Name is mud,You are unpopular.,English
1399,"Nasty, brutish and short","'Nasty, brutish and short' is a 17th century phrase describing the life of mankind when in a state of war. ",English
1400,Nation of shopkeepers - A ,"This proverbial saying has a straightforward literal meaning, although it is intended to imply criticism of the English as a nation with little ambition.",English
1401,Nautical phrases,Many phrases that have been adopted into everyday use originate from seafaring - in particular from the days of sail. Virtually all of these are metaphorical and the original nautical meanings are now forgotten. ,English
1402,Near the knuckle ,"Just at the limit of acceptability, especially regarding sexual morals",English
1403,Necessity is the mother of invention,Difficult situations inspire ingenious solutions.,English
1404,Ne'er cast a clout till May be out,"With most phrases and sayings the meaning is well understood but the origin is uncertain. With this one the main interest is the doubt about the meaning. So, this time, we'll have the origin first. ",English
1405,Ne'er do well,"A worthless, good for nothing person.",English
1406,Needs must ,"Necessity compels. In current usage this phrase is usually used to express something that is done unwillingly but with an acceptance that it can't be avoided; for example, I really don't want to cook tonight, but needs must, I suppose.",English
1407,Neither a borrower nor a lender be,Literal meaning.,English
1408,"Neither fish nor flesh, nor good red herring",A deliberate misleading and diverting of attention from the real issue. ,English
1409,Neither here nor there,Of no consequence either one way or the other.,English
1410,Nest-egg,"Savings, set aside for later use.",English
1411,Nest of vipers - A ,"A group of iniquitous people, congregating together.",English
1412,Never give a sucker an even break,"Literal meaning, but usually used for comic effect. ",English
1413,Never knowingly undersold,"The slogan
of the John Lewis Partnership from the 1920s.",English
1414,Never look a gift horse in the mouth,The proverbial saying 'don't look a gift horse in the mouth' means don't be ungrateful when you receive a gift.,English
1415,Never-never land,A utopian dreamland.,English
1416,Never the twain shall meet,Two things which are so different as to have no opportunity to unite.,English
1417,New kid on the block,A new arrival in an area or in a group of young friends.,English
1418,Nice as ninepence,"Neat, tidy, well-ordered. ",English
1419,Nice kettle of fish,"The expression 'a kettle of fish' is usually part of the phrases 'a fine kettle of fish', 'a pretty kettle of fish' etc, which mean 'a muddle or awkward state of affairs'. ",English
1420,(In the) nick of time ,Just in time; at the precise moment.,English
1421,Night owl,A person who is active late at night. ,English
1422,Nine days' wonder,A novelty that loses its appeal after a few days. ,English
1423,Nip and tuck,"A close result in a race or contest. More recently, the name of a cosmetic surgery procedure. ",English
1424,Nip in the bud,To nip something in the bud is to put a stop to it while it is still in its early development.,English
1425,Nitty-gritty,The heart of the matter; the basic essentials; the harsh realities.,English
1426,No-brainer,Something that requires little mental effort or intelligence to perform or understand. The term is often applied to decisions which are straightorward or sometimes to people who appear to lack intelligence. ,English
1427,No dice,The expression 'no dice' is a refusal to accept a proposition - equivalent to 'nothing doing'. ,English
1428,No holds barred,Without restrictions or rules. ,English
1429,No laughing matter,Not a subject for levity. ,English
1430,No love lost,'There's no love lost between them' is used to describe a relationship between two people who dislike each each.,English
1431,No man is an island,The phrase 'no man is an island' expresses the idea that human beings do badly when isolated from others and need to be part of a community in order to thrive. ,English
1432,No more cakes and ale?,"Cakes and ale are synonymous with the good life, like beer and skittles.",English
1433,No names: no pack-drill,Say nothing and avoid repercussions.,English
1434,No quarter given,"Show no mercy or concession; in its original usage, show no mercy for a vanquished opponent. ",English
1435,No rest for the wicked,'No rest for the wicked has a literal meaning - that the wicked shall be tormented in Hell. ,English
1436,No room to swing a cat,"An awkwardly small, confined space.",English
1437,No truck with,To reject or to have nothing to do with.,English
1438,"No way, Jose",Absolutely not; never. ,English
1439,Nod is as good as a wink - A ,"'A nod is as good as a wink' expresses the idea that, to a person who is ready to understand or undertake something, any subtle signalling of it is sufficient. The context is usually of some undertaking that is borderline illegal or of sexual innuendo. ",English
1440,Nod - The land of,The Land of Nod is a mythical  land where we travel to to sleep.,English
1441,Norange - A ,"In 1914 the Danish grammarian Otto Jespersen coined the term 'metanalysis'. That's rather a dry start to a piece on what is a lively and intriguing facet of the English language. To find out what prompted Jespersen to believe that we needed a new word, let's bring in a stage prop - the humble orange. ",English
1442,Nosy parker,"A 'nosy parker', sometimes spelled 'nosey parker', is a person of an overly inquisitive or prying nature. ",English
1443,Not a dicky-bird,Not a sound; not an utterance.,English
1444,Not by a long chalk,Not by any means; a good distance away from being true.,English
1445,Not my cup of tea,Something or someone that one finds pleasing.,English
1446,Not for all the tea in China,Not at any price.,English
1447,Not playing with a full deck,'Not playing with a full deck' might be said about someone who was considered stupid.,English
1448,Not rocket science,It (the subject under discussion) isn't difficult to understand.,English
1449,Not tonight Josephine,This is the supposed response by Napoleon Bonaparte when declining sex with Empress Joséphine.,English
1450,Not worth a plugged nickel,Worthless.,English
1451,Not worth the candle,Something might be considered to be 'not worth the candle' if is too insignificant or worthless to be worth bothering with.,English
1452,Nothing is certain but death and taxes,A rather fatalistic and sardonic proverb. It draws on the actual inevitability of death to highlight the difficulty in avoiding the burden of taxes. ,English
1453,Nothing succeeds like success,"A proverb, expressing the idea that success breeds further success.",English
1454,"Nothing ventured, nothing gained","In order to achieve, you need to act and take risks.",English
1455,Now is the winter of our discontent,'Now is the winter of our discontent' express the idea that we have reached the depth of our unhappiness and that better times are ahead.,English
1456,Nth degree ,To the utmost degree; without limit.,English
1457,Nul points,"'No points' - the lowest possible score awarded to performers in the Eurovision Song Contest. The term is also sometimes used as a jokey judgement on any hopelessly inept performance. This is sometimes accompanied by the raising of imaginary cards showing zero, in a mock simulation of the scoring in ice-skating competitions. ",English
1458,Nutshell - In a,In a few words; concisely stated.,English
1459,"O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?","The literal meaning of 'O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?' would appear to be 'Where are you Romeo?'. In fact, using the meaning of wherefore that would have been commonplace in Shakespeare's day, the playright suggested the meaning of 'For what reason are you Romeo?'.",English
1460,"O ye, of little faith","This is the rebuke levelled at the disciples of Christ, when seeming to doubt his divinity. The phrase is also more widely used to describe any Christian doubter. In a secular setting it may be intended as a humorous jibe when doubting someone's abilities. ",English
1461,Odds bodkins,God's body.,English
1462,Off his own bat,By an individual's own efforts. ,English
1463,Off the record,Something said in confidence that the speaker doesn't want attributed to them.,English
1464,Off with his head,"Literal meaning. That is, 'chop off his head'. It is now usually used humorously as a means of mildly reproaching someone. ",English
1465,Offing - In the,Imminent; likely to happen soon.,English
1466,"Oh, my stars and garters",A jocular exclamation or expression of astonishment. ,English
1467,"Oh, they have slain the Earl of Moray and Lady Mondegreen",The misheard lyric that was the source of the generic term for misheard lyrics - mondegreens. ,English
1468,Okay,Satisfactory - all correct. ,English
1469,Okey-dokey,'Okey-dokey' is just an extended form of 'okay'. ,English
1470,Old as Methuselah,"Very
old.",English
1471,Old as the hills,Exceedingly old.,English
1472,Old chestnut,"A story that has been told repeatedly before, a 'venerable' joke. Hence, in extended use, anything trite, stale, or too often repeated.",English
1473,Old codger,"An old man, especially one who is eccentric, curmudgeonly or grotesque.",English
1474,Old hat,Old-fashioned; hackneyed.,English
1475,Old lang syne - see auld lang syne,"The Anglicized version of 'auld lang syne', which means old long-since or old long-ago. ",English
1476,On a hiding to nothing,"To be faced with a situation which is pointless, as a successful outcome is impossible. This is usually expressed in terms of a sporting contest in which one of two outcomes is foreseen, either a hiding or nothing. The 'to' in the phrase indicates alternative outcomes, as in terms like '6 to 1' or 'dollars to doughnuts'. ",English
1477,On a wing and a prayer,"In a difficult situation, relying on meagre resources and luck to get out of it. ",English
1478,On Carey Street,"Euphemism
for being bankrupt or in debt.",English
1479,On cloud nine,To be 'on cloud nine' is to be in a state of blissful happiness.,English
1480,On queer street,An imaginary street where people in difficulty live. ,English
1481,On tenterhooks,To be 'on tenterhooks' is to be in a state of uncomfortable suspense or impatience. ,English
1482,On the ball,To be alert; in command of one's senses. ,English
1483,On the bubble,"On the threshold; finely balanced between success and failure; for example, if a qualifying competition for an event allowed the top eight runners to proceed to the next round then those who were close to qualification and could get through by a small increase in performance would be said to be 'on the bubble'. ",English
1484,On the button,Just right; exactly on target or at exactly the right time.,English
1485,On the dole,Unemployed and in receipt of state benefit.,English
1486,On the fiddle,Engaged in a fraud. ,English
1487,On the pig's back,To be in luck; in a prosperous happy state. ,English
1488,On the QT,On the quiet.,English
1489,On the shoulders of giants,Using the understanding gained by major thinkers who have gone before in order to make intellectual progress.,English
1490,On the side of the angels,(Originally) Supporting the theory of the divine creation.,English
1491,On the wagon,'On the wagon' - abstaining from alcohol. 'Off the wagon' - returned to drinking after an attempt to give it up. ,English
1492,On the warpath,Intent on a confrontation or fight. ,English
1493,On with the motley,Prepare for a stage performance. Latterly also used more widely just to mean let's begin or let's continue. ,English
1494,On your beam ends,Hard up; in a bad situation. ,English
1495,On your tod,On your own. ,English
1496,"Once bitten, twice shy","The proverb 'once bitten, twice shy' suggests that, when someone is hurt doing something, they are wary of doing it again for fear of being hurt a second time.",English
1497,Once in a blue moon,Very rarely. ,English
1498,"Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more",Let us try again one more time.,English
1499,One-hit wonder,"A performer or act, usually a singer or band, who has just one popular success.",English
1500,One fell swoop - At,'At one fell swoop' means 'suddenly; in a single action'.,English
1501,One for the road,A final drink taken just before leaving on a journey.,English
1502,One foot in the grave,To be near to death.,English
1503,One good turn deserves another,"'One good turn deserves another' is a proverbial expression that means, when someone does you a good turn, a good turn done in return is appropriate.",English
1504,One hand washes the other,The proverb 'one hand washes the other' expresses the idea that mutual cooperation can help both parties. ,English
1505,One over the eight,The final drink that renders someone drunk.,English
1506,One sandwich short of a picnic,"A jokey, colloquial term for stupid.",English
1507,One small step for man,"These were Neil
Armstrong's words on first setting foot on the moon in 1969. The line is a strong contender as the most famous  ever to have been uttered. ",English
1508,One stop shop,"A location, usually a shop, where various requirements can be met in one place. ",English
1509,One swallow doesn't make a summer,A single instance of something is just that; it doesn't indicate a trend.,English
1510,One's heart's content,To one's (or your) heart's content means to one's complete inner satisfaction - until one's heart is content. ,English
1511,Oops-a-daisy,An exclamation made when encouraging a child to get up after a fall or when lifting a child into the air.,English
1512,Open season,"A time when criticism or other negative actions may be expected, with no mercy shown. ",English
1513,(The) order of the boot,"Given
the sack, that is, asked to leave your job (see 'get the sack').",English
1514,Ough - the many ways to pronounce,English isn't an easy language to learn. One reason for that is the non-standard spelling and pronunciation. There's no better example of that than in the many ways that 'ough' is pronounced. ,English
1515,Out of sight,Excellent; extraordinary.,English
1516,"Out of sight, out of mind",The idea that something is easily forgotten or dismissed as unimportant if it is not in our direct view. ,English
1517,Out of sorts,To be 'out of sorts' is to be mildly unwell; not in one's usual health or state of mind. ,English
1518,Out of the jaws of death,Saved from great danger.,English
1519,Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings,"From the Bible, King James Version:",English
1520,Out on a limb,Put oneself in an isolated  position in one's support of someone or something.,English
1521,Over a barrel,To be 'over a barrel' is to be left without choice; in someone else's power. ,English
1522,Over-egg the pudding,To  'over-egg the pudding' is to go too far in exaggerating or embellishing something - to adorn or supply to excess. ,English
1523,Over the moon,Very happy or delighted.,English
1524,Over the top,To an excessive degree; beyond reasonable or acceptable limits.,English
1525,"Overpaid, oversexed, and over here","Comic line, making fun of the US Army in Europe in WWII. There was a good humoured banter between the GIs that were stationed in Britain prior to and during WWII and the British citizenry. The GIs had a come-back - calling the Brits, ""underpaid, undersexed and under Eisenhower"". ",English
1526,Oxo cube,The Tube (London Underground train).,English
1527,Ps and Qs - Mind your ,Be on your best behaviour; be careful of your language. ,English
1528, Packed to the gunwales,Full to the brim; packed tight.,English
1529,Paddle your own canoe,Act independently and decide your own fate.,English
1530,Paint the town red,To 'paint the town red' is to engage in a riotous spree.,English
1531,Panic stations,"A state of high alert, often a simulated panic for comic effect.",English
1532,Paper tiger,"A
person who appears to have power but is in reality ineffectual.",English
1533,Parting shot / Parthian shot ,"A final remark, usually cutting or derogatory, made just before departing.",English
1534,Pass over to the other side,'Passing over to the other side' is a euphemism for dying.,English
1535,Pass the buck,To 'pass the buck' is to evade responsibility by passing it on to someone else.,English
1536,Paying guest - A,A lodger. ,English
1537,P.D.Q. - pretty damn quick,Pretty damn quick.,English
1538,Pearls before swine,Items of quality offered to those who aren't cultured enough to appreciate them.,English
1539,Pears for your heirs,An adage to encourage us to think long-term and look after future generations.,English
1540,Peeping Tom,A voyeur. A man who furtively observes naked or sexually active people for his own gratification.,English
1541,Peg out,Die.,English
1542,Pell-mell,In disorderly confusion; with reckless haste.,English
1543,(The) pen is mightier than the sword ,Literal meaning.,English
1544,Pennies from heaven,"Money acquired without effort or risk. The phrase is applied to any unexpected benefits, but especially financial ones.",English
1545,Penny dreadful,"A cheap publication, comntaining melodramas written in a colourful and down-market style.",English
1546,(The) penny drops ,"A
belated realization of something after a period of confusion or ignorance.",English
1547,Penny pinching,Parsimonious; mean with money.,English
1548,Penny for your thoughts - A,An invitation to a person lost in thought to share his or her preoccupation.,English
1549,Penny saved is a penny earned - A ,The notion expressed in the proverbial saying 'A penny saved is a penny earned' is that it is as useful to save money that you already have as it is to earn more. ,English
1550,Penny wise and pound foolish,Careful with one's spending of small sums of money but careless and wasteful with larger amounts.,English
1551,Pester power,"The power children have, by repeated nagging, of influencing their parents to buy advertised or fashionable items.",English
1552,Peter out,Dwindle away to nothing.,English
1553,Petty cash,"An accessible store of money, intended for small purchases.",English
1554,Phrases and sayings quiz,NO INFORMATION,English
1555,Phrases that people get wrong,Anyone learning English has a hard job on their hands. Lots of words don't sound the way you might expect from their spelling and lots of idiomatic phrases don't seem  to make much sense.,English
1556,Physician heal thyself,"Attend to one's own faults, in preference to pointing out the faults of others. ",English
1557,Pick 'n' mix ,"A range of sweets, chocolates, ice-creams etc., from which a selection can be made.",English
1558,Picture is worth a thousand words - A ,"A picture tells a story just as well as, if not better than, a lot of written words.",English
1559,Picture-perfect,A faultless image.,English
1560,Pie - as easy as ,Very easy.,English
1561,Pie in the sky,"A promise of heaven, while continuing to suffer in this life.",English
1562,Piece of cake - A,A straightforward task that can easily be accomplished. ,English
1563,Piece of piss,A straightforward task that can easily be accomplished. ,English
1564,Piece of the action,"A share in an activity, or in its profits. ",English
1565,Pig in a poke,"A pig in a poke is an
              offer or deal that is foolishly accepted without being examined first.",English
1566,Pigeon-chested,Having a narrow chest with a protruding breastbone - alluding to the appearance of pigeons. ,English
1567,Pig's back - on the ,To be in luck; in a prosperous happy state. ,English
1568,Pig's ear,"As 'pig's ear' - Cockney rhyming slang for beer. 
  As 'in a pig's ear' - an expression of disbelief.
    
    As 
  'make a pig's ear of ' - make a mess or muddle.",English
1569,(In a) pig's eye,An expression of emphatic disbelief.,English
1570,Pig and whistle,A popular name for British pubs. ,English
1571,Piggyback,"To ride piggyback is to be carried on the back and shoulders of another person. Often, the person being carried is a child, either by an adult or another child. More recently the term has been applied to any person or process that is carried along by another.",English
1572,Pigs might fly,"A humorous/sarcastic remark, used to indicate the unlikeliness of some event or to mock the credulity of others; for example, ""I might make a start on papering the back bedroom tomorrow"". ""Yes, and pigs might fly"". ",English
1573,Pin money,Originally a small allowance given to a woman in order to purchase clothes etc. for herself. More recently it is used to describe any small amount of money which might be earned by children or the low-paid for some service.,English
1574,(Take with a) pinch of salt,To take a statement with 'a grain of salt' (or 'a pinch of salt') means to accept it while maintaining a degree of scepticism about its truth.,English
1575,Pip - Get the/got the /have the ,Become irritated or annoyed. ,English
1576,Pipe down,A request to be quiet.,English
1577,Pipe dream - A,A 'pipe dream' is an unrealistic hope or fantasy.,English
1578,Piping hot,"Very hot, usually referring to food.",English
1579,Piss and vinegar - Full of ,"Rowdy, boisterous, full of youthful energy. ",English
1580,Pitch black,"Intensely dark, usually in reference to a moonless, starless night.",English
1581,Pitch dark,"Intensely dark, usually in reference to a moonless, starless night.",English
1582,Place for everything and everything in its place - A ,The proverbial notion that there should be 'a place for everything and everything in its place' is the idea that everything should have somewhere to be stored  and that it should be tidily returned there when not in use. ,English
1583,Plague on both your houses - A ,"A frustrated
 curse on both sides of an argument.",English
1584,Plain sailing,Smooth and easy progress. ,English
1585,Plates of meat,Feet.,English
1586,Play by ear,"Initially, this referred to the playing of music without reference to printed notation. More recently it is also used figuratively to mean 'handle a situation in an impromptu manner', that is, without reference to pre-determined rules or guidelines.",English
1587,Play Devil's advocate,"Figuratively, one who takes a contrary position for the sake of testing an argument, or just to be perverse.",English
1588,Play ducks and drakes,To behave recklessly; to idly squander one's wealth. ,English
1589,Play fast and loose,Be inconstant and unreliable.,English
1590,Play gooseberry,To play gooseberry is to act as a chaperone to a couple who are romantically inclined. ,English
1591,Play it again Sam,"Bogart's supposed line from Casablanca. This is well-known as one of the most widely misquoted lines from films. The actual line in the film is 'Play it, Sam'. Something approaching 'Play it again, Sam' is first said in the film by Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman) in an exchange with the piano player 'Sam' (Dooley Wilson): ",English
1592,Play second fiddle,To 'play second fiddle' is to take a subordinate position to another person.,English
1593,Play silly buggers,"I have been watching the 30th cricket Test series between England and India and  musing about the oddly named field positions 'Silly mid-on', 'Silly point' etc. I've watched enough cricket to know that these are positions close to the batsman, but wondered why they are labelled 'silly' and whether there might be  an archaic 'near to' meaning of the word. As it turns out, there isn't. 'Silly' in this context means what we normally mean by the word, that is, 'foolish or empty-headed'. Anyone who has been hit on the knee (or elsewhere) by a cricket ball will understand that standing about six feet away from the batsman is just plain silly.",English
1594,Play the giddy goat,Behave foolishly. ,English
1595,Play the race card,"To attempt to gain advantage in an election by pandering to the electorate's racism. Also, more recently, to attempt  to gain advantage by drawing attention to one's race. ",English
1596,Pleased as Punch,"Very
pleased.",English
1597,Plug-ugly,"Extremely ugly, usually of people.",English
1598,Plugged nickel,Worthless.,English
1599,Poetic justice,"The allocation of an ideal form of justice, where virtue is rewarded and infamy punished, as befitting a work of poetry or drama.",English
1600,Point-and-click ,"Relating to digital equipment, for example a camera or computer interface, in which action action is performed as the result of a single clicked button press.",English
1601,Point Percy at the porcelain,'Point Percy at the porcelain' is a comic reference to urinating.,English
1602,Politically correct,'Politically correct'  is that which used language that conforms to liberal or radical opinion by avoiding anything which might cause offence to or disadvantage social minorities.,English
1603,Point-blank,Close enough to go directly to a target.,English
1604,Point to point,"A
race, usually a horse-race, in a direct line across countryside. The term has also migrated to other areas which involve transit from one specific point to another; for example, direct air transport from one city to another and the 'P2P [Point to Point] Protocol' used in Internet communications. ",English
1605,Pommy bashing,Australian slang term for attacks on the English.,English
1606,Pomp and circumstance,An ostentatious display of ceremonial grandeur.,English
1607,Pond life,A worthless or stupid person or group.,English
1608,Pony and trap,"Rubbish; nonsense, or 'of poor quality'. Often shortened just to 'pony'. ",English
1609,Pony up,"Pay  money, especially  a payment that is in arrears.",English
1610,Pop goes the weasel,The name of the nursery rhyme and song.,English
1611,Pop your clogs,To 'pop your clogs' is to die.,English
1612,Popular fallacies - The Nonsense Nine ,"

People like to retell stories about the origin of some phrase or other. I get mail, phone calls, posts on Facebook. ",English
1613,Pork pies,Lies. Often shortened to 'porkies'.,English
1614,"POSH - Port out, starboard home","Elegant, swanky, rich. ",English
1615,Pot calling the kettle black - The ,'The pot calling the kettle black' is a response often given when someone  criticises  another for a fault they also  have themselves.,English
1616,Take potluck ,"Take one's chance as to what meal one is served when accepting another's hospitality. Also, in the USA, potluck is the name of a communal meal, in which participants each bring a dish to be shared. ",English
1617,Pound of flesh,Something which is owed that is ruthlessly required to be paid back.,English
1618,Pour oil on troubled waters,Attempt to calm a problematic situation.,English
1619,Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely,"The proverbial saying 'power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely'  conveys the opinion that, as a person's power increases, their moral sense diminishes.",English
1620,Power dressing,"A stylish and expensive clothing style, intended to convey the impression of assertiveness and competence and predominantly worn by women..",English
1621,Powers that be - The ,The established government or authority.,English
1622,Praying at the porcelain altar,'Praying at the porcelain altar' is a comic reference to kneeling and vomiting down the toilet.,English
1623,Preaching to the choir,To (pointlessly) try to convince a person or group to accept an opinion that they already agree with.,English
1624,Preposterous,Now chiefly used to mean absurd; ridiculous. ,English
1625,Press into service,Induce someone to join the military. More recently the phrase is used to mean 'make impromptu use of' some article or person to fulfil some task - usually someone or thing that isn't normally used for such a task.,English
1626,Pretty kettle of fish,"The expression 'a kettle of fish' is usually part of the phrases 'a fine kettle of fish', 'a pretty kettle of fish' etc, which mean 'a muddle or awkward state of affairs'. ",English
1627,Pretty penny - A,"A considerable profit, or a large sum of money.",English
1628,Prick up your ears,To begin listening attentively.,English
1629,Pride comes before a fall,The proverbial saying 'pride comes before a fall' is a warning that  haughtiness and  hubris leads to failure and loss. ,English
1630,Prime time,'Prime time' is the time of day when the TV audience is at its largest. ,English
1631,Primrose path,"The pleasant route through life, of pleasure and dissipation.",English
1632,Procrastination is the thief of time,"Putting off an action leads to time wasting. If something is necessary, it is best to act quickly to accomplish it.",English
1633,Proof of the pudding is in the eating - The,To fully judge how effective something is you need to use it for its intended purpose.,English
1634,Proverbs - A list of ,What is a proverb?,English
1635,Pull in your horns,Restrain one's ardour; lower one's ambitions.,English
1636,Pull out all the stops,Make every possible effort.,English
1637,"Pull the other one, it's got bells on",To pull someone's leg is deceive them in a humorous or playful way. ,English
1638,Pull the wool over your eyes,"To deceive, to hoodwink.",English
1639,Pull up stakes,To move home. Sometimes also given as 'pull up sticks'. ,English
1640,Pull your horns in,Restrain one's ardour; lower one's ambitions.,English
1641,Pull your finger out,Hurry up; make every possible effort.,English
1642,Pull yourself up by your bootstraps,To 'pull yourself up by your bootstraps' is to improve your situation by your own unaided efforts.,English
1643,Pulling one's leg,To pull someone's leg is deceive them in a humorous or playful way. ,English
1644,Punch above one's weight,Competing against someone who you are no match for.,English
1645,Pure as the driven snow,Entirely pure.,English
1646,Purple patch,"An overly elaborate or effusive piece of writing. Also, a period of notable success or good luck.",English
1647,Push the boat out,"To spend generously. To spend more than one is normally accustomed to doing, often to mark a special occasion.",English
1648,Push the envelope,"To attempt to extend the current limits of performance. To innovate, or go beyond commonly accepted boundaries.",English
1649,Put a damper on,"Make dishearted, especially to diminish interest in something that was previously exciting.",English
1650,Put a sock in it,A request to be quiet.,English
1651,Put a spanner in the works,"To throw a spanner in the works is to, deliberately or otherwise, cause disruption; to interfere with the smooth running of something. ",English
1652,Put on the wooden overcoat,Die.,English
1653,Put on your thinking cap,Take time for consideration of some question.,English
1654,Put paid to,To deal with effectively; to finish something off.,English
1655,Put the cart before the horse,Reverse the accepted or logical order of things.,English
1656,Put the mockers on,"To thwart someone's efforts or cause them to have bad luck. Also, to have the mockers on - to be cursed with bad luck.",English
1657,Put the wood in the hole,Close the door.,English
1658,Put up your dukes,Put up your fists and prepare to fight.,English
1659,Put your back up,Make one angry.,English
1660,Put your best foot forward,Embark on a journey or task with purpose and gusto.,English
1661,Put your nose out of joint ,Hurt your feelings or upset your plans. ,English
1662,Put your shoulder to the wheel ,To 'put your shoulder to the wheel' is to respond to a problem by applying oneself and making your  best effort. It is similar in meaning to  'get stuck in'.,English
1663,Pyrric victory,"A
victory gained at too great a cost.",English
1664,Quality time,Time in which individual attention is given to an otherwise neglected child or partner.,English
1665,Quantum leap,"A sudden, very noticable and significant advance.",English
1666,Quarter - Give no ,"Show no mercy or concession; in its original usage, show no mercy for a vanquished opponent. ",English
1667,Queer as a nine bob note,"Odd
or unusual. Also used to mean homosexual. ",English
1668,Queer Street,An imaginary street where people in difficulty live. ,English
1669,Queer the pitch,(Originally) interfere with or spoil the business of a tradesman or showman. (More recently) spoil the business at hand.,English
1670,Quick and the dead - The ,All souls - alive or dead.,English
1671,Quicker than lager turns to piss,Very quick.,English
1672,Quid pro quo,Something given in return for a item of equivalent value - like tit for tat.,English
1673,Quotations,People love to talk and when they say something memorable we call it a quotation. ,English
1674,Rabbit and pork,Talk.,English
1675,Rack and ruin,Complete destruction. ,English
1676,Rag-and-bone man,"A rag-and-bone man is a collector  of discarded  clothes, bones and other low-value items that can be re-sold to merchants. Cloth was recycled to make shoddy and bones were used to make glue.",English
1677,Rack your brains,To rack one's brains is to strain mentally to recall or to understand something. ,English
1678,"Rag, tag and bobtail",A common rabble - the hoi polloi.,English
1679,Raining cats and dogs,Raining very heavily.,English
1680,Raining stair-rods,Raining stair rods means 'aining very heavily'.,English
1681,Raise Cain,To be 'raising Cain' is to be causing trouble or creating an uproar.,English
1682,Rank and file,The ordinary members of a group; as opposed to the group leadership. ,English
1683,Raspberry tart,Fart.,English
1684,Raze to the ground,To destroy and sweep completely away. ,English
1685,Rat arsed,Drunk.,English
1686,Read between the lines,Discern a meaning which isn't made obvious or explicit.,English
1687,Read the riot act,"Reprimand
rowdy characters and warn them to stop behaving badly.",English
1688,Real McCoy,The real thing - not a substitute. ,English
1689,Red-handed (caught) ,"To be caught red-handed is to be caught in the act of committing a misdemeanour, with the evidence there for all to see. ",English
1690,Red herring,A deliberate misleading and diverting of attention from the real issue. ,English
1691,Red in tooth and claw,"A reference to the sometimes violent natural world, in which predatory animals unsentimentally cover their teeth and claws with the blood of their prey as they kill and devour them. ",English
1692,Red-letter day,"In earlier times a church festival or saint's day; more recently, any special day.",English
1693,Red rag to a bull - A ,"To wave a red rag to a bull is to  deliberately provoke it. More generally, the expression denotes any deliberate action intended to bring about an adverse reaction. ",English
1694,Red sky at night ...,This is the first part of the weather-lore rhyme:,English
1695,Red tape,Rigid or mechanical adherence to bureaucratic rules and regulations especially those involving unnecessary paperwork.,English
1696,Reduplicated phrases,"The coinage of new words and phrases into English has been greatly enhanced by the pleasure we get from playing with words. There are numerous alliterative and rhyming idioms, which are a significant feature of the language. These aren't restricted to poets and Cockneys; everyone uses them. We start in the nursery with choo-choos, move on in adult life to hanky-panky and end up in the nursing home having a sing-song.",English
1697,Religion is the opium of the people ,"This is probably the best-known quotation by Karl Marx, the German economist and Communist political philosopher. The origin German text, in Critique of Hegel's Philosophy of Right, 1843 is:",English
1698,Rest on his laurels,To be  satisfied with one's past success and to consider further   effort unnecessary.,English
1699,"Revenge is a dish best served cold
Rhyme nor reason
Rhyming slang
Richard of York gave battle in vain
Richard the Third
Riddle wrapped up in an enigma - A 
Ride a cock-horse to Banbury Cross
Riding shotgun
Riff-raff
Riley - the life of 
[That] Rings a bell
Ring a ring o'roses, a pocketful of posies, atishoo, atishoo, all fall down
Ring down the curtain
Ring-fencing
Ring the changes
Rinky-dink
Rise and shine
Road less travelled - The 
Road apples
Road rage
Roasted to a turn
Rob Peter to pay Paul
Rock and roll 
It's not rocket science 
A rolling stone gathers no moss
Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?
Rose by any other name would smell as sweet - A 
Rose is a rose is a rose
Rosie Lea
Rough diamond



Round Robin
Route one
Rub of the green
Rule of thumb
Rum do
Rumpy-pumpy
Run a mile
Run amok
Run of the mill
Run out of steam
Run rings around
Run the gauntlet
Sacred cow
Safe as houses - As
Safe pair of hands - A 
Safe sex
Salad days
Salt of the earth - The 
San fairy Ann
Sandwich short of a picnic
Save face
Save one's bacon 
Saved by the bell
Savoir faire
Say cheese
Say goodnight Gracie
Scapegoat
Scarper
Scot-free
Scott (Sir Walter - phrases coined by) 
Screw your courage to the sticking place
'Scuse me while I kiss this guy
Sea change
Sealed with a loving kiss
Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness
Second-guess
Security blanket
See a pin and pick it up, all the day you'll have good luck; see a pin and let it lie, bad luck you'll have all day
See red
Seek and you shall find
Seen better days
Send packing
Senior citizen
Sent to Coventry
Separate the sheep from the goats
Set one's cap at
Set your teeth on edge
Sex and shopping
Seven-year itch
Sexton Blake
Shebang - The whole 
Shaggy dog story
Shake a leg
Shakers and movers
Shakespeare (phrases and sayings of) 
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Shambles
Shanks' mare/shanks' pony
Share and share alike
Shilly-shally
Ship shape and Bristol fashion
 Shit end of the stick - The 
Shit for brains
Shiver my timbers
Shoddy
Short end of the stick - The 
Shot across the bows
Shot heard 'round the world - The 
Shot in the arm
Shot in the dark
Shoot through
Short shrift
Show a leg - see shake a leg
Show your mettle
Shrinking violet
Shuffle off this mortal coil
Shut your cake-hole
Siamese twins
Sick puppy (A) 
Sight for sore eyes (A) 
Silly Billy
Silly season
Silver lining - every cloud has a 
Sir Walter Scott (phrases coined by) 
Silence is golden
Silver bullet
Similes
Sitting pretty
Sixes and sevens - At 
Skeleton in the closet
Skid row
Skin and blister
(By the) skin of your teeth
(The) sky's the limit
Sledgehammer to crack a nut - A 
Sleep like a top
Sleep on a clothesline
Sleep tight
Sleeveless errand
Sloane Ranger
Slush fund
Smallest room in the house - The
Smart casual
Smoke and mirrors
Snug as a bug in a rug
So sue me
Soap-dodger
Sod's Law
Sold down the river
Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon 'em
Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men, have mediocrity thrust upon them
Someone is walking over my grave
Something for the weekend sir?
Something nasty in the woodshed
Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue
Son of a bitch
Son of a gun
Sorry sight
Sound bite
Sound out
Sour grapes
Space, the final frontier
Spare the rod and spoil the child
Speak of the Devil
Speak softly and carry a big stick
Special relationship
Spelling-bee
Spend a penny
Spick and span
Spill the beans
Spin doctor



Spitting feathers
Spitting image
Spoonerisms
Spring forward, fall back
Spruce-up
Square meal
Squeaky bum time
Stand and deliver
Stand up guy
Standing on the shoulders of giants
Star-crossed lovers
Stark, raving mad
Stars and garters - My 
Start from scratch
Steal a march
Steal my thunder
Step up to the plate
Stick in the mud
Sticks and stones may break my bones
Sticky wicket
Stiff upper lip
Stiffen the sinews
Stinking rich
Stitch in time saves nine - A 
Stone the crows
Stone's throw
Stony-hearted
Stool pigeon
Storm in a teacup
Straight as a die
Straight from the horse's mouth
Strain at the leash
Strait-laced
Strait and narrow
Stranger danger
Stranger than fiction - Truth is 
Strike while the iron is hot
Stuff and nonsense
Stump up
Such is life
Surf and turf
 Surfing the Net/surfing the Internet/surfing the Web 
Survival of the fittest
Suspension of disbelief
Swan song
Sweet Fanny Adams
Swing for you
Swing the lead
Tail wagging the dog - The 
Take a back seat
Take care of the pence and the pounds will take care of themselves
Take down a peg or two
Take potluck 
Take the bit between your teeth
Take the cake
Take the gilt off the gingerbread
Take the Mickey
Take the upper hand
Take umbrage 
Take with a grain of salt
Taken aback
Taken for a ride
Talk of the Devil
Talk the talk
Talk through one's hat
Talk to the hand
Tall story
Tanstaafl - (there's no such thing as a free lunch)
Tattoo phrases and sayings
Tawdry
Tea leaf
Technicolor yawn
Tell it to the marines
Tell me about it 
Tempest in a teapot
Test your mettle - see show your mettle
That's all folks!
That's all she wrote
That's one small step for a man, a giant leap for mankind
The ants are my friends, they're blowing in the wind
The apple never falls far from the tree
The apple of my eye
The back of beyond
The balance of power
The balance of trade
The bane of my life
The bee's knees
The belle of the ball
The best  defense is a good offence
The best laid schemes of mice and men
The Big Apple
The Big Easy
The birds and the bees
The bitter end
The blind leading the blind
The bread of life
The buck stops here
The call of the wild
The camera cannot lie
The chickens come home to roost
The child is father to the man The collywobbles
The course of true love never did run smooth
The crack of doom
The Crapper
The customer is always right
The cut of your jib
The dark side
The darkest hour is just before the dawn
The Devil has all the best tunes
The Devil Incarnate
The Devil is in the details
The Devil makes work for idle hands to do
The Devil take the hindmost
The Devil to pay
The die has been cast
The early bird catches the worm
The elephant in the room
The emperor's new clothes
The ends of the earth 
The exception which proves the rule
The face that launched a thousand ships
The fat of the land
The female of the species is more deadly then the male
The fifth estate
The floozie in the jacuzzi
The fly in the ointment
The full monty
The game is afoot
The game is up
The great unwashed
The hair of the dog that bit you
The hairy eyeball
The heebie-jeebies
The jury is still out
The land of nod
The last straw



The law is an ass
The life of Riley
The living daylights
The love that dare not speak its name
The monstrous regiment of women
The more the merrier
The moving finger writes
The mutt's nuts
The nth degree 
The opera ain't over till the fat lady sings
The pen is mightier than the sword 
The pip - Get/got/have 
The pot calling the kettle black
The powers that be
The proof of the pudding is in the eating 
The quick and the dead
The real McCoy
The road less travelled
The road to hell is paved with good intentions
The salt of the earth 
The seven-year itch
The shoemaker always wears the worst shoes
The short end of the stick
The shot heard 'round the world
The sky's the limit
The smallest room in the house
The straw that broke the camel's back
The tail wagging the dog
The toast of the town
The third degree
The triumph of hope over experience
The upper hand
The usual suspects
The whole kit and caboodle
The whole nine yards
The whole shebang
The writing is on the wall
The wrong side of the blanket
The year dot
The Yellow Peril
There is more than one way to kill a cat
There are three kinds of lies... 
There but for the grace of God, go I
There is no alternative
There's an R in the month
There's method in my madness
There's no fool like an old fool
There's no place like home
There's no such thing as a free lunch (Tanstaafl)
There's no such thing as bad publicity
There's one (a sucker) born every minute
There's one law for the rich and another law for the poor
They couldn't hit an elephant at this distance
Thick and fast 
Thick and thin 
(As) thick as thieves
(As) thick as two short planks
Thin air - Vanish into 
Thing of beauty is a joy forever - A 
Things that go bump in the night
Think outside the box
Thinking cap
Third degree - The 
Third time lucky
Thomas Paine - The writings of
Thorn in the flesh
Thou shalt not kill
Though this be madness, yet there is method in it
Three score and ten
Three sheets to the wind
Three strikes and you are out
Through thick and thin 
Throw in the towel
Throw good money after bad
Throw your hat into the ring
Thumbs up
Thus far into the bowels of the land
Ticked off
Tickle the ivories
Tickled pink
Tide over
Tie the knot
Till the cows come home
Time and tide wait for no man
Tinker's damn
Tilting at windmills
Tissue of lies
Titfer
Tit for tat 
Tits up
To a T
To all intents and purposes
To be or not to be, that is the question
To beggar belief
To boldly go where no man has gone before
To boot
To cast the first stone
To err is human; to forgive divine
To gild refined gold, to paint the lily
To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub
To the manner born
To the nth degree 
To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive
Toast of the town
Toe the line
Toe-curling
Toffee-nosed
Tommy Atkins
Tomorrow is another day
Tongue in cheek
Too big for your breeches
Too much of a good thing
Toodle-oo
Tooth and nail
Top dog
Top drawer
Top notch
Topsy-turvy
Total shambles
Touch and go
Touch with a barge-pole - Wouldn't 
Touch wood 
Touchy-feely
Tout de suite
Tower of strength
 Train surfing
Trick or treat
Trip the light fantastic
Trouble and strife
True blue
Truth is stranger than fiction
Truth will out
Tuckered out
Turkeys voting for Christmas
Turn a blind eye
Turn of phrase
Turn the tables
Turn up for the books
Turn up trumps
Twelve good men and true
Twenty three skidoo
Twenty four seven
Two cents worth
Two heads are better than one
Two peas in a pod 
Under the thumb



Under your hat - Keep it 
Under the auspices of
Get - underway
Under wraps
Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown
Union Jack
The great - unwashed
The - unkindest cut of all
Up a blind alley
Up a gum tree
 Up in arms
Up the creek without a paddle
Up the apples and pears
Up the duff
Up the pole
Up the wooden hill to Bedfordshire
Up to snuff
Upper crust
Upper hand
Up in arms
Ups-a-daisy
Upset the apple-cart
Up the ante
Upside down
Urban myth
Use your loaf
Usual suspects - The 
Using a sledgehammer to crack a nut
Valentine's Day Poems and Sayings
Van surfing
Vanish into thin air
Veg out
Verbosity leads to unclear, inarticulate things
Vice versa
Vicious circle
Vis-a-vis
Visit the ladies' room
Vorsprung Durch Technik
Walk free
Walk the walk
Walk the plank
Walter Scott (phrases coined by) 
Warts and all
Watch the birdie
(A) watched pot never boils 
Watching brief
Wave a red rag to a bull
Wax lyrical
Wax poetic
We are a grandmother
We are not amused
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers
We have seen better days
We know where you live
Weakest link - A chain is only as strong as its 
Wear the trousers
Wear your heart on your sleeve
Weasel words
Wee-wee
Well heeled
Well read
Wet behind the ears
Wet blanket
What a piece of work is man
What are you like?
What football is all about
What God has joined together let no man put asunder
What part of no don't you understand?
What you see is what you get - wysiwyg
What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet
What's not to like?
What's up Doc?
When in Rome, do as the Romans do
When it comes to the crunch
When pigs fly
When the going gets tough, the tough get going
When the shit hits the fan
Where there's muck there's brass
Whet your appetite
Which  is which?
Which  witch is which?
While you live, tell truth and shame the Devil!
Whip round
Whipper snapper
Whipping boy
Whistle and flute
Whistle blower
Whistle down the wind
White as snow
White bread
White elephant
Whole kit and caboodle - The 
Whole-hearted
Whole nine yards - The
Whole shebang - The 
Whoops-a-daisy
Why does bread always fall butter side down?
Why should the Devil have all the best tunes?
Wick - you get on my 
Wide berth - Keep a 
Wild and woolly
Wild goose chase
Willy nilly
Win hands down
Win one for the Gipper
(On a) wing and a prayer
Wing it
Winter drawers on
Wish you were here
With bells on
Without a shadow of a doubt
Without let or hindrance 
Without so much as a by your leave
Woe betide you
Woe is me
Wolf in sheep's clothing
Woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle - A 
Woman's place is in the home - A 
Women and children first
Wooden hill to Bedfordshire
Word association football
Word for word
Word in edgeways - A 
Word in your shell-like - A 
Words ending in gry
Worse for wear
Worth one's salt
Wotcher
Wouldn't touch with a barge-pole
Wreak havoc 
Writing is on the wall - The 
 Wrong end of the stick - The
Wrong side of the blanket - The
Yada yada
Year dot - The
Yellow-belly
Yellow Peril
You are what you eat
You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar
You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink
You can lead a whore to culture but you can't make her think
You can't get blood out of a stone
You can't have your cake and eat it too 
You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear
You can't teach an old dog new tricks
You get on my wick
You look as if you've been dragged through a hedge backwards
You'll wonder where the yellow went when you brush your teeth with Pepsodent
Young turk
Your days are numbered
Your money or your life
Your name is mud
You've never had it so good
Zero tolerance
Zig-zag
",The proverbial phrase 'revenge is a dish best served cold' expresses the notion that vengeance is more satisfying when exacted some time after the harm that instigated it.,English
1700,Rhyme nor reason,"A thing which has neither rhyme nor reason makes no sense, from either a poetic or logical standpoint.",English
1701,Rhyming slang,A type of slang in which  words are replaced by  words or phrases they rhyme with. ,English
1702,Richard of York gave battle in vain,"The phrase 'Richard of York gave battle in vain', often shortened to ROYGBIV,  is intended to aid the recall of the colours of the rainbow",English
1703,Richard the Third,Turd.,English
1704,Riddle wrapped up in an enigma - A ,'A riddle wrapped up in an enigma' is a puzzle - something especially difficult to understand or to solve.,English
1705,Ride a cock-horse to Banbury Cross,'Ride a cock-horse to Banbury Cross' is a line from  a nursery rhyme. The original meaning is unknown and may simply be a nonsense rhyme.,English
1706,Riding shotgun,"To travel as an armed guard next to a vehicle's driver. Latterly, (chiefly in the USA) - to travel in a car's front passenger seat. ",English
1707,Riff-raff,A group of disreputable people of low social position; the dregs of society. ,English
1708,Riley - the life of ,'The life of Riley' is an easy and pleasant life.,English
1709,[That] Rings a bell,Awaken a memory.,English
1710,"Ring a ring o'roses, a pocketful of posies, atishoo, atishoo, all fall down","Verse
 from a nursery rhyme.",English
1711,Ring down the curtain,Bring something to an end.,English
1712,Ring-fencing,"Separating something from usual judgement and guaranteeing its protection, especially the funds of a project.",English
1713,Ring the changes,To employ alternative methods.,English
1714,Rinky-dink,"Something that is worn out, cheap or insignificant. To give someone the rinky-dink means to cheat them.",English
1715,Rise and shine,Get out of bed and prepare for work.,English
1716,Road less travelled - The ,"The road less travelled is the 
          unconventional or uninvestigated option. More metaphorically, it is also used to refer to 'the life you never had' - what might have been had you  made different choices. The notion is near
          to what is nowadays called 'alternative'.",English
1717,Road apples,Horse dung.,English
1718,Road rage,"Aggressively argumentative, and sometimes violent, behaviour indulged in by drivers when annoyed by other road users' actions.",English
1719,Roasted to a turn,Cooked just right. ,English
1720,Rob Peter to pay Paul,To take from one merely to give to another; to discharge one debt by incurring another.,English
1721,Rock and roll ,The form of popular music that came to prominence in the USA in the 1950s.,English
1722,It's not rocket science ,It (the subject under discussion) isn't difficult to understand.,English
1723,A rolling stone gathers no moss,Someone who does not settle in one place rarely prospers.,English
1724,"Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?","The literal meaning of 'O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?' would appear to be 'Where are you Romeo?'. In fact, using the meaning of wherefore that would have been commonplace in Shakespeare's day, the playright suggested the meaning of 'For what reason are you Romeo?'.",English
1725,Rose by any other name would smell as sweet - A ,"The saying 'A rose by any other name would smell as sweet' means that what matters is what something is, not what it is called.",English
1726,Rose is a rose is a rose,"The meaning most often attributed to 'a rose is a rose is a rose' is the notion that, when all is said and done, a thing is what it is. This is in similar vein to Shakespeare's 'a rose by any other name would smell as sweet'. However, that's not the interpretation given by the author of the phrase - see below. ",English
1727,Rosie Lea,Tea.,English
1728,Rough diamond,Someone who is basically good hearted but lacking social graces and respect for the law.,English
1729,Round Robin,A tournament in which each contestant plays each of the others.,English
1730,Route one,"In regard to football 'route one' is a direct form of attack in which the ball is kicked high and long towards the goal, in order to stage an attack. In wider use it is a generalized term for any direct no-nonsense means to an end.",English
1731,Rub of the green,Luck; especially in sports and pastimes played on a green surface.,English
1732,Rule of thumb,"A rule of thumb is a means of estimation made according to a rough and ready practical rule, not based on science or exact measurement. ",English
1733,Rum do,"An
event that is disreputable or strange.",English
1734,Rumpy-pumpy,"Sexual intercourse, especially that of a casual and saucy nature.",English
1735,Run a mile,"Distance oneself from physically or, more often, emotionally. The phrases is used in circumstances where a person has made an advance without an expectation of a response, but, when a response is forthcoming, is shown to be unprepared for it and immediately retreats. ",English
1736,Run amok,"To 'run amok', which is sometimes spelled 'run amuck', is to behave in a wild or unruly manner. ",English
1737,Run of the mill,"The ordinary, basic article, with no decoration or augmentation.",English
1738,Run out of steam,Run out of energy.,English
1739,Run rings around,To easily outrun or outclass and opponent.,English
1740,Run the gauntlet,To go through a series of criticisms or harsh treatments at the hands of one's detractors.,English
1741,Sacred cow,Something too highly regarded to be open to criticism or curtailment.,English
1742,Safe as houses - As,Completely safe and secure.,English
1743,Safe pair of hands - A ,"A
reliable, if somewhat dull, person who can be entrusted not to make a mistake
with a task.",English
1744,Safe sex,"What is usually meant by 'safe sex' is sexual activity where precautions, e.g. the use of condoms, are taken against the transmission of diseases, notably HIV/AIDS. Earlier, in the 20th century, there have been other interpretations of what was meant by the term; for example, 'the avoidance of sex, notably for young or unmarried people' and 'birth control methods'.",English
1745,Salad days,"The
 days of one's youthful inexperience.",English
1746,Salt of the earth - The ,People who are described as 'the salt of the earth' are those who are considered to be of great worth and reliability. ,English
1747,San fairy Ann,A deliberate jokey corruption of the French phrase 'Ça ne fait rien' - it doesn't matter.,English
1748,Sandwich short of a picnic,"A jokey, colloquial term for stupid.",English
1749,Save face,Lose face - Be humiliated; lose one's reputation.,English
1750,Save one's bacon ,"Escape from injury; avoid harm, especially to one's body. ",English
1751,Saved by the bell,Saved by a last minute intervention.,English
1752,Savoir faire,The instinctive ability to know how to deal with any situation that arises.,English
1753,Say cheese,"A photographer's instruction just before taking a picture, in order to make people smile.",English
1754,Say goodnight Gracie,This was coined as the sign-off at the end of George Burns' shows with his wife Gracie Allen in 1958. ,English
1755,Scapegoat,One who is blamed or punished for the sins of others.,English
1756,Scarper,Depart hastily.,English
1757,Scot-free,To go 'scot free' is to escape without incurring payment or  without punishment.,English
1758,Scott (Sir Walter - phrases coined by) ,"There are many sources for the phrases and sayings that colour our language. One important source is the Bible, from which we get 'by the skin of your teeth', 'from strength to strength' and many more. Whether we view these as English phrases is debatable as the first English translation of the Bible was a thousand years or more after the writing of the original biblical texts. Wycliffe's translation, circa 1392, is the first version that brought the Bible to the English-speaking world - apart from that small number of scholars who had read the previous Latin versions and discussed them in English. Whatever we think about the Englishness of translated biblical phrases even they pale next to the single most prolific coiner of English - Shakespeare. To use his own words from All's Well That Ends Well:",English
1759,Screw your courage to the sticking place,Be firm and resolute.,English
1760,'Scuse me while I kiss this guy,A misheard lyric.,English
1761,Sea change,"A
radical change or transformation.",English
1762,Sealed with a loving kiss,The full version of the acronym SWALK.,English
1763,Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,Autumn (in the UK).,English
1764,Second-guess,"1. To criticize and offer advice, with the benefit of hindsight.
  2. To foresee the actions of others,  before they have come to a decision themselves.",English
1765,Security blanket,"1. A small familiar blanket or other soft fabric item  carried by a child for reassurance.
  2. A form of harness for a baby's crib.
  3. All-encompassing military and political security measures.
",English
1766,"See a pin and pick it up, all the day you'll have good luck; see a pin and let it lie, bad luck you'll have all day",A proverb extolling the virtue of thrift.,English
1767,See red,Become angry; lose self-control.,English
1768,Seek and you shall find,"The proverbial saying 'Seek and you shall find' means, in the Biblical sense, 'come to God and your prayers will be answered. In a wider literal sense it just means 'effort will be rewarded'.",English
1769,Seen better days,To have been more wealthy or in better condition in former times.,English
1770,Send packing,Send away ignominiously.,English
1771,Senior citizen,An elderly person; one who is past the age of retirement.,English
1772,Sent to Coventry,"To be ignored or ostracised. This behaviour often takes the form of pretending that the shunned person, although conspicuously present, can't be seen or heard. ",English
1773,Separate the sheep from the goats,Separate the good from the bad. ,English
1774,Set one's cap at,Said of a woman who determines to gain the affections of a man.,English
1775,Set your teeth on edge,"Literally, to cause an unpleasant tingling of the teeth. More generally, the expression is used to describe any feeling of unpleasant distaste. ",English
1776,Sex and shopping,A type of novel where the plot revolves around the affluent consumer lifestyle and sexual encounters of the characters.,English
1777,Seven-year itch,The inclination to become unfaithful after seven years of marriage.,English
1778,Sexton Blake,Fake.,English
1779,Shebang - The whole ,All of it; the whole thing.,English
1780,Shaggy dog story,"A lengthy, improbable and ultimately pointless story, often told in an attempt at humour.",English
1781,Shake a leg,Rouse yourself from sleep and get out of bed.,English
1782,Shakers and movers,"People of energetic demeanour, who initiate change and influence events.",English
1783,Shakespeare (phrases and sayings of) ," 
            William Shakespeare  contributed more phrases and sayings to the English language than any other individual, and most of them are still in daily use. ",English
1784,Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?,"'Shall I compare thee to a summer's day', one of the most celebrated lines in all poetry, is from Shakespeare's Sonnet 18, 1609.",English
1785,Shambles,A scene of disorder; a ruin; a mess. ,English
1786,Shanks' mare/shanks' pony,"One's legs, used as a means of transport.",English
1787,Share and share alike,To 'share and share alike' is to give equal shares to all.,English
1788,Shilly-shally,To dither and be undecided.,English
1789,Ship shape and Bristol fashion,If something is  'ship-shape and Bristol fashion' it is in first-class order.,English
1790, Shit end of the stick - The ,To get the short end of the stick is to come off worst in a bargain or contest.,English
1791,Shit for brains,Extremely stupid.,English
1792,Shiver my timbers,"An oath, expressing annoyance or surprise.",English
1793,Shoddy,"Describing  inferior goods or workmanship, or disrespectful behaviour.",English
1794,Short end of the stick - The ,To get the short end of the stick is to come off worst in a bargain or contest.,English
1795,Shot across the bows,"A
warning shot, either real or metaphorical.",English
1796,Shot heard 'round the world - The ,A line from Emerson's Concord Hymn. Later used to denote shots of various forms that had international significance. ,English
1797,Shot in the arm,"A
stimulus.",English
1798,Shot in the dark,"A
hopeful attempt.",English
1799,Shoot through,"To abscond, or depart quickly.",English
1800,Short shrift,"To
give 'short shrift' is to give little and unsympathetic attention to. ",English
1801,Show a leg - see shake a leg,Rouse yourself from sleep and get out of bed.,English
1802,Show your mettle,Demonstrate your true character. ,English
1803,Shrinking violet,A shy or modest person.,English
1804,Shuffle off this mortal coil,Die.,English
1805,Shut your cake-hole,Be quiet.,English
1806,Siamese twins,Inextricably linked - inseparable. Previously the term was used as a synonym for the more accurate term 'conjoined twins'.,English
1807,Sick puppy (A) ,"Someone who behaves oddly, as a sick puppy might; for example, a lovesick person who pines after their beloved. ",English
1808,Sight for sore eyes (A) ,A welcome sight;  someone or something you are glad to see.,English
1809,Silly Billy,"I have been watching the 30th cricket Test series between England and India and  musing about the oddly named field positions 'Silly mid-on', 'Silly point' etc. I've watched enough cricket to know that these are positions close to the batsman, but wondered why they are labelled 'silly' and whether there might be  an archaic 'near to' meaning of the word. As it turns out, there isn't. 'Silly' in this context means what we normally mean by the word, that is, 'foolish or empty-headed'. Anyone who has been hit on the knee (or elsewhere) by a cricket ball will understand that standing about six feet away from the batsman is just plain silly.",English
1810,Silly season,"I have been watching the 30th cricket Test series between England and India and  musing about the oddly named field positions 'Silly mid-on', 'Silly point' etc. I've watched enough cricket to know that these are positions close to the batsman, but wondered why they are labelled 'silly' and whether there might be  an archaic 'near to' meaning of the word. As it turns out, there isn't. 'Silly' in this context means what we normally mean by the word, that is, 'foolish or empty-headed'. Anyone who has been hit on the knee (or elsewhere) by a cricket ball will understand that standing about six feet away from the batsman is just plain silly.",English
1811,Silver lining - every cloud has a ,"The proverbial saying 'every cloud has a silver lining' is used to convey the notion that, no matter how bad a situation might seem, there is always has some good aspect to it. ",English
1812,Sir Walter Scott (phrases coined by) ,"There are many sources for the phrases and sayings that colour our language. One important source is the Bible, from which we get 'by the skin of your teeth', 'from strength to strength' and many more. Whether we view these as English phrases is debatable as the first English translation of the Bible was a thousand years or more after the writing of the original biblical texts. Wycliffe's translation, circa 1392, is the first version that brought the Bible to the English-speaking world - apart from that small number of scholars who had read the previous Latin versions and discussed them in English. Whatever we think about the Englishness of translated biblical phrases even they pale next to the single most prolific coiner of English - Shakespeare. To use his own words from All's Well That Ends Well:",English
1813,Silence is golden,"A proverbial saying, often used in circumstances where it is thought that saying nothing is preferable to speaking. ",English
1814,Silver bullet,A direct and effortless solution to a problem. ,English
1815,Similes,A simile is a comparison of one thing with another.,English
1816,Sitting pretty,Comfortably placed or well situated. ,English
1817,Sixes and sevens - At ,"A state of confusion and disorder, or of disagreement between parties.",English
1818,Skeleton in the closet,"The expression 'a skeleton in the closet' refers to a secret source of shame, potentially ruinous if exposed, which a person or family makes efforts to conceal.",English
1819,Skid row,A squalid district inhabited by the impoverished and destitute.,English
1820,Skin and blister,Sister.,English
1821,(By the) skin of your teeth,Narrowly; barely. Usually used in regard to a narrow escape from a disaster.,English
1822,(The) sky's the limit,There is no apparent limit.,English
1823,Sledgehammer to crack a nut - A ,To use 'a sledgehammer to crack a nut' means to use disproportionate force or expense to overcome a minor problem. ,English
1824,Sleep like a top,To sleep like a top is to sleep very soundly.,English
1825,Sleep on a clothesline,To sleep on a clothesline is to sleep very soundly.,English
1826,Sleep tight,To 'sleep tight' is to sleep well and undisturbed.,English
1827,Sleeveless errand,A pointless undertaking. ,English
1828,Sloane Ranger,"Sloane Rangers, or latterly just Sloanes or Sloanies are upper class and fashion-conscious but conventional young people, living in the more expensive parts of West London.",English
1829,Slush fund,"Money put aside to be used to bribe or influence, especially in a political context.",English
1830,Smallest room in the house - The,"A euphemistic
reference to a lavatory.",English
1831,Smart casual,Smart but informal clothing. Conforming to a dress code but not uncomfortably so.,English
1832,Smoke and mirrors,"Trickery or deception, often in a political context. ",English
1833,Snug as a bug in a rug,To be 'as snug as a bug in a rug' is to be very comfortable and cosy.,English
1834,So sue me,A defiant challenge for an adversary to escalate a dispute. ,English
1835,Soap-dodger,A scruffy or dirty person; one who washes rarely.,English
1836,Sod's Law,"The so-called law is usually expressed as 'If anything can go wrong, it will'.",English
1837,Sold down the river,Betrayed or cheated.,English
1838,"Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon 'em",Literal meaning ,English
1839,"Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men, have mediocrity thrust upon them",Literal meaning.,English
1840,Someone is walking over my grave,A response to a sudden unexplained shudder or shivering.,English
1841,Something for the weekend sir?,A coy query asking if a customer wanted to buy a condom.,English
1842,Something nasty in the woodshed,"'Something nasty in the woodshed' is a traumatic but unspecified incident in someone's experience, or something  shocking or distasteful that has been  kept secret.",English
1843,"Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue",The collection of items that is considered lucky for a bride to take to her wedding.,English
1844,Son of a bitch,A general term of abuse for a man. ,English
1845,Son of a gun,"A 'son of a gun' is a rogue or scamp - ""you are naughty, you old son of a gun"". The phrase is also used, although this is uncommon outside the USA, as a euphemism for 'son of a bitch'. ",English
1846,Sorry sight,A regrettable and unwelcome aspect or feature. Now also used to mean something or someone of untidy appearance. ,English
1847,Sound bite,"A short and easily remembered line, intended by the speaker to be suitable for media repetition.",English
1848,Sound out,To shirk one's labour; to malinger. ,English
1849,Sour grapes,Acting meanly after a disappointment.,English
1850,"Space, the final frontier",The first line of the opening voice-over in Star Trek,English
1851,Spare the rod and spoil the child,"'Spare the rod and spoil the child' is the notion that children will become weak and vulnerable if not chastised, physically or otherwise, for any wrongdoing.",English
1852,Speak of the Devil,A reference to someone who appears unexpectedly while being talked about. ,English
1853,Speak softly and carry a big stick,"'Speak softly and carry a big stick' is a proverbial saying advising the tactic of caution and non-aggression, backed up by the ability to carry out violent action if required.",English
1854,Special relationship,The relationship between the United Kingdom and the USA.,English
1855,Spelling-bee,A spelling contest.,English
1856,Spend a penny,To use a public lavatory.,English
1857,Spick and span,Entirely new - fresh or unused.,English
1858,Spill the beans,"To divulge a secret, especially to do so inadvertently or maliciously. ",English
1859,Spin doctor,A 'spin doctor' is a political press agent or publicist employed to promote a favourable interpretation of events to journalists.,English
1860,Spitting feathers,Various meanings; see below.,English
1861,Spitting image,The exact likeness.,English
1862,Spoonerisms,A Spoonerism is a word or phrase that is formed by transposing the initial sounds of two or more other words.,English
1863,"Spring forward, fall back","'Spring forward, fall back' is a mnemonic relating to Daylight Saving Time, indicating that clocks are moved  forward an hour in spring and  back an hour in autumn.",English
1864,Spruce-up,To make smart and trim.,English
1865,Square meal,"A
substantial, nourishing meal.",English
1866,Squeaky bum time,"The tense, final stages of a competition.",English
1867,Stand and deliver,"A demand for money, often associated with English highwaymen. ",English
1868,Stand up guy,"A loyal and
reliable friend.",English
1869,Standing on the shoulders of giants,Using the understanding gained by major thinkers who have gone before in order to make intellectual progress.,English
1870,Star-crossed lovers,"Star-crossed means unlucky, that is, not favoured by the stars.",English
1871,"Stark, raving mad",Completely mad; delirious. ,English
1872,Stars and garters - My ,A jocular exclamation or expression of astonishment. ,English
1873,Start from scratch,"Begin (again) from the beginning, embark on something without any preparation or advantage.",English
1874,Steal a march,Gain an advantage over an opponent.,English
1875,Steal my thunder,Someone 'steals your thunder' when they use your ideas or inventions to their own advantage. ,English
1876,Step up to the plate,"'Step up to the plate' is an expression used in baseball, meaning 'enter the batter's box to take a turn to bat'. ",English
1877,Stick in the mud,A narrow-minded or unprogressive person; one who lacks initiative ,English
1878,Sticks and stones may break my bones,"'Sticks and stones may break my bones' is a response to an insult, implying that ""You might be hurt able to hurt me by physical force but not by insults"". ",English
1879,Sticky wicket,"A
difficult situation.",English
1880,Stiff upper lip,"Remain resolute and unemotional in the face of adversity, or even tragedy. ",English
1881,Stiffen the sinews,"To stiffen the sinews is to, by one's own efforts, become resolute and purposeful. The sinews are the fibrous cords that connect bone to muscle - we stiffen them when we prepare for action.",English
1882,Stinking rich,"Extremely, offensively rich ",English
1883,Stitch in time saves nine - A ,A 'stitch in time' is a timely effort that will prevent more work later.,English
1884,Stone the crows,An exclamation of incredulity or annoyance. ,English
1885,Stone's throw,"A
short distance.",English
1886,Stony-hearted,Cruel and unfeeling. ,English
1887,Stool pigeon,"The literal meaning of a stool pigeon is a  decoy bird. In the more common figurative meaning a stool pigeon is  a police informer, or criminal's look-out.",English
1888,Storm in a teacup,"A tempest in a teapot is a small or insignificant event that is over-reacted to, as if it were of considerably more consequence.",English
1889,Straight as a die,Completely straight.,English
1890,Straight from the horse's mouth,From the highest authority.,English
1891,Strain at the leash,To strain at the leash is to be enthusiastic to free oneself from the restrictions that bar one's progress.,English
1892,Strait-laced,Excessively rigid  in matters of conduct; narrow or over-precise in one's behaviour or moral judgement. ,English
1893,Strait and narrow,A conventional and law-abiding course. ,English
1894,Stranger danger,"A slogan, intended to alert children to the risks posed by people they do not know. ",English
1895,Stranger than fiction - Truth is ,Literal meaning. ,English
1896,Strike while the iron is hot,To strike while the iron is hot is to act decisively and take an opportunity when it arises.,English
1897,Stuff and nonsense,"Rubbish, nonsense. Also used, although less often in recent years, as an exclamation of incredulity. ",English
1898,Stump up,Pay for a purchase.,English
1899,Such is life,"An acceptance of the unpredictable fortunes of existence, often spoken with an air of weary resignation. ",English
1900,Surf and turf,"A type of cuisine that combines both meat and seafood (especially lobster and steak), or restaurants that serve such cuisine.",English
1901, Surfing the Net/surfing the Internet/surfing the Web ,"Surfing (a.k.a. surfboarding) is, in its literal meaning, the riding of a wave while standing or lying on a surfboard. ",English
1902,Survival of the fittest,The idea that species adapt and change by natural selection with the best suited mutations becoming dominant.,English
1903,Suspension of disbelief,The temporary acceptance as believable of events or characters that would ordinarily be seen as incredible. This is usually to allow an audience to appreciate works of literature or drama that are exploring unusual ideas. ,English
1904,Swan song,"A
          swan song is a final composition or performance, given before dying or retirement.",English
1905,Sweet Fanny Adams,Nothing.,English
1906,Swing for you,"""I will kill you and am prepared to be hanged as a consequence"", or ""I will swing a punch at you"". ",English
1907,Swing the lead,To shirk one's labour; to malinger. ,English
1908,Tail wagging the dog - The ,An item of minor importance dominating a situation. ,English
1909,Take a back seat,To 'take a back seat' is take a subordinate or reclusive position.,English
1910,Take care of the pence and the pounds will take care of themselves,Literal meaning.,English
1911,Take down a peg or two,"To 'take (or pull, or bring) down a peg (or two)' is to lower someone's high opinion of themselves.",English
1912,Take potluck ,"Take one's chance as to what meal one is served when accepting another's hospitality. Also, in the USA, potluck is the name of a communal meal, in which participants each bring a dish to be shared. ",English
1913,Take the bit between your teeth,Take control of a situation.,English
1914,Take the cake,"Carry off the honours. Sometimes used to express incredulity; for example, ""That's three goals he's missed in one game. If that don't take the cake..."". ",English
1915,Take the gilt off the gingerbread,Remove an item's most attractive qualities. ,English
1916,Take the Mickey,Tease or make fun of. ,English
1917,Take the upper hand,Take a dominant position. ,English
1918,Take umbrage ,To be displeased or offended by the actions of others. ,English
1919,Take with a grain of salt,To take a statement with 'a grain of salt' (or 'a pinch of salt') means to accept it while maintaining a degree of scepticism about its truth.,English
1920,Taken aback,To be taken aback is to be surprised or startled by a sudden turn of events.,English
1921,Taken for a ride,"To be 'taken for a ride' is to be deliberately misled or cheated. Alternatively, and primarily in the USA, it means to be  abducted in a vehicle and murdered.",English
1922,Talk of the Devil,A reference to someone who appears unexpectedly while being talked about. ,English
1923,Talk the talk,Back up one's talk with action. ,English
1924,Talk through one's hat,Talk nonsense; especially on a subject that one professes to be knowledgeable about but in fact is ignorant of.,English
1925,Talk to the hand,(With outstretched vertical palm) Shut up - I've no interest in hearing what you've got to say.,English
1926,Tall story,An untrue and unbelievable story. ,English
1927,Tanstaafl - (there's no such thing as a free lunch),"The economic theory, and also the lay opinion, that whatever goods and services are provided, they must be paid for by someone - that is, you don't get something for nothing. The phrase is also known by the acronym of 'there ain't no such thing as a free lunch' - tanstaafl. ",English
1928,Tattoo phrases and sayings,"Almost all examples of the written word are found on paper. Until the late 20th century, the only significant alternative was on gravestones. We can now add another source - tattoos.",English
1929,Tawdry,"Showy, but of poor quality.",English
1930,Tea leaf,Thief.,English
1931,Technicolor yawn,Vomiting.,English
1932,Tell it to the marines,A scornful response to a tall and unbelieved story.,English
1933,Tell me about it ,"'Tell me about it' is a lighthearted, rueful response used when someone wants to say ""I'm well aware of that; you don't have to tell me."".",English
1934,Tempest in a teapot,"A tempest in a teapot is a small or insignificant event that is over-reacted to, as if it were of considerably more consequence.",English
1935,Test your mettle - see show your mettle,Demonstrate your true character. ,English
1936,That's all folks!,"The catchphrase on the
banner shown at the end of Looney Tunes cartoons.",English
1937,That's all she wrote,An articulation of a sudden and unforeseen  end to one's hopes or plans.,English
1938,"That's one small step for a man, a giant leap for mankind","These were Neil
Armstrong's words on first setting foot on the moon in 1969. The line is a strong contender as the most famous  ever to have been uttered. ",English
1939,"The ants are my friends, they're blowing in the wind",Misheard lyric.,English
1940,The apple never falls far from the tree,"The proverbial saying 'the apple never falls far from the tree', or 'the apple doesn't fall far from the tree' expresses the idea that a person inevitably shares traits with or resembles his or her parents or family.. ",English
1941,The apple of my eye,"The apple of one's eye originally referred to the central aperture of the eye. Figuratively it is something, or more usually someone, cherished above others. ",English
1942,The back of beyond,A lonely forsaken place.,English
1943,The balance of power,"The
distribution of power between nations in such a way that no single state has dominance
over the others.",English
1944,The balance of trade,"The
difference between the value of the imports and exports that a nation makes.",English
1945,The bane of my life,The agent of ruin or woe.,English
1946,The bee's knees,If something is said to be the bee's knees it is excellent - the highest quality.,English
1947,The belle of the ball,The most attractive woman at a social gathering. ,English
1948,The best  defense is a good offence,The proverbial phrase 'attack is the best form of defence' expresses the opinion that a pre-emptive strike is the best way to defend yourself.,English
1949,The best laid schemes of mice and men,The most carefully prepared plans may go wrong.,English
1950,The Big Apple,"Nickname
for New York, USA.",English
1951,The Big Easy,"Nickname
for New Orleans, USA, referring
to the easy-going, laid back attitude to life that jazz musicians and local residents indulge in there.",English
1952,The birds and the bees,'The birds and the bees' is a  phrase that refers to coy explanations about sex and reproduction that are given to children. ,English
1953,The bitter end,"To the
limit of one's efforts - to the last extremity.",English
1954,The blind leading the blind,"Uninformed
and incompetent people leading others who are similarly incapable.",English
1955,The bread of life,"

A name used by Christians to denote Jesus Christ.",English
1956,The buck stops here,The slogan 'The buck stops here' is a promise that responsibility will not be passed on to anyone else.,English
1957,The call of the wild,The appeal of nature in the raw.,English
1958,The camera cannot lie,Literal meaning. ,English
1959,The chickens come home to roost,Bad deeds or words return to discomfort their perpetrator. ,English
1960,The child is father to the man,The proverb 'The child is father to the man' expresses the idea that the character that we form as children stays with us into our adult life.,English
1961,The collywobbles,"A
state of intestinal disorder, usually accompanied by a rumbling stomach; for example, 'butterflies in the stomach'.",English
1962,The course of true love never did run smooth,Literal meaning.,English
1963,The crack of doom,"The sound that heralds the day of the Last Judgment, when God will decree the fates of all men according to the good and evil of their earthly lives.",English
1964,The Crapper,"The
 lavatory.",English
1965,The customer is always right,"'The customer is always right' is a trading slogan that states a company's keenness to be seen to put the customer first. The implied suggestion is that the company is so customer focussed that they will say the customer is right, even if they aren't.",English
1966,The cut of your jib,One's general appearance and demeanour.,English
1967,The dark side,"The evil and malevolent aspect of human personality or society, often referred to in a lighthearted or comic context. ",English
1968,The darkest hour is just before the dawn,"There is hope, even in the worst of circumstances.",English
1969,The Devil has all the best tunes,"'The Devil has all the best tunes' is the view that  music, especially popular music, is predominantly secular rather than religious.",English
1970,The Devil Incarnate,The Devil in human form. ,English
1971,The Devil is in the details,"The details of a plan, while seeming insignificant, may contain hidden  problems that threaten its overall feasibility. ",English
1972,The Devil makes work for idle hands to do,'The devil makes work for idle hands' is one of the numerous variants of phrase that express the idea that trouble or evil arises from not keeping  busy. ,English
1973,The Devil take the hindmost,A proverbial phrase indicating that those who lag behind will receive no aid.,English
1974,The Devil to pay,'The devil to pay' means serious trouble because of a particular circumstance or obligation. ,English
1975,The die has been cast,"'The die has been cast' means that an
irrevocable choice has been made.",English
1976,The early bird catches the worm,Success comes to those who prepare well and put in effort. ,English
1977,The elephant in the room,"An important and obvious topic, which everyone present is aware of, but which isn't discussed, as such discussion is considered to be uncomfortable. ",English
1978,The emperor's new clothes,The label given to any fictional item that viewers have been induced into believing as real.. ,English
1979,The ends of the earth ,The furthest reaches of the land. ,English
1980,The exception which proves the rule,"Normally with these meanings and origins the meaning is well-understood or self-evident and the interesting aspect is how, where and when the phrase originated. This one is a little different - it's the meaning that is generally not understood. ",English
1981,The face that launched a thousand ships,"A reference to the mythological figure Helen of Troy (or some would say, to Aphrodite). Her abduction by Paris was said to be the reason for a fleet of a thousand ships to be launched into battle, initiating the Trojan Wars.",English
1982,The fat of the land,Living well; fed by abundant crops. ,English
1983,The female of the species is more deadly then the male,See also: the List of Proverbs.,English
1984,The fifth estate,The fifth power in the land.,English
1985,The floozie in the jacuzzi,"The floozie (or floosie or floozy) in the jacuzzi is the nickname of the bronze statue, properly called Anna Livia, previously in O'Connell Street, Dublin, Ireland. It personifies the River Liffey, which passes nearby. ",English
1986,The fly in the ointment,A fly in the ointment is a small but irritating flaw that spoils the whole. In the 20th century the expression has also come to be used to describe a small flaw that comes to light to spoil  an otherwise faultless plan.,English
1987,The full monty,"Complete, the whole thing.",English
1988,The game is afoot,"The phrase 'the game is afoot' means 'the process is underway'; for example, 'The teams are on the pitch - the whistle blows - the game is afoot.' ",English
1989,The game is up,The original meaning was 'the game is over - all is lost'. More recently it has come to be used to mean ' we have seen through your tricks - your deceit is exposed'.,English
1990,The great unwashed,"The common, lower classes; the hoi polloi.",English
1991,The hair of the dog that bit you,"The hair of the dog is a small measure of drink, intended to cure a hangover. ",English
1992,The hairy eyeball,A glance made with partially lowered eyelashes. This usually indicates suspicion or hostility but may signal other emotions too. ,English
1993,The heebie-jeebies,"A feeling of anxiety, apprehension or illness.",English
1994,The jury is still out,Judgement has not yet been finalised on a particular subject; especially due to information being incomplete. ,English
1995,The land of nod,The Land of Nod is a mythical  land where we travel to to sleep.,English
1996,The last straw,The final additional small burden that makes the entirety of one's difficulties unbearable.,English
1997,The law is an ass,Said of the application of the law that is contrary to common sense.,English
1998,The life of Riley,'The life of Riley' is an easy and pleasant life.,English
1999,The living daylights,"To beat the living daylights out of someone is to beat them severely, to the point where they lose consciousness. ",English
2000,The love that dare not speak its name,"A reference to homosexual love, although Oscar Wilde
 denied this in his defense of the charge of gross indecency.",English
2001,The monstrous regiment of women,"A disparaging description, often used to describe feminist or rowdy women by their detractors.",English
2002,The more the merrier,"The more people who are present, the better an occasion or situation (especially a party) will be.",English
2003,The moving finger writes,The phrase 'The moving finger writes...' expresses the notion that whatever one does in one's life is one's own responsibility and cannot be changed.,English
2004,The mutt's nuts,"Excellent
- the highest quality.",English
2005,The nth degree ,To the utmost degree; without limit.,English
2006,The opera ain't over till the fat lady sings,Nothing is irreversible until the final act is played out. ,English
2007,The pen is mightier than the sword ,Literal meaning.,English
2008,The pip - Get/got/have ,Become irritated or annoyed. ,English
2009,The pot calling the kettle black,'The pot calling the kettle black' is a response often given when someone  criticises  another for a fault they also  have themselves.,English
2010,The powers that be,The established government or authority.,English
2011,The proof of the pudding is in the eating ,To fully judge how effective something is you need to use it for its intended purpose.,English
2012,The quick and the dead,All souls - alive or dead.,English
2013,The real McCoy,The real thing - not a substitute. ,English
2014,The road less travelled,"The road less travelled is the 
          unconventional or uninvestigated option. More metaphorically, it is also used to refer to 'the life you never had' - what might have been had you  made different choices. The notion is near
          to what is nowadays called 'alternative'.",English
2015,The road to hell is paved with good intentions,The intention to engage in good acts often fails. It points up the principle that there is no merit in good intentions unless they are acted on.,English
2016,The salt of the earth ,People who are described as 'the salt of the earth' are those who are considered to be of great worth and reliability. ,English
2017,The seven-year itch,The inclination to become unfaithful after seven years of marriage.,English
2018,The shoemaker always wears the worst shoes,Artisans work for the wealthy but cannot afford their own produce.,English
2019,The short end of the stick,To get the short end of the stick is to come off worst in a bargain or contest.,English
2020,The shot heard 'round the world,A line from Emerson's Concord Hymn. Later used to denote shots of various forms that had international significance. ,English
2021,The sky's the limit,There is no apparent limit.,English
2022,The smallest room in the house,"A euphemistic
reference to a lavatory.",English
2023,The straw that broke the camel's back,The final additional small burden that makes the entirety of one's difficulties unbearable.,English
2024,The tail wagging the dog,An item of minor importance dominating a situation. ,English
2025,The toast of the town,A person who is widely admired.,English
2026,The third degree,Close interrogation.,English
2027,The triumph of hope over experience,A literal view of the subject of remarriage.,English
2028,The upper hand,Take a dominant position. ,English
2029,The usual suspects,"""The usual suspects"" are the people habitually suspected or arrested following a crime. ",English
2030,The whole kit and caboodle,A collection of things. ,English
2031,The whole nine yards,The expression 'the whole nine yards' means 'all of it - the full measure'.,English
2032,The whole shebang,All of it; the whole thing.,English
2033,The writing is on the wall,The expression 'the writing is on the wall' is used whenever an inevitable result or imminent  danger has become apparent. ,English
2034,The wrong side of the blanket,The expression 'born on the wrong side of the blanket' is a euphemism for being born out of wedlock. ,English
2035,The year dot,A very long time ago; too long ago to be dated.,English
2036,The Yellow Peril,The supposed danger of Oriental hordes overwhelming the West. ,English
2037,There is more than one way to kill a cat,The proverbial saying 'There is more than one way to skin a cat' means there is more than one way of achieving an aim. ,English
2038,There are three kinds of lies... ,This saying has a literal meaning. It suggests that statisyics can be used to mislead even more than the worst form of untruth.,English
2039,"There but for the grace of God, go I","I too, like someone seen to have suffered misfortune, might have suffered a similar fate, but for God's mercy. ",English
2040,There is no alternative,"This is the mantra chanted by 'dries' during the prime ministerial reign of Margaret Thatcher, by which they demonstrated their belief that free-market capitalism was the only possible economic theory. It was said so often amongst them that it was shortened to TINA. The hard-right Thatcherites called themselves 'dries' to demonstrate their opposition to the 'wets', that is, the One-Nation Tories whom Thatcher despised. Wet was the public school nickname for any boy who showed any sign of caring for his fellow beings.",English
2041,There's an R in the month,"The
weather is cold.",English
2042,There's method in my madness,Reason behind apparent folly or disorder. ,English
2043,There's no fool like an old fool,"People of mature years, who are expected to know better, often do outrageously foolish things, especially regarding romantic liaisons.",English
2044,There's no place like home,Home is the best of all places.,English
2045,There's no such thing as a free lunch (Tanstaafl),"The economic theory, and also the lay opinion, that whatever goods and services are provided, they must be paid for by someone - that is, you don't get something for nothing. The phrase is also known by the acronym of 'there ain't no such thing as a free lunch' - tanstaafl. ",English
2046,There's no such thing as bad publicity,"'There is no such thing as bad publicity' is the notion that all mentions in the media aid a person's cause, even if they put them in a bad light.",English
2047,There's one (a sucker) born every minute,There are many fools and dupes in the world. ,English
2048,There's one law for the rich and another law for the poor,"This proverbial saying express the opinion that the poor are treated harshly by the law whereas the rich, with their access to clever lawyers and bribes, usually escape punishment.",English
2049,They couldn't hit an elephant at this distance,NO INFORMATION,English
2050,Thick and fast ,"If something comes 'thick and fast' it comes in rapid succession with little time to respond between events. It may refer to physical objects, like raindrops, or non-physical, like commands.",English
2051,Thick and thin ,Through all forms of obstacle that are put in one's way. ,English
2052,(As) thick as thieves,Close friends with; sharing  confidences.,English
2053,(As) thick as two short planks,Exceedingly stupid.,English
2054,Thin air - Vanish into ,Disappear without trace.,English
2055,Thing of beauty is a joy forever - A ,The experience of beauty is blissful and lasting.,English
2056,Things that go bump in the night,Frightening but imagined supernatural events.,English
2057,Think outside the box,"Think creatively, unimpeded by orthodox or conventional constraints.",English
2058,Thinking cap,Take time for consideration of some question.,English
2059,Third degree - The ,Close interrogation.,English
2060,Third time lucky,The belief that the third time something is attempted is more likely to succeed than the previous two attempts. It is also used as a good luck charm - spoken just before trying something for the third time. ,English
2061,Thomas Paine - The writings of,NO INFORMATION,English
2062,Thorn in the flesh,A persistent difficulty or annoyance.,English
2063,Thou shalt not kill,Literal meaning,English
2064,"Though this be madness, yet there is method in it",Reason behind apparent folly or disorder. ,English
2065,Three score and ten,"'Three
score and ten' is the nominal span of a human life. In the days that this expression was coined that span was considered to be seventy years.",English
2066,Three sheets to the wind,Very drunk.,English
2067,Three strikes and you are out,This slogan was used by US President Clinton to publicize his plans for mandatory life sentences for those convicted of a third violent offence.,English
2068,Through thick and thin ,Through all forms of obstacle that are put in one's way. ,English
2069,Throw in the towel,"To throw in the towel (or, to throw the towel in) is to give up, to avoid further punishment when facing certain defeat.",English
2070,Throw good money after bad,"You 'throw good money after bad' when, following the loss of some money, you to incur a further loss in trying to make good.",English
2071,Throw your hat into the ring,"Make or take up a challenge, or demonstrate one's willingness to join an enterprise. ",English
2072,Thumbs up,"A sign of acceptance, approval or encouragement, made with closed fingers and the thumb extended upwards. ",English
2073,Thus far into the bowels of the land,The dark interior of the earth.,English
2074,Ticked off,"Chastised; 'told off', or in a separate US meaning, 'annoyed'. There's also the literal meaning of 'ticked off' - when ticks are placed against a list of items as they are noted. ",English
2075,Tickle the ivories,Play the piano.,English
2076,Tickled pink,Delighted. ,English
2077,Tide over,"Make a small allowance (of money, food etc.) last until stocks are replenished. ",English
2078,Tie the knot,Get married.,English
2079,Till the cows come home,For a long but indefinite time.,English
2080,Time and tide wait for no man,No one is so powerful that they can stop the march of time. ,English
2081,Tinker's damn,Something that is insignificant or worthless.,English
2082,Tilting at windmills,To 'tilt at windmills' is to attack imaginary enemies.,English
2083,Tissue of lies,A story  invented in order to deceive. ,English
2084,Titfer,A blow or some other retaliation in return for an injury from another.,English
2085,Tit for tat ,A blow or some other retaliation in return for an injury from another.,English
2086,Tits up,Inoperative; broken. The term is also used to mean fallen over (on one's back),English
2087,To a T,If something is said to fit 'to a T' it fits exactly; properly; precisely.  ,English
2088,To all intents and purposes,In effect; for all practical purposes.,English
2089,"To be or not to be, that is the question",Shakespeare's line 'to be or not to be' is usually interpreted as meaning 'is it better to live or to die'?,English
2090,To beggar belief,To defy or go beyond what is believable. ,English
2091,To boldly go where no man has gone before,"This introductory text was spoken at the beginning of many Star Trek television episodes and films, from 1966 onward:",English
2092,To boot,Moreover; in addition to.,English
2093,To cast the first stone,"Be the first to attack a sinner. The implication in Jesus' teaching was that the members of the congregation were only in a position to condemn a sinner if they were without sin themselves - in other words, 'judge not lest you be judged'. ",English
2094,To err is human; to forgive divine,A proverb expressing the idea that forgiveness is a worthy response to human failings.  ,English
2095,"To gild refined gold, to paint the lily",To apply unnecessary ornament - to over embellish.,English
2096,"To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub","This line is from the celebrated 'To be, or not to be' speech in Shakespeare's Hamlet, 1602:",English
2097,To the manner born,"Destined to be suited to something, by virtue of birth or custom and practise. ",English
2098,To the nth degree ,To the utmost degree; without limit.,English
2099,To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive,Hope and anticipation are often better than reality.,English
2100,Toast of the town,A person who is widely admired.,English
2101,Toe the line,To conform to an established standard or political programme. ,English
2102,Toe-curling,Something that is 'toe-curlingly embarrassing' is discomforting enough as to make one squirm and curl one's toes in response. ,English
2103,Toffee-nosed,To be 'toffee-nosed' is to be snobbish; supercilious; stuck-up. ,English
2104,Tommy Atkins,A generic name for a British private soldier. ,English
2105,Tomorrow is another day,"'Tomorrow is another day' is famous for being the last line of Margaret Mitchells's American Civil War novel Gone With The Wind, 1936:",English
2106,Tongue in cheek,"In an ironic manner, not meant to be taken seriously. ",English
2107,Too big for your breeches,Conceited; having a too high opinion of oneself. ,English
2108,Too much of a good thing,Excess may do you harm. ,English
2109,Toodle-oo,"A colloquial version of 'goodbye', now rather archaic. ",English
2110,Tooth and nail,"A fight, undertaken with all one's efforts and with the intensity of a wild animal.",English
2111,Top dog,One who is dominant or victorious. ,English
2112,Top drawer,Of the best quality; of the highest social standing. ,English
2113,Top notch,Excellent.,English
2114,Topsy-turvy,Upset; with the top where the bottom should be. ,English
2115,Total shambles,A scene of disorder; a ruin; a mess. ,English
2116,Touch and go,"A risky, precarious or delicate case or state of things - such that the slightest change could prove disastrous. ",English
2117,Touch with a barge-pole - Wouldn't ,Said of something or someone so unappealing that one wouldn't want to go anywhere near.,English
2118,Touch wood ,"This
phrase is used by people who rap their knuckles on a piece of wood hoping to stave off bad luck. In the UK, the phrase 'touch wood' is used - often jokingly by tapping one's head. The phrases are sometimes spoken when a person is already experiencing some good fortune and hope that it will continue - for example ""I've been winning on every race - touch wood"". ",English
2119,Touchy-feely,Human interactive that emphasizes physical closeness and emotional openness. The phrase is often used disparagingly in contexts where hard and businesslike behaviour is the norm.,English
2120,Tout de suite,At once.,English
2121,Tower of strength,Someone who can be relied on to provide support and comfort.,English
2122, Train surfing,"Surfing (a.k.a. surfboarding) is, in its literal meaning, the riding of a wave while standing or lying on a surfboard. ",English
2123,Trick or treat,'Trick or treat' is the ultimatum given to householders by children who call on houses to solicit gifts at Hallowe'en. ,English
2124,Trip the light fantastic,"To dance, especially in an imaginative or 'fantastic' manner. ",English
2125,Trouble and strife,Wife.,English
2126,True blue,Loyal and unwavering in one's opinions or support for a cause. ,English
2127,Truth is stranger than fiction,Literal meaning. ,English
2128,Truth will out,The truth will become known eventually. ,English
2129,Tuckered out,Exhausted. ,English
2130,Turkeys voting for Christmas,'Turkeys voting for Christmas' is used to describe people acting in a way that  is harmful to their own interests. ,English
2131,Turn a blind eye,To turn a blind eye is to knowingly refuse to acknowledge something which you know to be real. ,English
2132,Turn of phrase,A distinctive spoken or written expression. ,English
2133,Turn the tables,Reverse the positions of adversaries. The phrases is often used when the weaker position subsequently becomes dominant. ,English
2134,Turn up for the books,An unexpected piece of good fortune. ,English
2135,Turn up trumps,To turn out well or successfully.,English
2136,Twelve good men and true,A jury.,English
2137,Twenty three skidoo,Go away - scram.,English
2138,Twenty four seven,"All of the time - twenty four hours/day and seven
days/week.",English
2139,Two cents worth,An individual's opinion.,English
2140,Two heads are better than one,Two people may be able to solve a problem that an individual cannot. ,English
2141,Two peas in a pod ,'Two peas in a pod' are two identical items or people.,English
2142,Under the thumb,Completely under someone's control. ,English
2143,Under your hat - Keep it ,Keep it secret. ,English
2144,Under the auspices of,Under the control or protection of someone or some group. ,English
2145,Get - underway,Begin a journey or a project.,English
2146,Under wraps,"A thing is 'under wraps' if it is concealed from public view, with only a few insiders being aware of it. ",English
2147,Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown,"The expression 'uneasy lies the head that wears a crown' means that a person with great power, such as a king, is constantly apprehensive.",English
2148,Union Jack,The Union Jack is the popular name of the national flag of the United Kingdom. ,English
2149,The great - unwashed,"The common, lower classes; the hoi polloi.",English
2150,The - unkindest cut of all,"Brutus was
Caesar's close and trusted friend. To be stabbed by him was even more hurtful than by those who he was less intimate. ",English
2151,Up a blind alley,Following a course of action that leads to no good outcome.,English
2152,Up a gum tree,With most phrases it is the origin rather than the meaning that is in doubt. 'Up a gum tree' has several meanings. The most commonly used is 'in great difficulties'. Other meanings are 'in a state of contentment' or 'with great speed'. ,English
2153, Up in arms,Roused; incensed.,English
2154,Up the creek without a paddle,In an awkward situation or unpleasant predicament.,English
2155,Up the apples and pears,Apples and pears is Cockney rhyming slang for  stairs.,English
2156,Up the duff,"'Up the duff' is a euphemism for pregnant. It is used most commonly, although not exclusively, to describe unplanned pregnancy.",English
2157,Up the pole,"'Up the pole' has various meanings, including:",English
2158,Up the wooden hill to Bedfordshire,Go up the hill to Bedfordshire was phrase uttered to children in the UK when it was time to go upstairs to prepare for bed. The expression is now rather archaic and little-used.,English
2159,Up to snuff,"Initially, the phrase meant 'sharp and in the know'; more recently, 'up to the required standard'.",English
2160,Upper crust,Aristocratic; society superior. ,English
2161,Upper hand,Take a dominant position. ,English
2162,Up in arms,Roused; incensed.,English
2163,Ups-a-daisy,An exclamation made when encouraging a child to get up after a fall or when lifting a child into the air.,English
2164,Upset the apple-cart,To 'upset the apple-cart' is to cause upset - to create a difficulty.,English
2165,Up the ante,"To raise the stakes, either in betting or in any form of conflict or competition.",English
2166,Upside down,Turned so that the upper surface becomes the lower. ,English
2167,Urban myth,"A story, generally untrue but sometimes one that is merely exaggerated or sensationalise, that gains the status of folklore by continual retelling. Such stories, which may be old and cliché-ridden, are often given a degree of plausibility by being updated in a contemporary setting, or by the teller's claims of personal involvement.",English
2168,Use your loaf,Head.,English
2169,Usual suspects - The ,"""The usual suspects"" are the people habitually suspected or arrested following a crime. ",English
2170,Using a sledgehammer to crack a nut,To use 'a sledgehammer to crack a nut' means to use disproportionate force or expense to overcome a minor problem. ,English
2171,Valentine's Day Poems and Sayings,"Valentine's Day, or as it is more formally known, Saint Valentine's Day, is celebrated on 14th February each year. The Valentines that are commemorated or two Italian saints, Valentin or Valentnus, who share the saint's day of 14th February. The date is now when lovers declare their love by sending each other gifts and romantic cards. There's nothing especially romantic about the lives of the two original Valentines, they were both martyred for their faith, in Ad 197 and AD 269 respectively.",English
2172,Van surfing,"Surfing (a.k.a. surfboarding) is, in its literal meaning, the riding of a wave while standing or lying on a surfboard. ",English
2173,Vanish into thin air,Disappear without trace.,English
2174,Veg out,To 'veg out' is to relax in a slothful and mindless manner.,English
2175,"Verbosity leads to unclear, inarticulate things",Quotation - widely attributed to US ex Vice-President Dan Quayle. ,English
2176,Vice versa,"The reverse of the previous statement, with the main items transposed. Vice versa originates as Latin, with the literal translation being 'the other way round' or 'the position being reversed', but is now fully absorbed into English. ",English
2177,Vicious circle,A self-perpetuating process which returns to its starting point with no improvement from when it was begun. ,English
2178,Vis-a-vis,"In
a position facing another. Literally 'face to face'. Often now used in the sense
of 'in relation to'.",English
2179,Visit the ladies' room,Euphemism for going to the lavatory.,English
2180,Vorsprung Durch Technik,The German phrase 'vorsprung durch technik' is usually translated into English as 'progress through technology'. ,English
2181,Walk free,"To be released from a criminal charge without punishment, or not receive the expected or deserved punishment. ",English
2182,Walk the walk,Back up one's talk with action. ,English
2183,Walk the plank,"A form of execution in which victims were forced to walk, often blindfold and with hands tied, off a plank of wood and into the sea.",English
2184,Walter Scott (phrases coined by) ,"There are many sources for the phrases and sayings that colour our language. One important source is the Bible, from which we get 'by the skin of your teeth', 'from strength to strength' and many more. Whether we view these as English phrases is debatable as the first English translation of the Bible was a thousand years or more after the writing of the original biblical texts. Wycliffe's translation, circa 1392, is the first version that brought the Bible to the English-speaking world - apart from that small number of scholars who had read the previous Latin versions and discussed them in English. Whatever we think about the Englishness of translated biblical phrases even they pale next to the single most prolific coiner of English - Shakespeare. To use his own words from All's Well That Ends Well:",English
2185,Warts and all,'Warts and all' means the whole thing; not concealing the less attractive parts.,English
2186,Watch the birdie,"A photographer's instruction just before taking a picture, in order to make people smile.",English
2187,(A) watched pot never boils ,The proverbial expression 'a watched pot never boils' refers to the feeling time seems to go slower when you are anxiously waiting for something to happen.,English
2188,Watching brief,Instructions given to someone to observe a situation.,English
2189,Wave a red rag to a bull,"To wave a red rag to a bull is to  deliberately provoke it. More generally, the expression denotes any deliberate action intended to bring about an adverse reaction. ",English
2190,Wax lyrical,Speak niin an increasingly enthusiastic and poetic manner.,English
2191,Wax poetic,Speak niin an increasingly enthusiastic and poetic manner.,English
2192,We are a grandmother,"'We have become a grandmother' was UK
 Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's statement to the press in 1989, on the
 birth of her first grandchild, Mark Thatcher's son Michael.",English
2193,We are not amused,"'We are not amused' is a quotation, attributed to Queen Victoria.",English
2194,"We few, we happy few, we band of brothers","'We few, we happy few, we band of brothers' is one of the well-known lines from the rousing St. Crispin's Day Speech given by the king in Shakespeare's Henry V. ",English
2195,We have seen better days,To have been more wealthy or in better condition in former times.,English
2196,We know where you live,A threat of violence.,English
2197,Weakest link - A chain is only as strong as its ,"The proverb 'A chain is only as strong as its weakest link' has a literal meaning, although the 'weakest link' referred to is figurative and usually applies to a person or technical feature rather than the link of an actual chain.",English
2198,Wear the trousers,Be in charge.,English
2199,Wear your heart on your sleeve,To wear your heart on your sleeve is to display your emotions openly.,English
2200,Weasel words,Ambiguous or quibbling speech. ,English
2201,Wee-wee,A nursery euphemism for urine or urination.,English
2202,Well heeled,Wealthy - well provided for.,English
2203,Well read,Erudite and literate. ,English
2204,Wet behind the ears,Naive.,English
2205,Wet blanket,A person or thing that says or does something to impinge on other people's enjoyment.,English
2206,What a piece of work is man,Man is a supreme creature. ,English
2207,What are you like?,This rhetorical question is asked of someone who has done something stupid or outrageous. The point being that it is quite obvious what the person in question is like.,English
2208,What football is all about,"The expression 'what football is all about' originated in the UK and began appearing commonly in newspaper there around 1970. Being of UK origin it should be said that the 'football' being referred to is what Americans like to call soccer and not what they call football, which all right-minded people refer to as American Football.",English
2209,What God has joined together let no man put asunder,'What God has joined together let no man put asunder' is the part of the Christian marriage ceremony that states God's authority over man.,English
2210,What part of no don't you understand?,"I am plainly saying no, and I mean just that.",English
2211,What you see is what you get - wysiwyg,A computer screen display which appears on screen as it will be seen when printed on paper.,English
2212,What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet,"The saying 'A rose by any other name would smell as sweet' means that what matters is what something is, not what it is called.",English
2213,What's not to like?,"A rhetorical question, suggesting that what is being spoken of is without fault. ",English
2214,What's up Doc?,"'Eh, What's up Doc?' joins 'That's All Folks!' as the best-known lines from Tex Avery's Looney Tunes cartoon series. It was delivered by Bugs Bunny, while nonchalantly chewing on a carrot, in most of the cartoons in which the character appeared, beginning with A Wild Hare, 1940. This was the first Bugs Bunny cartoon, although Bugs wasn't named until the second cartoon - Elmer's Pet Rabbit ('Happy Rabbit', a prototype Bugs Bunny with a somewhat different personality had appeared earlier).",English
2215,"When in Rome, do as the Romans do","It is polite, and possibly also advantageous, to abide by the customs of a society when one is a visitor.",English
2216,When it comes to the crunch,When a decisive point at which one's future course is determined.,English
2217,When pigs fly,"A humorous/sarcastic remark, used to indicate the unlikeliness of some event or to mock the credulity of others; for example, ""I might make a start on papering the back bedroom tomorrow"". ""Yes, and pigs might fly"". ",English
2218,"When the going gets tough, the tough get going","'When the going gets tough, the tough get going' means that, when times are difficult, those with resolve don't give up but are stimulated into action.",English
2219,When the shit hits the fan,'When the shit hits the fan' alludes to the messy and hectic consequences brought about by a previously secret situation becoming public.,English
2220,Where there's muck there's brass,Where there are dirty jobs to be done there is money to be made.,English
2221,Whet your appetite,"To have your interest in something, especially food, stimulated.",English
2222,Which  is which?,"'Which is which?' - often expressed as a question, asking for help in distinguishing two similar things or people. ",English
2223,Which  witch is which?,"'Which is which?' - often expressed as a question, asking for help in distinguishing two similar things or people. ",English
2224,"While you live, tell truth and shame the Devil!","Tell the truth, even when tempted to lie. ",English
2225,Whip round,"An impromptu collection of money from a group of people, in order to fund some  joint enterprise. ",English
2226,Whipper snapper,"A diminutive or insignificant person, especially a sprightly or impertinent youngster.",English
2227,Whipping boy,A scapegoat. One who is singled out for blame or punishment. ,English
2228,Whistle and flute,Suit.,English
2229,Whistle blower,A person who tries to raise the alarm about a problem   and publicizes it inside and/or outside of his/her organization.,English
2230,Whistle down the wind,Send away or abandon. ,English
2231,White as snow,"Pure white. What better to symbolise whiteness than snow? Not only the intensity of colour on a bright winter's day, but also the purity of untrodden snow is summoned up by the simile. Shakespeare used this association to good effect in as pure as the driven snow. ",English
2232,White bread,Pertaining to the US white middle classes.,English
2233,White elephant,"Originally 'white elephants' were simply that - elephants that were white. Later, the expression came to mean 'a burdensome possession - one that is  more trouble than it is worth'. More recently, the term has also been used to describe any doomed enterprise, on which large sums of money are spent and which is then abandoned.",English
2234,Whole kit and caboodle - The ,A collection of things. ,English
2235,Whole-hearted,Having one's intentions divided; not fully committed; lacking zeal or courage.,English
2236,Whole nine yards - The,The expression 'the whole nine yards' means 'all of it - the full measure'.,English
2237,Whole shebang - The ,All of it; the whole thing.,English
2238,Whoops-a-daisy,An exclamation made when encouraging a child to get up after a fall or when lifting a child into the air.,English
2239,Why does bread always fall butter side down?,The 'buttered side down' view of life is one that is pessimistic and fatalistic.,English
2240,Why should the Devil have all the best tunes?,"'The Devil has all the best tunes' is the view that  music, especially popular music, is predominantly secular rather than religious.",English
2241,Wick - you get on my ,To get on someone's wick is to annoy them; get on their nerves. ,English
2242,Wide berth - Keep a ,A goodly distance.,English
2243,Wild and woolly,Lawless and uncultured.,English
2244,Wild goose chase,A hopeless quest.,English
2245,Willy nilly,"This term has two, slightly differing, but related meanings: 'whether it is with or against your will' and 'in an unplanned, haphazard fashion'. We tend to use the latter of these meanings today; the former was the accepted meaning when the term was first coined. ",English
2246,Win hands down,"Win easily, with little effort.",English
2247,Win one for the Gipper,Ronald Reagan quotation.,English
2248,(On a) wing and a prayer,"In a difficult situation, relying on meagre resources and luck to get out of it. ",English
2249,Wing it,"To do something  in an impromptu manner, improvising, with little preparation.",English
2250,Winter drawers on,Said when an intimation of the approaching winter is first felt.,English
2251,Wish you were here,The archetypal message postcard message.,English
2252,With bells on,Eager; ready to participate.,English
2253,Without a shadow of a doubt,"If something is said to be 'beyond a shadow of a doubt' the speaker is certain that it is true, with no possibility of ambiguity.",English
2254,Without let or hindrance ,Without impediment.,English
2255,Without so much as a by your leave,Without even asking for permission.,English
2256,Woe betide you,"A prediction, usually expressed as a warning following someone's bad behaviour, that you may suffer future misfortune. ",English
2257,Woe is me,I am distressed; sad; grieved. ,English
2258,Wolf in sheep's clothing,'A wolf in sheep's clothing' is someone who hides malicious intent under the guise of kindliness. ,English
2259,Woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle - A ,"""A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle"" is a
feminist slogan, humorously expressing the view that a woman can live her life perfectly well without a man. ",English
2260,Woman's place is in the home - A ,Literal meaning.,English
2261,Women and children first,The seafaring command that women and children be the first to board the lifeboats when a ship abandoned.,English
2262,Wooden hill to Bedfordshire,Go up the hill to Bedfordshire was phrase uttered to children in the UK when it was time to go upstairs to prepare for bed. The expression is now rather archaic and little-used.,English
2263,Word association football,Word association is a psychological technique invented by Jung in which patients are asked for an immediate response to any word fired at them. A word game based on this in which the first player starts with a word and subsequent players have to follow with a related word and so on has been staple fare for families on long car journeys and the like for many years. ,English
2264,Word for word,"A precise following of another's words, that is, verbatim, either in spoken repetition of those words or in a close study of a text. ",English
2265,Word in edgeways - A ,Join a conversation in which another is speaking continually and leaving little opportunity for others. ,English
2266,Word in your shell-like - A ,"I
would like to talk to you.",English
2267,Words ending in gry,"Don't waste your time looking for the mythical 'third word ending in GRY'. If you have come here looking for it, read the explanation
below and relax - you can stop searching. The story goes like this:",English
2268,Worse for wear,Shabby or worn through use; drunk.,English
2269,Worth one's salt,To be effective and efficient; deserving of one's pay. ,English
2270,Wotcher,A colloquial greeting.,English
2271,Wouldn't touch with a barge-pole,Said of something or someone so unappealing that one wouldn't want to go anywhere near.,English
2272,Wreak havoc ,"It isn't surprising that some people get this phrase wrong and assume that it is 'wreck havoc'. After all 'havoc' and 'wreckage' usually belong together. However, the correct spelling is 'wreak havoc', which means, 'inflict or create damage'.",English
2273,Writing is on the wall - The ,The expression 'the writing is on the wall' is used whenever an inevitable result or imminent  danger has become apparent. ,English
2274, Wrong end of the stick - The,To get the short end of the stick is to come off worst in a bargain or contest.,English
2275,Wrong side of the blanket - The,The expression 'born on the wrong side of the blanket' is a euphemism for being born out of wedlock. ,English
2276,Yada yada,"A disparaging response, indicating that something previously said was predictable, repetitive or tedious. ",English
2277,Year dot - The,A very long time ago; too long ago to be dated.,English
2278,Yellow-belly,A coward. ,English
2279,Yellow Peril,The supposed danger of Oriental hordes overwhelming the West. ,English
2280,You are what you eat,The proverbial saying 'You are what you eat' is the notion that to be fit and healthy you need to eat good food.,English
2281,You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar,This proverbial saying expresses the idea that it is more effective to be polite and ingratiating than to be hostile or demanding.,English
2282,You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink,"People, like horses, will only do what they have a mind to do. ",English
2283,You can lead a whore to culture but you can't make her think,"Humorous quotation, attributed to Dorothy Parker. ",English
2284,You can't get blood out of a stone,You cannot extract what isn't there to begin with.,English
2285,You can't have your cake and eat it too ,You can't have two desirable but contradictory options - you have to choose.,English
2286,You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear,This proverb expresses the view that you  can't turn something which is inherently low-grade or ugly into something valuable or attractive.,English
2287,You can't teach an old dog new tricks,Old dogs (and people) learn less well than the young. ,English
2288,You get on my wick,To get on someone's wick is to annoy them; get on their nerves. ,English
2289,You look as if you've been dragged through a hedge backwards,Said to someone who is unkempt and whose hair needs brushing.,English
2290,You'll wonder where the yellow went when you brush your teeth with Pepsodent,"An early TV advertising slogan for Pepsodent toothpaste, in use in the USA and UK from the late 1940s to 1960s. ",English
2291,Young turk,"A young person, full of new ideas and impatient for change.",English
2292,Your days are numbered,"A demand for money, often associated with English highwaymen. ",English
2293,Your money or your life,"A demand for money, often associated with English highwaymen. ",English
2294,Your name is mud,You are unpopular.,English
2295,You've never had it so good,You are likely to die soon.,English
2296,Zero tolerance,A form of policing that allows no crime or anti-social behaviour to be overlooked.,English
2297,Zig-zag,"A series of short straight lines, set at angles to one another and connected to form a continuous line. Often forming a regular pattern, but not necessarily so. Also, the action of moving along such a course.",English