twelve good men and true 20850

twelve good men and true
Fig. a jury composed of trustworthy men. He was convicted by a jury of twelve good men and true. Not a wino in the lot.

fid·dle-fad·dle 20849

fid·dle-fad·dle (fdl-fdl)
n.
Nonsense.
intr.v. fid·dle-fad·dled, fid·dle-fad·dling, fid·dle-fad·dles
To fritter away one's time; dally.

like nailing jelly to the wall 20848

like nailing jelly to the wall
if something is like nailing jelly to the wall, it is impossible to understand or describe it exactly Writing a history of the period is like nailing jelly to the wall.

Expecting: Pregnant 20847

Expecting: Pregnant.

Keep a thing seven years and you'll (always) find a use for it.20846

Keep a thing seven years and you'll (always) find a use for it.

Prov. If you keep a seemingly useless thing for seven years, you will supposedly have some occasion to use it during that time. Jill: My mother sent me a four-foot-tall ceramic vase for my birthday. What can I possibly use it for? Jane: Keep it seven years and you'll find some use for

The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it.20845

The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it.
Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray, 1891

land so poor it wouldn't even raise a fuss and land too poor to raise a racket on20844

land so poor it wouldn't even raise a fuss and land too poor to raise a racket on

Rur. land where nothing will grow. I inherited two hundred acres from my uncle, but it's land so poor it wouldn't even raise a fuss. The soil's exhausted. That land is so poor it wouldn't even raise a fuss. Jill can grow a garden anywhere, even on land too poor to raise a racket on

the strong, silent type 20843

the strong, silent type

a strong, quiet man. Clark looks like the strong, silent type. Actually he is slightly deaf and that's fat, not muscle

dud cheque 20842

A dud cheque is a cheque that is written for more than is in the bank e.g. a cheque for $200 when the person only has $150 in the bank will bounce - it's a dud.
cheque sin fondos

When an actor comes to me and wants to discuss his character, I say, 'It's in the script.' If he says, 'But what's my motivation?, ' I say, 20841

When an actor comes to me and wants to discuss his character, I say, 'It's in the script.' If he says, 'But what's my motivation?, ' I say, 'Your salary.'
Alfred Hitchcock

break with tradition 20840

break with tradition
to do something different from what is usually done They were among the first to break with tradition and use clay to make contemporary sculpture.

a big ask 20839

a big ask
a request to someone to do something for you that you know will be difficult for them It's a big ask but could you feed our cats for the two weeks we're away?

catch-as-catch-can 20838

catch-as-catch-can
the best one can do with whatever is available. We went hitchhiking for a week and lived catch-as-catch-can. There were ten children in our family, and every meal was catch-as-catch-can

cash in your chips 20837

cash in your chips

MEANING: exchange or sell something to get some money

EXAMPLE:

I decided to cash in my chips to get some money to go back to school.

You could cash in your chips out of fear that those profits will disappear as quickly as they appeared

know where all the bodies are buried 20836

know where all the bodies are buried

Fig. to know all the secrets and intrigue from the past; to know all the relevant and perhaps hidden details. He is a good choice for president because he knows where all the bodies are buried. Since he knows where all the bodies are buried, he is the only one who can advise us

knock-down, drag-out fight 20835

knock-down, drag-out fight
a serious fight; a serious argument. Boy, they really had a knock-down, drag-out fight. Stop calling each other names, or you're going to end up with a real knock-down, drag-out fight

kill someone with kindness 20834

kill someone with kindness

Fig. to be enormously kind to someone. You are just killing me with kindness. Why? Don't kill them with kindness.

tell one to one's face 20833

tell one to one's face
to tell [something] to someone directly. I'm sorry that Sally feels that way about me. I wish she had told me to my face. I won't tell Tom that you're mad at him. You should tell him to his face

plead guilty to something 20832

to state that one is guilty of a crime before a court of law. Gerald refused to plead guilty to the crime and had to stand trial. Max pleaded guilty to the charge and then fled town.

big and bold 20831

big and bold

large and capable of getting attention. (Usually refers to things, not people.) The big and bold lettering on the book's cover got lots of attention, but the price was too high. She wore a brightly colored dress. The pattern was big and bold and the skirt was very full

a revolving door (mainly American)20830

a revolving door (mainly American)
the movement of people from one organization or activity to another, especially from government jobs to private companies (often + between ) Congress has tightened regulations to slow down the revolving door between government and industry.

Everyone will be famous for 15 minutes 20829

Everyone will be famous for 15 minutes.
Andy Warhol

bad excuse is better than none 20828

bad excuse is better than none
Prov. If you offer some explanation for an unwanted action, there is a slight chance that it will be accepted and you will therefore not be in trouble, but if you have no explanation at all, you do not even have that slight chance. Fred: I can't believe we played cards till midnight! What will I tell my wife when she asks why I'm so late getting home? Bill: Tell her something came up at the office. Fred: But that's a lousy excuse. She'll never believe it. Bill: A bad excuse is better than none.

is common sense 20827

es de logico

The scales fall from somebody's eyes. (literary)20826

The scales fall from somebody's eyes. (literary)
if the scales fall from someone's eyes, they are suddenly able to understand the truth When I saw his photograph in the paper, the scales fell from my eyes and I realized I'd been conned.

curry favour 20825

curry favour
to try to make someone like you or support you by doing things to please them (usually + with ) The government has promised lower taxes in an attempt to curry favour with the voters

put in a hard day at work and put in a hard day's work 20824

put in a hard day at work and put in a hard day's work
Fig. to work very hard at one's job. I put in a hard day at work at the office, and now I want to be left alone to rest.

on the same wavelength 20823

on the same wavelength
Fig. thinking in the same pattern. We're not on the same wavelength. Let's try again. We kept talking until we got on the same wavelength.

go public 20822

go public
to become a company in which anyone can invest It's the latest Internet company to go public and then immediately go bankrupt

dead of winter 20821

dead of winter
in the middle of winter, when it is very cold and dark Behind the house was a garden with curving flowerbeds that were beautiful, even in the dead of winter

mad enough to kick a cat 20820

mad enough to kick a cat

Rur. very angry. Stay out of my way. I'm mad enough to kick a cat! The team lost. The coach was mad

green as grass 20819

green as grass
very green. (*Also: as ∼.) His face turned as green as grass just before he vomited

as well as 20818

as well as

Definition: including; in addition to

Explanation: Used to add something to a list of things or actions

Examples: You'll need strong boots as well as your backpack. - John, Jack and Sam are coming as well as our friends from Boston.

Related Resources:

soothe 20817

soothe (s)
v. soothed, sooth·ing, soothes
v.tr.
1. To calm or placate.
2. To ease or relieve (pain, for example).
v.intr.
To bring comfort, composure, or relief

intently /ɪn'tentli/ adverbio ‹listen› atentamente 20816

intently /ɪn'tentli/ adverbio ‹listen› atentamente;
he was staring ~ at them tenía la mirada fija en ellos, los miraba de hito en hito (liter)

blow a fuse 2815

blow a fuse
1. to burn out the fuse on an electrical circuit and lose power. The microwave oven blew a fuse, so we had no power. You'll blow a fuse if you use too many appliances at once.
2. and blow one's fuse; blow a gasket; blow one's cork; blow one's lid; blow one's top; blow one's stack Fig. to explode with anger; to lose one's temper. Come on, don't blow a fuse. Go ahead, blow a gasket! What good will that do?

fall into bad habits 20814

fall into bad habits Verbo
1.caer en malos pasos, resabiarse; Sinónimos: acquire bad habits
Ann falls into bad habits easily, Ana se resabia con facilidad


Don't fall back into bad habits: fall eating & exercise tips

Split 20813

Split
Definition: To divide or break up into parts or divisions, as by discord; to separate into parts or parties, as a political party; to disunite.

soar 20812

to rise or increase in volume, size, etc. soaring prices
subir precios,poner por las nube precios

Pattern 20811

Pattern
Definition: Figure or style of decoration; design; as, wall paper of a beautiful pattern.

pattern of behaviour 20810

patron de comportaminernto

blow out of proportion 20809

blow out of proportion
To make more of than is reasonable; exaggerate

full as a tick 20808

full as a tick
very full of food or drink. (Alludes to a tick that has filled itself full of blood. See also tight as a tick. *Also: as ~.) Little Billy ate and ate until he was as full as a tick. Our cat drank the cream until he became full as a tick.

All great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds 20807

All great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.
Albert Einstein

bread and circuses 20806

bread and circuses

activities that are intended to keep people happy so that they do not complain about problems Tax cuts are just bread and circuses designed to distract attention from the underlying economic crisis.

taking calls 20805

taking calls
willing to receive

wail (wl)20804

wail (wl)
v. wailed, wail·ing, wails
v.intr.
1. To grieve or protest loudly and bitterly; lament. See Synonyms at cry.
2. To make a prolonged, high-pitched sound suggestive of a cry: The wind wailed through the trees.
v.tr. Archaic
To lament over; bewail.
n.
1. A long, loud, high-pitched cry, as of grief or pain.
2. A long, loud, high-pitched sound: the wail of a siren.
3. A loud, bitter protest: A wail of misery went up when new parking restrictions were announced.

“I am I plus my circumstances.20803

“I am I plus my circumstances.”
Jose Ortega y Gasset quotes (Spanish philosopher and humanist , 1883-1955)

Similar Quotes.

I think; therefore I am 20802

I think; therefore I am.
Rene Descartes

white knuckle something 20801

white knuckle something

to survive something threatening through strained endurance, that is to say, holding on tight. The flight from New York was terrible. We had to white knuckle the entire flight.

Revenge is a dish best served cold 20800

Revenge is a dish best served cold.
Prov. It is very satisfying to get revenge a long time after the event for which you want revenge. I don't mind waiting to get revenge on Greg; I'll wait ten years if I have to. Revenge is a dish best served cold.

Early ripe, early rotten, and Soon ripe, soon rotten 20799

Early ripe, early rotten, and Soon ripe, soon rotten.

Prov. A child with extraordinary talent or intelligence will probably lose those qualities by the time he or she grows up. Jill: Philip was such a fine young boy; I'm surprised he's become such a good-for-nothing adult. Jane: Early ripe, early rotten. Jane: You must be very proud of your little boy. He seems so mature for his age. Ellen: I'm afraid it won't last. You know what they say: "Soon ripe, soon rotten."
See also: early, rotten

free and clear 20798

free and clear
without encumbrance, particularly in regard to the ownership of something, After the last payment, Jane owned the car free and clear. If you can't prove that you own the house and the land it stands on free and clear, you can't sell it.

dream something away 20797

dream something away
Fig. to waste away a period of time having fantasies. I just want to sit in the sun and dream the day away. Don't dream away your life!

in fear and trembling 20796

in fear and trembling

Cliché with anxiety or fear; with dread. In fear and trembling, I went into the room to take the test. The witness left the courtroom in fear and trembling.

poster child (for something)20795

poster child (for something)

Fig. someone who is a classic example of a state or type of person. She is a poster child for soccer moms.

a queer fish 20794

a queer fish (British old-fashioned)
a strange person I knew his father and he was a queer fish too.

cool, calm, and collected 20793

cool, calm, and collected

Cliché [of a person] very calm and poised. James did very well in his TV appearances. He stayed cool, calm, and collected. The bad news didn't seem to distress Jane at all. She remained cool, calm, and collected.

a dream ticket 20792

a dream ticket
two politicians who have joined together to try to win an election and who are likely to succeed because together they have the support of many different groups of people Clinton and Gore transformed themselves into a dream ticket in the last American election.
.

Out and about 20791

Out and aboutShare .
Idiom Definitions for 'Out and about'

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If someone is out and about, they have left their home and are getting things done that they need to do.

pull something out of the fire 20790

pull something out of the fire
1. Lit. to drag or take something out of a fire before it is consumed. The fire was too big, so he pulled a few logs out of the fire.
2. Fig. to rescue something; to save something just before it's too late. Can we rescue this project? Is there time to pull it out of the fire? There is no way we can pull this one out of the fire.

flash through one's mind 20789

flash through one's mind
Fig. [for an idea or image] to move quickly through one's mind. (See also flash into one's mind) Suddenly, a great idea flashed through my mind. The same idea flashed through all of our minds at once

faraway look and far-off look 20788

faraway look and far-off look
Fig. an appearance on one's face of having one's mind in another place. Dave had a faraway look in his eyes, so I elbowed him to get his attention. Lisa's face had a far-off look indicating that she was daydreaming.

Hollywood is a place where they'll pay you a thousand dollars for a kiss and fifty cents for your soul.20787

Hollywood is a place where they'll pay you a thousand dollars for a kiss and fifty cents for your soul.
Marilyn Monroe