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Phrases related to: can't do right for doing wrong Page #3

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auf dem Holzweg seinto bark up the wrong treeRate it:

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auf dem richtigen Dampferon the right trackRate it:

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avoir la berlue (fam.)To see things which do not exist; To have a wrong idea of anything.Rate it:

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back to the wall(Can we clean up this sense?) A very difficult situation with no beneficial options available for action.Rate it:

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backhanded complimentan insult disguised as a compliment; a compliment which can be interpreted as an insult.Rate it:

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bad companyThe wrong crowd.Rate it:

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bad hair dayA day when several things seems to be unmanageable or go wrong.Rate it:

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bad offan extreme or severe situation i.e. badly beaten, in poor health or poor mental well being i.e. hurt, not doing well, struggling to stay alive, etc.; can also mean poor financially or bad in some other wayRate it:

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bang aboutTo make a lot of percussive noise while doing an activity.Rate it:

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bang aroundTo make a lot of percussive noise while doing an activity.Rate it:

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bang upHe’s doing a bang up good job..Rate it:

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bargain basementAn area within a retail store, especially an area located below ground level, where the least costly merchandise can be found.Rate it:

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bark up the wrong treeTo attempt or pursue the wrong thing; to take the wrong approach; to follow a false lead.Rate it:

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Bark Up the Wrong TreeTo have a wrong guess or idea about someone or some situation, efforts and attentions being diverted in a wrong directionRate it:

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barking up the wrong treeA judgement call and assertion to another that he has miscalculated the reality of a situation.Rate it:

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barking up the wrong tree!Picking the wrong person, the most unlikely person, to do, listen, or accept something.Rate it:

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barking-up the wrong tree:{Coon Hunters Remark:} Coon Dogs Chase Raccoon up Trees. They Bark at the Tree so Hunter Can 'Shoot' Coon out of the Tree:Rate it:

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based on experiencethe purpose or a new work can be designed having few numbers or data from the previous successful execution.Rate it:

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be an open bookOne's life and times can be an open book by simply sharing, answering queries, being forthright, carrying no baggage or disagreements.Rate it:

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be right backUsed to indicate the speaker will return in a moment. Often abbreviated in online slang as brb.Rate it:

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be up toTo do or be involved in doing; to do.Rate it:

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beat one's swords into ploughsharesTo refrain from doing aggressive activities and to do peaceful ones.Rate it:

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before you can say boo.It means that you need to do it before you can say anythingRate it:

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before you can say jack robinsonVery quickly. Quicker than you expect.Rate it:

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before you can say knifeVery quickly; quicker than one expects.Rate it:

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beg for mercyThis can be taken quite literally and simply means to plead for kindness - either to be spared or at least killed as quickly and painlessly as possible. Particularly when you are in a helpless position.Rate it:

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beggars can't be choosers(proverb) When resources are limited, one must accept even substandard things.Rate it:

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bem feitoserves me/you/him/her/us/them rightRate it:

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Between a Rock and a Hard PlaceTo face a difficult situation and remain in a tight spot one after another, Or face some difficulty in making the right decision that would deliver no harmRate it:

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beyond wordsIn recalling an incident, in observing an accident, any or all of which can be disastrous and shocking. A destructive fire and explosion may leave one awestruck and beyond words to describe.Rate it:

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bien fin qui me rattraperaOnce bit, twice shy; They won’t catch me doing that again.Rate it:

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big yearan informal competition among birdwatchers to see who can see or hear the largest number of species of birds within a single calendar year and within a specific geographical area.Rate it:

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bite off more than one can chewTo try to do too much; to take on or attempt more than one is capable of doing.Rate it:

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Bite Off More Than You Can ChewTo take on something more than of its actual capacity, a person, who tries to accomplish too much, or is greedy by nature, or overconfident or too much motivated, taking more responsibility or task that a person can manageRate it:

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black magicMagic derived from evil forces, as distinct from good or benign forces; or magic performed with the intention of doing harm.Rate it:

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Black Sheep of the FamilyA disrespected member of a family, community or any other group or society due to certain actions. It happens when all other are performing or doing well but one person lacks it allRate it:

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black-and-whiteClassifying people, objects or concepts as two polar opposites, especially "right" and "wrong"; dichotomous and inflexible.Rate it:

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blank canvasSomething with no content, upon which one can easily impose one's point of viewRate it:

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blindA covering for a window to keep out light. The covering may be made of cloth or of narrow slats that can block light or allow it to pass.Rate it:

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blood is thicker than waterFamily relations and loyalties are stronger than relationships with people who are not family members.1866, Anthony Trollope, The Belton Estate, ch. 30,Blood is thicker than water, is it not? If cousins are not friends, who can be?circa 1915, Lucy Fitch Perkins, The Scotch Twins, ch. 5,The old clans are scattered now, but blood is thicker than water still, and you're welcome to the fireside of your kinsman!Rate it:

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

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blown out of the waterthoroughly and decisively defeated, proven wrong, or discredited.Rate it:

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boiSomeone looking down on the person, Critically saying that a thing is wrong here.Rate it:

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bone of contentionSomething that continues to be disputed; something on which no agreement can be reached.Rate it:

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boon or baneSomething that can be either a benefit or an affliction.Rate it:

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boots on the groundThis smacks of a military jargon. Troops deployed to confront enemy. Modern warfare can be conducted from helicopters, drones, bombers with remote directed missiles, rockets and missiles from ships.Rate it:

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booze canA nightclub or bar, especially one which operates illegally or is otherwise disreputable.Rate it:

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borrowed timeA period of time whose precise duration is not known but which can be expected to be quite limited, and at the end of which one's situation, benefits, or opportunities will be entirely terminated.Rate it:

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bottomless pitA person who can keep eating without ever seeming to fill up, or a vessel which never fills however much is added.Rate it:

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bow and scrapeA deep formal bow with right leg drawn back touching the ground.Rate it:

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Quit ________around, we have loads to do.
A snaking
B horsing
C snoring
D messing

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