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Phrases related to: John Q. Public

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'tis an ill wind that blows no goodSimilar to "every cloud has a silver lining" or "one man's gain is another's loss". This expression appeared in John Heywood's 1546 proverb collection and remains so well known that it is often shortened. (www.dictionary.com}Rate it:

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a negotiis publicis se removereto retire from public life.Rate it:

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a re publica recedereto retire from public life.Rate it:

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a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go downAn otherwise unpleasant situation can be pleasant when a pleasant aspect is deliberately introduced.1999, Eli Yassif, The Hebrew Folktale: History, Genre, Meaning, Indiana University Press, ISBN 0253335833, page 372,One is known as the "sweetening parable," that is to say a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down. Thus, when the aim is to preach to the people, to guide them along the "bitter," arduous path of upholding burdensome precepts and prohibitions, a tale can lighten the load, make the "medicine" easier "to swallow."2001, Maureen Reagan, First Father, First Daughter: A Memoir, Little, Brown, ISBN 0316736368, page 319,It put some fun into the tedious business of preparing for a presidential debate. A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, right?2004, John Hoover, How to Work for an Idiot: Survive & Thrive... Without Killing Your Boss, Career Press, ISBN 1564147045, page 11,If a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, a barrel of laughs can wash down the big pills you might need to swallow.Rate it:

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Aaron's beardHypericum calycinum (great St. John's-wort, Jerusalem star)Rate it:

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Aaron's beardA common name for several plants, which have tufts of stamens.[First attested in the late 19 century.]Cymbalaria muralis (ivy-leaved toadflax, Kenilworth ivy)Hypericum calycinum (great St. John's-wort, Jerusalem star)Saxifraga stolonifera (creeping saxifrage, strawberry geranium)Opuntia leucotricha (arborescent prickly pear, Aaron's beard cactus)Rate it:

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accusare aliquem peculatus, pecuniae publicaeto accuse some one of malversation, embezzlement of public money.Rate it:

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ager publicuspublic land; state domain.Rate it:

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air one's dirty laundry in publicto reveal one's secrets to the public.Rate it:

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Air Your Dirty Laundry in PublicTo discuss your personal matters and conflicts publicly specifically when you argue with someone .Rate it:

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all-out brawlA brutal fight without honor, often referring to spontaneous conflicts that erupt in a public place like a bar.Rate it:

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arm candyAn attractive, seemingly romantic companion who accompanies a person in public simply so that one or both of the individuals can gain attention, enhance social status, or create an impression of sexual appeal.Rate it:

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back officeThe IT and infrastructure support services for a company, separate from the public face of the business.Rate it:

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behind closed doorsPublic disclosure.Rate it:

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behind the scenesIn secret; out of public view.Rate it:

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bend one's elbowTo drink alcoholic beverages, especially at a public house or bar.Rate it:

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blow the whistleTo disclose information to the public or to appropriate authorities concerning the illegal or socially harmful actions of a person or group, especially a corporation or government agency.Rate it:

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blowtorch a marshmallow cakeTo vilify a benefactor, ridicule the boss, scorn a well-to-do friend in public.Rate it:

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bluewashTo tout a business or organization's commitment to social responsibility, and to use this perception for public relations and economic gain; to present a humanitarian front in this manner.Rate it:

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bozo eruptionA remark-usually unscripted-by a politician or other public figure which is especially ill-considered and foolish, and which has negative repercussions for that individual and for his or her affiliated group.Rate it:

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brick and mortarBuildings and property for the conduct of business, particularly in the sale of retail goods to the general public. (Used to contrast an Internet-based sales operation that lacks customer-oriented store fronts and a "traditional" one for which most capital investment might be in the building infrastructure.) [since the mid-1990s]Rate it:

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c'est le chien de jean de nivelle, il s'enfuit quand on l'appelleThe more you call him, the more he runs away, like John de Nivelle’s dog.Rate it:

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c'est un pilier d'estaminet (or, de café)He is a public-house lounger, a pub-loafer.Rate it:

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catch-as-catch-canA. 1681, John Fryer, Richard Chiswell, Robert Roberts, Robert White, A New Account of East-India and Persia, in Eight Letters, Being Nine Years Travels, Begun 1672 and Finished 1681.Rate it:

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cattle callAn audition which is open to the public and thus draws a large number of applicants, many of whom are inexperienced.Rate it:

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character assassinationa malicious verbal assault designed to damage the reputation of a public figureRate it:

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close ranksto regroup forces, especially when this involves overlooking differences in order to face a challenge or adverse situation. Often implies making a show of unity, especially to the public.Rate it:

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closing timeThe time when a public house closes. Used to invite final drink orders.Rate it:

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come to JesusTo experience or display a conversion or recommitment to Christianity or to undergo a related ritual, especially public confession of one's sins or weaknesses.Rate it:

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come-to-JesusRelating to a Christian conversion, recommitment, or associated ritual, especially public confession.Rate it:

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common nameThe name by which a species is known to the general public, rather than its taxonomic or scientific name.Rate it:

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cut a wide swathTo behave in an expansive, flagrantly showy, or pushy manner, especially in public venues; to exert sweeping influence.Rate it:

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daylightExposure to public scrutiny.Rate it:

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dig up dirtTo examine in order to find negative information for public opinion, usually with the purpose of embarrassing or discrediting a person.Rate it:

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diplomatic fluAn illness feigned by one or more government officials or other public figures as an excuse for an absence really based on political reasons.Rate it:

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domi se tenereto never appear in public.Rate it:

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down withExpressing disapproval of or encouraging actions against a person, organization, practice, belief, etc., typically in a public protest.Rate it:

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drag kingA female who dresses up in men's clothing, typically for public performance.Rate it:

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Dunkirk spiritThe spirit of the British public pulling together to overcome times of adversity.Rate it:

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eat outTo dine at a restaurant or such public place.Rate it:

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efferre or edere aliquid in vulgusto divulge, make public.Rate it:

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existimatio populi, hominumpublic opinion.Rate it:

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expose oneselfTo appear nude in public.Rate it:

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faire affront à quelqu'unTo shame some one in public.Rate it:

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fire drillAn organised practice to prepare occupants of an office, school or other public building for evacuation in the event of a fire.Rate it:

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folk devilA person or type of person blamed by the public for various ills, as during a moral panic.Rate it:

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gerendis negotiis orbatus (Fin. 5. 20. 57)banished from public life.Rate it:

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get a roomA jocular or sarcastic expression commanding a couple to stop displaying affection in public, and to rent a hotel or motel room to continue amorous activities in private.Rate it:

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get off withTo befriend someone and snog them, especially in a public place.Rate it:

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go outTo leave one's abode to go to public places.Rate it:

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