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Phrases related to: make a silk purse of a sow's ear

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"you're not going to make your dreams come true by making other people have nightmares."DreamsRate it:

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(de via) decedere alicuimake way for any one.Rate it:

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26+6=1The 26 counties of the Republic of Ireland and the 6 counties of Northern Ireland together make a single United Ireland.Rate it:

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a bad workman always blames his toolsIt is not the tools we use which make us good, but rather how we employ them.Rate it:

(4.38 / 8 votes)
a bird may love a fish, but where will they build their home?It's too hard to make a relationship work when two people are so vastly different. Similar variations end by saying "...where will they build their nest?" and "...where will they build their home together?"Rate it:

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a cauliflower earAn ear that has been permanently swollen and disfigured as a result of being repeatedly struck. Often a feature of a veteran boxer or rugby player.Rate it:

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a good man is hard to findMen who make good husbands or workers are rare.Rate it:

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a new broom sweeps cleanNew management will often make radical changes.Rate it:

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a smoke screenEarly sea battles demonstrated the value of gun smoke and smoke from burning ships to hide one battleship from one belonging to the enemy. Later, smoke was generated prior to commencing battle so as to make it more difficult for gun crews to spot the targeted vessel. This tactic became known as a smoke screen.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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ad calculos vocare aliquid (Amic. 16. 58)to go through accounts, make a valuation of a thing.Rate it:

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add fuel to fireTo inflame a situation, to make a situation worse.Rate it:

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add oilTo make extra effort.Rate it:

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add upTo make sense; to be reasonable or consistent.Rate it:

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AFAICMOInitialism of as far as I can make out.Rate it:

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aggredi ad dicendumto come forward to make a speech; to address the house.Rate it:

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agitare equumto make a horse prance.Rate it:

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agree withTo not make one sick; to not cause nausea, vomiting or diarrhea when eaten.Rate it:

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airmailTo throw the ball well over a fielder's head where that fielder is unable to make a play on the ball.Rate it:

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alicuius animum pellereto make an impression on a person's mind.Rate it:

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aliquem in oblivionem alicuius rei adducere (pass. in oblivionem venire)to make a person forget a thing.Rate it:

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aliquem in sinu gestare (aliquis est in sinu alicuius) (Ter. Ad. 4. 5. 75)to love and make a bosom friend of a person.Rate it:

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aliquem in suspicionem adducere (alicui), aliquem suspectum reddereto make a person suspected.Rate it:

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aliquid ad ridiculum convertereto make a joke of a thing.Rate it:

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aliquid ad verum exprimereto make a copy true to nature.Rate it:

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aliquid in religionem alicui venitto make a thing a matter of conscience, be scrupulous about a thing.Rate it:

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aliquid in risum vertereto make a thing ridiculous, turn it into a joke.Rate it:

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aliquid planum facere (Ad Herenn. 2. 5)to demonstrate, make a thing clear.Rate it:

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aliquid religioni habere or in religionem vertereto make a thing a matter of conscience, be scrupulous about a thing.Rate it:

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aliquid, multa ex Ciceronis libris excerpere (not excerpere librum)to make extracts from Cicero's writings.Rate it:

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all kidding asideUsed to attempt to make a serious point in a jocular conversation.Rate it:

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all over the placeEverywhere, especially chaotically or in such a way as to make a mess.Rate it:

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all rights reservedThe copyright holder of a creative work reserves all copyright-related rights, typically including the right to publish the work, to make derivative works of it, to distribute it, to make profit from it, to license a number of these rights to other people, and to forbid these uses by any unauthorized people, thus being entitled to take legal action against infringement.Rate it:

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analysis paralysisAn inability to make a decision due to overthinkingRate it:

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animos audientium permovere, inflammareto make an impression on one's audience.Rate it:

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animum alicuius or simply aliquem flectereto make a person change his intention.Rate it:

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anyone can make art, but not all art makes a person an artist.ArtistRate it:

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arma expedire (Tusc. 2. 16. 37)to make ready for battle.Rate it:

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army volunteerTo make someone perform a task or duty, especially one they are not prepared or willing to do.Rate it:

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arrivare alla fine del mesemake ends meetRate it:

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as you sow, so shall you reapThe personal consequences of one's actions are in proportion to the good or bad intentions towards others.Rate it:

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Asiam in provinciae formam (in provinciam) redigere (B. G. 1. 45)to make Asia into a Roman province.Rate it:

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ask formake a requestRate it:

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ask the questionTo make an appeal to the umpire against the batsman.Rate it:

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auctoritatem or dignitatem sibi conciliare, parareto gain dignity; to make oneself a person of consequence.Rate it:

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aures claudere, patefacere (e.g. veritati, assentatoribus)to turn a deaf ear to, to open one's ears to...Rate it:

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aures elegantes, teretes, tritae (De Or. 9. 27)a fine, practised ear.Rate 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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bank upTo make a mound to guard against something.Rate it:

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There's no use in __________ over spilled milk.
A weeping
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C crying
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