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Phrases related to: sign of the times

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a bad penny always turns upA person or thing which is unpleasant, dishonorable, or unwanted tends to appear (or reappear), especially at inopportune times.Rate it:

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a million timesby a factor of a millionRate it:

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all students take calculusA mnemonic for the sign values of all the trigonometric functions in the two-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system. The initial letters ASTC — for all, sine, tangent, cosine — signify which of the functions are positive, in the order of the quadrants, starting at the top right and moving counterclockwise.Rate it:

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any port in a stormAn unfavourable option which might well be avoided in good times but which nevertheless looks better than the alternatives at the current time.Rate it:

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at the best of timesAt most.Rate it:

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at timesOn occasion, sometimes.Rate it:

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augures obnuntiant (consuli) (Phil. 2. 33. 83)the augurs announce an unfavourable sign.Rate it:

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auld lang syneDays gone by; former times.Rate it:

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autres temps, autres mœursManners change with the times.Rate it:

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baby on boardPhrase on a sign attached to the rear of a motor car to signify that a baby is sometimes carried.Rate it:

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bad pennyA person or thing which is unpleasant, disreputable, or otherwise unwanted, especially one which repeatedly appears at inopportune times.Rate it:

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barber's signA standing pole and two wash-balls, historically used outside barber's shops.Rate it:

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bare one's teethOf an animal, to show one's teeth as a sign of aggression.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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beer and skittlesFun times.Rate it:

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behind the timesOut of date; old-fashioned; obsolete; outmoded; outdated.Rate it:

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better to light a single candle than to curse the darknessIn the face of bad times or hopelessness, it is more worthwhile to do some good, however small, in response than to complain about the situation.Rate it:

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caution - slippery when wetWarning, often in the form of a sign, that people should pay attention when walking on a wet and slippery ground not to fall down and get injured.Rate it:

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change sides, change signsA mnemonic indicating that when a value is moved to the opposite side of the equals sign, then the operator is changed also.Rate it:

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death knellA sign or omen foretelling the death or destruction of something.Rate it:

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desperate times call for desperate measuresIn adverse circumstances actions that might have been rejected under other circumstances may become the best choice.Rate it:

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desperate times require desperate measuresAlternative form of desperate times call for desperate measures.Rate it:

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die a thousand deathsTo die many times over.Rate it:

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do not disturbUsed to indicate that somebody does not wish to be disturbed, e.g. a sign on a hotel room door, or a "busy" mode of an instant messenger.Rate it:

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do not enterUsed to ask not to enter, e.g. a sign on a hotel room door.Rate it:

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dollar-sign eyesgreedRate it:

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du temps que berthe filaitWhen Adam delved and Eve span; In the good old times.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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einen Vogel zeigenliterally "to show a bird". making a cuckoo signRate it:

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faire la navetteTo go to and fro between two places several times.Rate it:

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for old time's sakeAlternative form of for old times' sakeRate it:

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for old times' sakeAn appeal to the nostalgia of prior experiences to convince someone to do something.Rate it:

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for old times' sakesAlternative form of for old times' sake.Rate it:

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forewarned is forearmedAdvance awareness of a situation, especially a risky one, prepares one to deal with it.1863, Charles Reade, Hard Cash, ch. 4:[W]hatever a young gentleman of that age says to you, he says to many other ladies; but your experience is not equal to your sense; so profit by mine . . . forewarned is forearmed.1885, G. A. Henty, Saint George for England, ch. 4:Sometimes, they say, it is wiser to remain in ignorance; at other times forewarned is forearmed.circa 1903, Lucy Maud Montgomery, "Why Mr. Cropper Changed His Mind":"Well, Miss Maxwell, I think it only fair to tell you that you may have trouble with those boys when they do come. Forewarned is forearmed, you know."Rate it:

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garbage in, garbage out(computing, information technology) If input data is not complete, accurate, and timely, then the resulting output is unreliable and of no useful value.1963, Raymond Crowley, "Robot Tax Collector Seeks Indications of 'Fudging'," Times Daily (Alabama, USA), 1 April (retrieved 26 July 2010):Officials explained that the quality of the computer's work depends on the quality of the data fed into it. Neil Hoke, administrative assistant to Stewart, quoted an adage of computer men: "Garbage in, garbage out."2008, Roger K. Lewis, "'In Architectural Design, Brains and Talent Trump the Best Software," Washington Post, 19 July (retrieved 26 July 2010):The old caveat "GIGO"Rate it:

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get with the timesto become cognizant of modern trends, words or ideasRate it:

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go upstairsTo request a decision by the third umpire (traditionally by making a sign of a TV set with the hands)Rate it:

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Gone FishinHumorous 'Door-Sign' on Front Door of Temporarily 'Closed' Store, Business Place, Service StationRate it:

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Hang Out Your ShingleTo establish your own personal office and put a sign board over the entranceRate it:

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here's your signA sarcastic remark and gesture that is said and done when someone says something stupid. This is said while holding the back of your right hand in a fist to your forehead with the index finger and thumb extended to form an "L" for "Loser." This is done and said to someone when they ask an obvious question and they should have known the answer; it points out to someone how dumb the question was that they just asked.Rate it:

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high cottonThe best of times; a time of well being.Rate it:

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historicorum fide contestata memoriahistoric times.Rate it:

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Indian signA curse causing loss of will power or persistent bad luck.Rate it:

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it's not the whistle that pulls the trainBoasting and loud talk should not be mistaken for the work that produces real achievements; bravado is no proof of action.1956, James Reston, "Washington: It's Not the Whistle that Pulls the Train," New York Times, 1 July, p. E8:Rate it:

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j'ai appelé mon domestique à plusieurs reprisesI called my servant several times.Rate it:

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less is moreThat which is less complicated is often better understood and more appreciated than what is more complicated; simplicity is preferable to complexity; brevity in communication is more effective than verbosity.1855, Robert Browning, "Men and Women":Well, less is more, Lucrezia: I am judged.1954, "'Less Is More'," Time, 14 Jun.:The essence of Mies's architectural philosophy is in his famous and sometimes derided phrase, "Less is more." This means, he says, having "the greatest effect with the least means."2007, Gia Kourlas, "Dance Review: An Ordered World Defined With Soothing Spareness," New York Times, 3 Mar. (retrieved 22 Oct. 2008):The program, which features two premieresRate it:

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let the good times rollTo have fun or live fully; may imply letting things that are going well proceed.Rate it:

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make one's markTo sign (a document) by making a cross or other mark.Rate it:

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measure twice and cut once(literally, carpentry) One should double-check one's measurements for accuracy before cutting a piece of wood; otherwise it may be necessary to cut again, wasting time and material.1872, "Dressmaking," Hall's Journal of Health, vol. 19, no. 12, p. 280:Look at Carpenters! . . . In old times it was a proverb "Measure twice, and cut once."(figuratively, by extension) Plan and prepare in a careful, thorough manner before taking action.2008, Hilary Johnson, "Mergers rattle bank relations," Financial Week, 9 Nov. (retrieved 9 Nov. 2008):Mr. Paz noted that since the onset of the credit crisis, eBay, like other companies, hasnRate it:

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memoria huius aetatis (horum temporum)the history of our own times; contemporary history.Rate it:

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