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Phrases related to: the lights are on, but nobody's home

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"never mind your mother sonny.... eat your bleedin' orange"I worked with a man from Foulridge, Lancashire for over 35 years who often used this phrase whenever there was a problem and he wasn't sure of the answer!.. Said the phrase came from a "chap I used to work with in Colne... but he didn't know what it meant either"Rate it:

(4.00 / 2 votes)
'til the cows come homeAlternative form of until the cows come home.Rate it:

(1.00 / 1 vote)
800-pound gorillaSomething dangerous, menacing, or spooky that is obvious but not addressed.Rate it:

(3.00 / 1 vote)
800-pound gorillaSomething dangerous, menacing, or frightening that is obvious but not addressed.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 in the hand is worth two in the bushIt is preferable to have a small but certain advantage than a mere potential of a greater one.Rate it:

(4.00 / 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 blessing and a curseSomething that is both a benefit and a burden, or that may seem initially beneficial but also brings unforeseen negative consequencesRate it:

(3.50 / 2 votes)
a house is not a homeA home is not merely a building but requires inhabitants and a friendly atmosphere.Rate it:

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a man's home is his castle(US) a proverbial expression of personal privacy and securityRate it:

(3.00 / 4 votes)
a pig might have a long tale but its tail is always short!A hypocrite always keeps giving excuses & making stories, but his/her supporter & power base are always short! So, if anyone earnestly try to get rid of that hypocrite's tyranny and torcher, that is very much feasible as history supports that hypocrites never win!Rate it:

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a pyrrhic victoryAn apparent victory, but one which is no victory at all, due to the great cost incurred. The phrase comes from the victory won by King Pyrrhus at Asculum in 279BC which cost him many of his best men. After the battle Pyrrhus remarked: "One more such victory and we are finished."Rate it:

(5.00 / 1 vote)
à qui mal veut, mal arriveHarm watch, harm catch; Curses, like chickens, come home to roost.Rate it:

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à tout oiseau son nid est beauHome is home, be it ever so homely. Rate it:

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about homeA shortened version of "about to be home" , meaning you are very close to your homeRate it:

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accidentally on purposeSeemingly unintentionally but actually deliberatelyRate it:

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Ace up Your SleeveA matchless hidden advantage and ability of a person that nobody else knows about and that no one else could ownRate it:

(3.00 / 1 vote)
acknowledge the cornTo cop a plea; to admit to a small error but not a larger one.Rate it:

(5.00 / 1 vote)
acquired tasteA taste which is not natural or innate, but which has developed through habit or learning.Rate it:

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acquired tasteSomething that is appreciated only after having initially been regarded as unappealing or unpleasant; a person who is regarded as difficult or dislikable but of whom at least some have grown to approve.Rate it:

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actors more & stages fewA situation where more are in demand but lacking enough provisions or when right options are scanty or less.Rate it:

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after allIn the end; anyway; referring to something that was believed to be the case, but has now been shown not to be.Rate it:

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agreement in principleA legally enforceable, but incompletely specified, agreement between parties that identifies the fundamental terms that are intended to be or are agreed upon.Rate it:

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algo del otro mundosomething special or extraordinary; something to write home aboutRate it:

(5.00 / 1 vote)
all bark and no biteFull of big talk but lacking action, power, or substance; pretentious.Rate it:

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all butnearly; except thatRate it:

(3.00 / 1 vote)
all butnearlyRate it:

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all hat and no cattleFull of big talk but lacking action, power, or substance; pretentious.Rate it:

(3.50 / 2 votes)
all hat, no cattleDresses like a cowboy, but isn't really a cowboy; a "drugstore cowboy"Rate it:

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all mouth and no trousersSuperficial, engaging in empty, boastful talk, but not of real substance.Rate it:

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all mouth and trousersSuperficial, engaging in empty, boastful talk, but not of real substance.Rate it:

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all over but the shoutingThe substance of the contest is complete, leaving only the cheering.Rate it:

(2.00 / 1 vote)
all talk and no actionSpeaking, promising, or boasting much, but doing littleRate it:

(4.00 / 2 votes)
All that Glitters is Not GoldA thing or a person that seems attractive at very first glance but actually worth nothingRate it:

(1.00 / 2 votes)
all well and goodBasically good, but with some shortcoming or limitation.Rate it:

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amber gamblerA driver of a road vehicle who accelerates when the traffic lights change from green to amber (instead of stopping, as required by law), gambling that no vehicle will cross his or her path; a driver who starts off when the traffic lights show red and amber together, but not yet green.Rate it:

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an englishman's home is his castle(UK) a proverbial expression of personal privacy and securityRate it:

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anaconda mortgageA loan arrangement in which all of the money borrowed from a lender, for whatever purpose, is secured by one's home, land, and other property.Rate it:

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and changeAnd some quantity, but less than the increment to the next round number.Rate it:

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and don't play one on TVA term often used after a person claims to have no expertise in a topic of discussion, but still wants to contribute a comment.Rate it:

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and your little dog tooA statement that not only will the person being addressed be punished but their conspirators will also.Rate it:

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animo, cogitatione aliquid fingere (or simply fingere, but without sibi), informareto form an idea of a thing, imagine, conceive.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:

(3.00 / 1 vote)
anyone can make art, but not all art makes a person an artist.ArtistRate it:

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Appendix:Glossary of baseball jargon (T)A batter who leads the league in three major categories: home runs, runs batted in, and batting average.Rate it:

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Appendix:Snowclones/I am X, hear me YUsed to draw attention to what one has to say. X can be anything; Y is usually "roar", but can be some other noise that X habitually makes.Rate it:

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apud eum sic fui tamquam domi meae (Fam. 13. 69)I felt quite at home in his house.Rate it:

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are your ears burningSaid of somebody who was not present but was the topic of discussion.Rate it:

(4.00 / 1 vote)
arm's lengthIndependent, but related.Rate it:

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armchair quarterbacksomeone who sits back and tries to second-guess or give advice about the quarterback, coach or other players, but who is not involved in the gameRate it:

(0.00 / 0 votes)

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