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Phrases related to: on the straight and narrow Page #17

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witha flint and a meat axeA Depression Expression: A violent verbal assertion and call for action as a result of a dirty trick or mischevious misdemeanor.Rate it:

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women and children firstAn exhortation to follow the principle of removing women and children from danger before men.Rate it:

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wrack and ruinComplete destruction.Rate it:

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X's and O'sThe fundamental elements of a play.Rate it:

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yes and amenAn emphatic agreement.Rate it:

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yes and noAn answer in reply to a yes-no question, indicating there is no simple "yes" or "no" answerRate it:

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you and what armyAlternative form of you and whose armyRate it:

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you and whose armyUsed in response to someone’s threat suggesting that the person in question cannot do what she or he says alone.Rate it:

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you and whose army%3fYou can't do all that on your own.Rate it:

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you can't run with the hare and hunt with the houndsYou can't have it both ways.Rate it:

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“a sentence doesn't come out of nowhere, the writer planted it, watered it, took care of it and youSentenceRate it:

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“failure is bringing the wine and forgetting the glass, depression is forgetting the corkscrew."Wine Rate it:

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'tis the seasonIndicating that it is the time of year around Christmas, and that things associated with that time period are happening or likely to happen.Rate it:

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a devil-may-care attitudeTo act without fear or worry for the future; casual, relaxed and nonchalant; happy-go-lucky attitude; sometimes considered recklessRate it:

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à la cour du roi chacun pour soiEvery man for himself and the devil take the hindmost. Rate it:

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a party animalAn individual whom lives, thinks, reflects, promotes, enjoys, raucous, wild, off the deep end, exotic; parties, gatherings, happenings and blasts.Rate it:

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a pick-upA female whom frequents venues where males spend their spare time in billiards, drinking, lounging and where she seeks temporary companionship for ulterior motives.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:

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a riddle wrapped up in an enigmaSomething very mysterious and hidden.Rate it:

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a vicious circlea sequence of reciprocal cause and effect in which two or more elements intensify and aggravate each other, leading inexorably to a worsening of the situation.Rate it:

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abide byTo accept a decision or law and act in accordance with it; to conform to; to acquiesce; as, to abide by an award.Rate it:

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actions speak louder than wordsPeople will believe what you do more than they will hear what you say. They will not believe you if you say one thing and do something different than what you say..Rate it:

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after Saturday comes SundayA phrase sometimes attributed to fundamentalist Muslims, implying that they wish to kill the Jews, whose sabbath is Saturday, and then the Christians, whose sabbath is Sunday.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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are you allergic to any medicationsAsked mostly by doctors and nurses to ascertain whether certain medications should not be given to patients.Rate it:

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at someone's disposalAvailable to be used at any time and in any way the user sees fit.Rate it:

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Babe in the WoodsSomeone, who is inexperienced in many matters of life and has the habit of trusting others very quicklyRate it:

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back-cloth starAn actor who stands upstage, forcing the other actors to face him and turn their backs to the audience, in order to gain more attention to himself.Rate it:

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bag of weaselsSomething that has pronounced weasely characteristics, such as pettiness, bad temper, and deviousness.Rate it:

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balance the booksTo add up all the debits and credits.Rate it:

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banana republicA small country, especially one in Central America, that is dependent on a single export commodity (traditionally bananas) and that has a corrupt, dictatorial government.Rate 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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Barmacide feastSomething that appears highly desirable, but proves to be imaginary, illusory and ultimately very disappointing.Rate it:

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bear oneselfTo behave and conduct oneself in such a manner that others will give one respect.Rate it:

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beauty sleepSleep before midnight, on the belief that early sleep hours conduce to health and beauty.Rate it:

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belly-up to the barSame as belly up to the bar; a friendly invitation to individual to come up to the bar and/or join the group for libation and conversationRate it:

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Better Safe than SorryIt is better to be careful and avoid any sort of harmful risks, injuries or complicated situations that you might regret laterRate it:

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bitter sweetWhen something is Good and Bad; Positive with negative.Rate it:

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blood in the waterIn a competitive situation, the exhibition of apparent weakness or vulnerability by one party, especially when this leads to a feeling of vulnerability or greater pressure to perform on the part of the weak party, and/or enhanced expectation of victory by the other(s).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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bottle upKeep suppressed and hidden.Rate it:

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brass ringOne and one half inch diameter iron rings were offered riders on a Carousel by a dispensing device alongside: A Brass Ring was inserted into the dispenser at random. The Carousel Rider who succeeded in snatching the Brass Ring was rewarded A Free Ride upon return to the Operator of the Brass Ring:Rate it:

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brick houseA voluptuous woman with a large rotund buttocks and bust.Rate it:

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bring (one's) a-gamerefers to bringing maximum effort, focus and undeniable commitment; an encouragement to do your best with no excuses; giving it your allRate it:

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bring home the baconTo have a job and earn money or to lead a successful career.Rate it:

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Bronx cheerA razzing noise made with the lips and tongue; a raspberry.Rate it:

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bursting at the seamsFull to capacity. Both literally and figuratively.Rate it:

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bustle withTo teem with; abound with; to exhibit an energetic and active abundance of a thing; to be full of a certain activity or active beings.Rate it:

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by a mileBy a large amount or by a great distance - e.g. won by a mile; When prefixed by ‘out’ or ‘off’ it emphasizes that a significant gap exists between the parties involved and that it is to a decisive degreeRate it:

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by the skin of one's teethBarely; closely; by a narrow margin; with nothing to spare.Rate it:

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