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Phrases related to: if only Page #2

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no frillsBasic or simple; providing only what is necessary, without anything extra or fancy.Rate it:

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on its meritsConsidering only intrinsic good points and bad points, without prejudice or other considerations, such as procedural ones.Rate it:

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one-noteHaving only one opinion, outlook, tone, etc., especially as expressed repetitively; without variety or range.Rate it:

(5.00 / 1 vote)
pro formaFor the sake of form only.Rate it:

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second stringeran athlete who plays only when a starter on the team is replacedRate it:

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una catena è resistente solo quanto il suo anello debolea chain is only as strong as its weakest linkRate it:

(5.00 / 1 vote)
window dressingA means of creating a deceptively favourable impression of something or someone; something for appearance only.Rate it:

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work against the clockTo work very quickly because you know you only have a very limited period of time to do something.Rate it:

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you had to be thereUsed to indicate to the interlocutor that the situation being talked about could only be properly understood if that person had been present.Rate it:

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the one who always envies someone in society, will never live in gaietyThis idiom means that if a person spends time complaining, criticizing and whining about what everyone else does, owns, or how successful other people are about their financial situation, job career, or results they get, instead of focusing and trying their best to improve one's situation, the only consequence is that this behavior will keep them in the guts, that is, at a lower life level than the one they wish to be.Rate it:

(4.83 / 6 votes)
a stopped clock is right twice a dayA normally unreliable person or instrument can occasionally provide correct information, even if only by accident.Rate it:

(4.50 / 2 votes)
until we meet againgoodbye The phrase "until we meet again" is a common expression used when saying goodbye to someone. It suggests that the separation between two people is temporary, and they will see each other again in the future. The phrase conveys a sense of hopefulness and optimism, implying that the bond between two individuals is strong enough to withstand a period of separation and that they will be reunited at some point in the future. It is often used as a way of expressing affection, goodwill, and a desire to maintain a relationship despite physical distance. The phrase can be used in various contexts, from casual conversations between friends to more formal occasions such as graduations, retirements, or funerals. In each case, it carries a similar message of hope and a commitment to maintaining a connection, even when physical proximity is not possible. Overall, the phrase "until we meet again" is a sentimental expression that suggests that separation is only temporary and that two individuals will be reunited in the future. It is often used to express affection, goodwill, and a desire to maintain a relationship despite physical distance or other challenges.Rate it:

(4.20 / 5 votes)
assault and battery. This legal distinction exists only in jurisdictions that distinguish assault as threatened violence rather than actual violence.Rate it:

(4.00 / 1 vote)
misery loves companyMisery is easier to bear when one is not the only one miserable.Rate it:

(4.00 / 1 vote)
YOLOyou only live once, i.e. expressing the view that one should make the most of the present moment.Rate it:

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i'm livin' the dreamI am living, experiencing in my reality my dream of excellence, beauty, success, and all uplifting emotional, actual pleasantries one might only expect in a dream stage: The opposite; I'm living the 'nightmare'!Rate it:

(3.50 / 2 votes)
stop an eight-day clock and throw it into reverseBefore batteries and household electricity were used to power clocks, most clocks had to be wound by hand to keep operating. Eight-day clocks were designed so they only had to be wound every eighth day and the movement only turned in a clockwise direction. Therefore, someone with an appearance objectionable enough to stop the clock and send the movement spinning in the wrong and opposite direction would be ugly indeed.Rate it:

(3.50 / 4 votes)
pick your battlesonly involve yourself in disputes where you are likely to win.Rate it:

(3.33 / 3 votes)
a doctrina mediocriter instructum esseto have received only a moderate education.Rate it:

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bones to the late comersIf you are invited to a party (marriage /dinner /lunch) and you happen to reach there late, only the bones that are left by the people who arrived earlier than you, will be waiting for you.Rate it:

(3.00 / 1 vote)
drain the swamp when up to one's neck in alligators(idiomatic) When performing a long and complex task, and when you've gotten utterly immersed in secondary and tertiary unexpected tangential subtasks, it's easy to lose sight of the initial objective. This sort of distraction can be particularly problematic if the all-consuming subtask or sub-subtask is not, after all, particularly vital to the original, primary goal, but ends up sucking up time and resources (out of all proportion to its actual importance) only because it seems so urgent.Rate it:

(3.00 / 2 votes)
ejusdem generisA canon of construction holding that when a general term follows a list of particular terms, the general term only applies to things similar to the particular terms. For example, in the list "sun, moon, and other large objects", the phrase "other large objects" only includes celestial bodies, not houses and elephants.Rate it:

(3.00 / 1 vote)
one-night standA single sexual encounter between two individuals, where at least one of the partners has no immediate intention or expectation of establishing a longer-term sexual or romantic relationship. As the phrase implies, the relationship lasts for only one night.Rate it:

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throw dirt enough, and some will stickIf enough allegations are made about someone or something, then even if they are all untrue, people's opinion of the person or thing will be diminished.1759, John Wesley, letter to John Downes, Rector of St. Michael's, Wood Street, read at Wesley Center Online at on 14 Oct 06.I hope...that you are ignorant of the whole affair, and are so bold only because you are blind...And blind enough; so that you blunder on through thick and thin, bespattering all that come in your way, according to the old, laudable maxim, 'Throw dirt enough, and some will stick.'1857, Thomas Hughes, Tom Brown's Schooldays, read at fullbooks.com on 14 Oct 06,But whatever harm a spiteful tongue could do them, he took care should be done. Only throw dirt enough, and some will stick.1864, John Henry Newman, Apologia Pro Vita Sua, Penguin Classics (1994), p. 10,Archbishop Whately used to say Rate it:

(3.00 / 2 votes)
sous (or, par) bénéfice d'inventaire1. (lit. in a legal sense) Without prejudice. 2. (fig.) Only to a certain point, conditionally, for what it is worth, with a pinch of salt.Rate it:

(2.50 / 2 votes)
Adam and Eve not Adam and SteveImplying that only heterosexual relations are normal.Rate it:

(2.25 / 4 votes)
all over but the shoutingThe substance of the contest is complete, leaving only the cheering.Rate it:

(2.00 / 1 vote)
mind one's own businessTo concern oneself only with what is of interest to oneself and not interfere in the affairs of others.Rate it:

(2.00 / 1 vote)
tell it like it isTo speak frankly, to convey all and only the truth of a situation.Rate it:

(2.00 / 1 vote)
ce n'est qu'un feu de pailleIt is only a flash in the pan; It will not last.Rate it:

(1.00 / 1 vote)
deliver the message to garciaWhat we need is people who get the job done, no matter how. We don't want pickers who'll only learn if we use their preferred learning method. Have you read "A Message to Garcia" ? That's what we need today - young people who can deliver the message to Garcia.Rate it:

(1.00 / 1 vote)
if it's yellow let it mellow, if it's brown flush it downIn order to save water, only flush the toilet after defecation, not after urination.Rate it:

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landing stripA cultivated pubic hair pattern in which much of the pubic hair is removed, leaving only a central vertical line or rectangle.Rate it:

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nice guyAn adult male who seeks sexual attraction and romantic intimacy, but only finds cordial friendship and platonic love.Rate it:

(1.00 / 1 vote)
one-man bandAn organisation or business that is effectively run by only one person.Rate it:

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out on one's feetStanding erect but not consciously aware of one's surroundings, or only minimally aware, and having little or no ability to control one's bodily actions, as a result of physical injury or exhaustion.Rate it:

(1.00 / 1 vote)
queen beeA reproductive female (especially the only one) in a colony of bees.Rate it:

(1.00 / 2 votes)
the jetset wayThe JetSet Way is the only way. People who live this way are straight alpha/sigma males and have the ability at will to ethically attain any and every woman they shall desire, own any car they shall want, wear whatever brand clothes they want, get VIP access everywhere and will spend more time on planes traveling to foreign countries than they do at their home. The Jet Set Way was coined by JetSetFly (also known as Josh King Madrid) himself.Rate it:

(1.00 / 1 vote)
ace intoTo be barely admitted into something, or to be admitted only at the last minute.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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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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at a pinchBy the skin of one’s teeth; only just; Deo volente; perhaps; if you’re lucky..Rate it:

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banker's dozenBy analogy, a method of lending where the interest is deducted beforehand, archetypally borrowing twelve dollars (owing twelve dollars back, a dozen) but actually receiving only eleven.Rate it:

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big fish in a small pondOne who has achieved a high rank or is highly esteemed, but only in a small, relatively unimportant, or little known location or organization.Rate it:

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BOHICAAcronym of bend over, here it comes again. Used colloquially to indicate that an adverse situation is about to repeat itself, and that acquiescence is the wisest or only course of action.Rate it:

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boo booa cut, scrape, "owie" or injury you get when you get hurt; usually a minor injury that only requires a BandAid; See also other definitions of "boo boo" and "Boo Boo"Rate it:

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by the way[...] I had counted on a life-lease of the profits, whereas I only received those of a few short years. But this is by the way.Rate it:

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c'est une famille où l'esprit est tombé en quenouilleIn that family only the women are clever; In that family the brains are on the distaff side.Rate it:

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ça, c'est de bonne guerreHe has only used fair means to defend himself (or, attack you); He has acted within his rights, you cannot complain.Rate it:

(0.00 / 0 votes)
cette affaire a passé à fleur de cordeThat business only just succeeded.Rate it:

(0.00 / 0 votes)

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