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Phrases related to: on its merits Page #2

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spell outFrom its component letters.Rate it:

(4.33 / 3 votes)
apple does not fall far from the treeA child grows up to be very similar to its parents, both in behavior and in physical characteristics.1842, E. A. Freidlaender (translator), Frederika Bremer (author), The Neighbours, ch. 10:It is impossible to look at Madam Rhen, without at once making the conclusion that she is pleasantness, hospitality, and loquacity itself; nor can one look upon her daughter Renetta without thinking, "the apple does not fall far from the tree!"1978, Dr. Isador Rosenfeld, "Doctor Asks Patient Rate it:

(4.00 / 1 vote)
canary in a coal mineSomething whose sensitivity to adverse conditions makes it a useful early indicator of such conditions; something which warns of the coming of greater danger or trouble by a deterioration in its health or welfare.Rate it:

(4.00 / 1 vote)
happy Fourth of JulyA greeting used during the United States Independence Day to recognize its celebration.Rate it:

(4.00 / 1 vote)
happy Independence DayA greeting used during Independence Day to recognize its celebration.Rate it:

(4.00 / 2 votes)
home field advantageUsually in sports, the heightened performance enjoyed by the team playing on its own familiar field in front of its home crowd.Rate it:

(4.00 / 1 vote)
keel overOf a vessel: to roll so far on its side that it cannot recover; to capsize.Rate it:

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spruce upTo refresh, revamp; to freshen or improve something, especially its appearance.Rate it:

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think throughTo fully consider an action, and understand all its consequences.Rate it:

(4.00 / 3 votes)
vowel quantityA vowel's duration of articulation; its length.Rate it:

(4.00 / 1 vote)
turn to stoneTo become completely still, not moving. The phrase "turn to stone" typically means to become motionless, rigid, or unresponsive. It can also refer to becoming emotionally numb or unfeeling. The phrase has its origins in Greek mythology, where the Gorgon Medusa was said to have the power to turn anyone who looked at her into stone. In this context, "turning to stone" meant to become petrified, frozen, and unable to move. In a more metaphorical sense, "turning to stone" can refer to becoming emotionally or mentally rigid, closed off, or unresponsive. For example, a person might be said to have "turned to stone" if they have experienced trauma or emotional distress that has left them numb or unfeeling. The phrase can also be used to describe a situation where a person or group of people becomes unresponsive or unwilling to change their views or actions. For example, a team that is stuck in their ways and resistant to change might be said to have "turned to stone" in terms of their ability to adapt and evolve. Overall, the phrase "turn to stone" implies a sense of rigidity, immobility, and unresponsiveness. It can refer to becoming physically or emotionally petrified, and it can also describe a situation where a person or group is unwilling or unable to change or adapt.Rate it:

(3.86 / 7 votes)
tune upTo make adjustments to an engine in order to improve its performance.Rate it:

(3.33 / 3 votes)
common nameThe name by which a species is known to the general public, rather than its taxonomic or scientific name.Rate it:

(3.00 / 1 vote)
Don't Look a Gift Horse in the MouthDon’t complain if you get gift that is not as good as you expect; accept what you've been given without analyzing its valueRate it:

(3.00 / 2 votes)
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)
fail overTo automatically switch processing from a failed component in a critical system to its live spare or backup component.Rate it:

(3.00 / 1 vote)
flower of the flockSomething exceedingly good or the best of its type.Rate it:

(3.00 / 1 vote)
in the right place at the right timeAt a location where something good is about to happen at just the time of its occurrence; lucky; fortunate; able to obtain a benefit due to circumstances, rather than due to merit.Rate it:

(3.00 / 2 votes)
kick offTo force the weaning of a bovine cow's calf by restricting the calf's access to its mother's udders. Used figuratively or literally.Rate it:

(3.00 / 1 vote)
kiss my gritsA nice way of saying "eff you." Its a spin on the phrase "kiss my a**", written into a TV show from the 80s called "Alice". The saying was usually preceded by the name "Mel" who was the owner of the diner where Flo, the waitress who made the saying famous, worked.Rate it:

(3.00 / 2 votes)
leaf outTo open its buds.Rate it:

(3.00 / 1 vote)
mark upTo increase the price of something between its wholesale and retail phase.Rate it:

(3.00 / 1 vote)
paper flowerA plant, Psilostrophe cooperi, and its flower.Rate it:

(3.00 / 1 vote)
poisoned chaliceA scheme or instrument for causing death or harm, especially one which eventually brings about the downfall of its creator; something which is initially regarded as advantageous but which is later recognized to be disadvantageous or harmful.Rate it:

(3.00 / 1 vote)
green lightA traffic light in its green state .Rate it:

(2.00 / 1 vote)
in for a penny, in for a poundExpressing recognition that one must, having started something, see it through to its end, rather than stopping short thereof; accepting that one must Rate it:

(2.00 / 1 vote)
mother of allUsed before a plural noun to form a compound noun having the sense of: the greatest or largest of its kind.Rate it:

(2.00 / 1 vote)
rear upTo rise up, especially an animal like a horse rising up on its rear legs.Rate it:

(2.00 / 1 vote)
populum liberum esse, libertate uti, sui iuris esse patito grant a people its independence.Rate it:

(1.50 / 2 votes)
bit in the biten of lakeIt means that a person is in a serious mood where he is not thinking for the serious matter. Its proper meaning is "serious"Rate it:

(1.00 / 1 vote)
bring owls to athensPerhaps we have not been sufficiently aware that talking about access and its implications in Scandinavia is like bringing owls to Athens. — Herbert Burkert.Rate it:

(1.00 / 1 vote)
happy HalloweenA greeting used during Halloween to recognize its celebrationRate it:

(1.00 / 1 vote)
rake outTo fly too far and wide from its master while hovering above waiting till the game is sprung.Rate it:

(1.00 / 1 vote)
800-pound gorillaAn entity that dominates its environment.Rate it:

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above parHaving a price below its face valueRate it:

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abstract ideaAn idea separated from a complex object, or from other ideas which naturally accompany it; as the solidity of marble when contemplated apart from its color or figure.Rate it:

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ad artem, ad rationem revocare aliquid (De Or. 2. 11. 44)to reduce a thing to its theoretical principles; to apply theory to a thing.Rate it:

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all outThe state of a side having no more men to bat, thus ending its innings.Rate it:

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all sizzle and no steakSomeone or something does not live up to its reputationRate it:

(0.00 / 0 votes)
all sizzle and no steakA thing or person which fails to measure up to its description or advanced promotion.Rate it:

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aqui se faz, aqui se pagaEvery action brings its consequences.Rate it:

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as isIn its present state or condition, especially as a contractual condition of sale.Rate it:

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balance the booksTo put or keep any closed or conservative system or its analysis in balance.Rate it:

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beat around the bushTo treat a topic but omit its main points, often intentionally.Rate it:

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bestes Wissen und Gewissenthe best of one's knowledge; good faith; roughly combining the senses of both English idioms, namely that one does or says something in the honest conviction of its correctness but under the condition of the fallibility of one’s knowledge and competencesRate it:

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bloom is off the roseThe person, object, or situation identified in the context has lost its novelty, freshness, appeal, or acceptability.Rate it:

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boil overTo boil to such an extent as to overflow its container.Rate it:

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bottom feederA fish or other aquatic creature that feeds off the bottom of its habitat; a flatfish.Rate it:

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bright shiny objectAn item that attracts a great deal of attention because of its superficial characteristics.Rate it:

(0.00 / 0 votes)
bring to a boilTo heat something until it reaches its boiling point.Rate it:

(0.00 / 0 votes)

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