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Phrases related to: make it up as one goes along Page #33

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see starsTo experience apparent flashing lights in one's field of vision, especially after receiving a blow to the head.Rate it:

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shape upTo improve; to correct one's bad habits or behavior.Rate it:

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shuffleA rhythm commonly used in blues music. Consists of a series of triplet notes with the middle note missing, so that it sounds like a long note followed by a short note. Sounds like a walker dragging one foot.Rate it:

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simplify to amplifyMake something more simple to give it more focusRate it:

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slings and arrowsMisfortune or adversity that is not one's fault; adverse factors or circumstances; also, judgments, harsh criticisms, or personal attacksRate it:

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snap upTo buy quickly, usually because the item is a bargain or in short supply or something one has been searching for.Rate it:

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sob storyA sad story told to make others feel sympathy for the teller.Rate it:

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solid as a rockExtremely thick and heavy, so as to make it impossible to move.Rate it:

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some days you get the bear, other days the bear gets youOne cannot always overcome a powerful adversary.Rate it:

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speak too soonTo make a premature assumption which is later proven falseRate it:

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spring to mindTo appear suddenly in one's thoughts, often as an example of something.Rate it:

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stem the roseTo have anal sex; to insert one's penis (stem) into another's anus (rose).Rate it:

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step asideto make room for others as replacements by withdrawing from a position or service; substituted for ‘step down’ or ‘step away’Rate it:

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stop someone in his tracksTo prevent someone from continuing along a path or way, literal or figurative, he has begun going along.Rate it:

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Straw that Broke Camel's BackOne last mistake leading to previous calamity or trouble, not able to bear more than one’s capacity,Rate it:

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strip downTo remove all of one's clothing.Rate it:

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swallow the leekTo change one's mindRate it:

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take away fromTo make something seem not so good or interesting.Rate it:

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take care of the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselvesIf you take care of little things one at a time, they can add up to big things.1750, Chesterfield, letter 5 Feb. (1932) IV. 1500:Old Mr. Lowndes, the famous Secretary of the Treasury, ?used to say?Take care of the pence, and the pounds will take care of themselves.1912, G. B. Shaw, Pygmalion ii. 132:Take care of the pence and the pounds will take care of themselves is as true of personal habits as of money.1979, R. Cassilis, Arrow of God, iv. xvii.:Little things, Master Mally. Look after the pennies, Master Mally, and the pounds will look after themselves.1999, Rate it:

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take the libertyTo act on one's own authority.Rate it:

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tempus fugittime flies (used as an alternative to this phrase)."Meanwhile, the irreplaceable time escapes", expressing concern that one's limited time is being consumed by something which may have little intrinsic substance or importance at that moment.Rate it:

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ten-dollar wordA long and uncommon word used in place of a shorter and simpler one with the intent to appear sophisticated.Rate it:

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the doctor always err's on the side of caution.It means to make sure of, or to make the most ofRate it:

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the grass is always greener on the other sideOther circumstances seem more desirable than one's own but in reality are often notRate it:

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the manThe oppressive powers that be, including the government and corporations; the system, as coordinated outside of one’s control..Rate it:

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the shoemaker's children go barefootOne often neglects those closest to oneself.Rate it:

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thigh-slapperA joke, especially one which strikes the listener or reader as particularly humorous.Rate it:

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throw enough mud at the wall and some of it will stickTry the same thing often enough, and, even if the general standard is poor, sometimes one will be successful.Rate it:

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throw to the wolvesTo remove or cast out someone or something out of one's protection, such as onto the streets, especially towards predators.Rate it:

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tidy upTo make clean. In particular to make satisfactorily neat. Usually used to describe the straightening-out of a small room or small space.Rate it:

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top dogIn a competition, the one expected to win.Rate it:

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top of mindForemost in one's thoughts; of greatest concern or priority.Rate it:

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toxic individualismAn insistence that one's individual "rights" supersede the commonweal, taken to such an extreme that it destroys relationships and communities.Rate it:

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twin engineTwo engines on one vehicleRate it:

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uhmmHas two meanings: 1.A means of clearing one's throat. 2 . a stall to collect a thought.Rate it:

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under the influenceDrunk; intoxicated; affected by alcohol. The phrase "under the influence" typically refers to the state of being affected by some substance or external factor that alters one's behavior, judgment, or perception. It is commonly associated with the consumption of drugs or alcohol, but it can also refer to the impact of other factors such as emotions, peer pressure, or environmental influences. Being "under the influence" implies a diminished capacity to make rational decisions or to act responsibly, and it may also carry legal consequences if the substance in question is illegal or if the person's impaired state leads to unsafe or illegal behavior. Overall, the phrase "under the influence" is often used to describe a state of temporary impairment or altered mental state that can be caused by various factors, and it is typically associated with a loss of control or impaired judgment.Rate it:

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unless the wheels available to you aren't made for the vehicle you're trying to drive.Follow-up to the phrase, "No need to reinvent the wheel." Meant for when one does, in fact, need to reinvent a process to account for accumulated changes that make the old status-quo obsolete.Rate it:

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voice in the wildernessAn influential religious personage, especially one who makes prophetic utterances.Rate it:

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walk the talkTo do what one said one could do, or would do, not just making empty promises. To walk one's talk is to be innocent of hypocrisy.Rate it:

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waste not, want notIf one is not wasteful then one will not be needy.Rate it:

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water is exceeding up the headwhen every thing goes wrong and nothing is controlableRate it:

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wear a trailMake a lasting impressionRate it:

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what will be, will beWhatever it comes to be, it will be accepted. One must accept the outcome.Rate it:

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what's good for the goose is good for the ganderAny decision or rule that applies to one person must be applied to the others especially of the same group.Rate it:

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what's sauce for the goose is sauce for the ganderIf something is acceptable for one person, it is acceptable for another.Rate it:

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white whaleA goal/object which one seeks obsessivelyRate it:

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whole 'nother ball of waxAn entirely different matter altogether; a separate issue or sub-issue from the topic being discussed, usu. one that would take too long to explain properly; a matter to be dealt with at a later time.Rate it:

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willful ignoranceA bad faith decision to avoid becoming informed about something so as to avoid having to make undesirable decisions that such information might prompt. It may also be shown as for a person to have no clue in a decision but still goes ahead in their decision.Rate it:

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with friends like these who needs enemiesAn expression indicating that one's close associates prove more adversarial than one's opponents.Rate it:

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work your magicTo make a situation improve a lot or to make someone feel happy.Rate it:

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