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Phrases related to: not as black as one is painted Page #35

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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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square peg into a round holeThe phrase is typically said, "You cant fit a square peg into a round hole." Often it is shortened to simply "square peg, round hole." Something or someone that does not fit well or at all; something that will not succeed as attempted, except possibly with much force and effort, or alteration of either the peg or the hole or both beyond recognition.Rate it:

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stay wokeFirst used by Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductee, Huddie “Lead Belly” Ledbetter in a 1938 interview afterword of his song Scottsboro Boys-named for nine Black teenagers and young men falsely accused of raping two white women in Alabama in 1931. Lead Belly knew the Scottsboro boys, and urged Black listeners and Black persons traveling through that area in Alabama to "Stay Woke" (be vigilant, cautious, and alert) in the spoken afterword to the song. Lead Belly's direct relative, Global Activist and Equality Advocate Greshun De Bouse began the #STAYWOKELEADBELLY movement to acknowledge the phrase's origin, and redefine its present-day meaning as a more generalized, all-inclusive phrase admonishing all to be cognizant of past, present, and future world occurrences.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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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 out of contextTo interpret something in a manner in which it was not intended to be understood, often deliberately.Rate it:

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

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talk to the handUsed usually sarcastically to dismiss another person's argument by indicating that the speaker (or writer) is not prepared to hear (or read) anything further that the other person has to say (or write). It is often used while simultaneously holding up the hand with the palm facing the speaker.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 devil is a liarA general expression of distrust, particularly implying that another person is attempting to deceive the speaker, or that a situation is not, or can not be, as it appears.Rate 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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there's no point crying over spilt milkYou should not be upset over something that cannot be undone.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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this too shall passNothing, good or bad, lasts forever. Used to indicate that a current situation or event, no matter how wonderful or horrible it is, will not last forever.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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to a certain extenta phrase to indicate a statement is true to a limited degree; partly true but not completely trueRate it:

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to get hold of wrong end of the stickto not understand the situation correctlyRate 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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tough as a tissueThe phrase refers to a person or physical form being as tough as a tissue. Tissues not being at all resistant to items such as wind or someone lifting it then it isn’t so tough is it? Mostly used as an insult.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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Under the WeatherSlightly ill, not feeling well, low in spirits, not healthy, illRate 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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verbum pro verbo reddereto translate literally, word for word (not verbo tenus).Rate it:

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virgin territoryBy extension, ideas or concepts or activities that have not yet been tried, explored or developed.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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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 done is doneEvents that have already taken place cannot be changed and actions that have already been committed cannot be undone, so it is best not to dwell on them.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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when you're right, you're right, right-right.You know your right not wrongRate it:

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whistle in the windTo attempt something that is futile; to say something that is not heeded.Rate it:

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who died and made you bossSarcastic response to somebody assuming a position of authority that they have not earned.Rate 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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widow's walkA roof-top walkway or balcony associated with the homes of early sea captains from which the wife could see far out to sea and hope to catch a glimpse of her returning husband's ship...or not. Sailing in wooden ships and/or whaling was a hazardous business.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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you can bank on itTo be so sure of something that one can trust.Rate it:

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you can't get a quart into a pint potWhat is being discussed is not possible.They've asked me to get to New York by five o'clock, but you can't get a quart into a pint pot!Rate it:

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