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Phrases related to: back on one's heels Page #36

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beginner's luckrefers to the supposed phenomenon of novices experiencing disproportionate frequency of success or succeeding against an expert in a given activity. One would expect experts to outperform novices - when the opposite happens it is counter-intuitive, hence the need for a term to describe this phenomenon.Rate it:

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Between a Rock and a Hard PlaceTo face a difficult situation and remain in a tight spot one after another, Or face some difficulty in making the right decision that would deliver no harmRate it:

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beyond wordsIn recalling an incident, in observing an accident, any or all of which can be disastrous and shocking. A destructive fire and explosion may leave one awestruck and beyond words to describe.Rate it:

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blanc bonnet, bonnet blanctomayto, tomahto; same difference; six of one, half a dozen of the otherRate it:

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bone upTo study or cram, especially in order to refresh one's knowledge of a topic.Rate it:

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boss aboutTo act in a bossy manner with another person, ordering them to do things, whether or not one is actually their superior.Rate it:

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boss aroundTo act in a bossy manner with another person, ordering them to do things, whether or not one is actually their superior.Rate it:

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check outTo pay the bill, and record one's departure, as from a hotel.Rate it:

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check outTo have one's purchases recorded and bagged at a supermarket, and pay for it.Rate it:

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come aboutTo tack; to change tack; to maneuver the bow of a sailing vessel across the wind so that the wind changes from one side of the vessel to the other; to position a boat with respect to the wind after tacking.Rate it:

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confugere ad aliquem, ad fidem alicuiusto flee for refuge to some one.Rate it:

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cross the floorTo vote against one's own political party in parliament.Rate it:

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deliver the goodsTo keep one's promises.Rate it:

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don't let the door hit you on the way outUsed to indicate that one is glad to see someone leaving.Rate it:

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element of surpriseThe strategic advantage one has over one's opposition due to the supposed ignorance of the other party.Rate it:

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face offEither an actual or a figurative face to face confrontation, especially a bitter one.Rate it:

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fish killAn underwater anoxic event, especially one that causes a crash in fish populationsRate it:

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full of oneselfEgotistical, believing oneself to be superior to others; preoccupied with one's own work, interests, point of view, etc.Rate it:

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get ahead of oneselfTo focus excessively on one's plans or on prospective future events without paying adequate attention to the present.Rate it:

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get changedTo change one's clothing (usually for a specific purpose).Rate it:

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go downTo descend; to move from a higher place to a lower one.Rate it:

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gutless wonderOne who lacks guts or courage; a coward.Rate it:

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hackles risingAn emotional or mental reaction to an irritable situation or person which causes a physical response to ones patience and/or the hair on the back of the one's neck.Rate it:

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i am what i amI can't help the way I am. The underlying meaning is that I am not going to change either.Rate it:

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jack of all trades, master of noneA person who has a competent grasp of many skills but who is not outstanding in any one.Rate it:

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jump upTo move from one position to a higher position by one jump.Rate it:

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keep up withTo manage to remain beside or just behind that is moving away from one.Rate it:

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kiss and make upTo settle one's differences and forgive.Rate it:

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l'appétit vient en mangeantOne leg of mutton helps down another; The more one has the more one wants; Begin to eat, you’ll soon be hungry.Rate it:

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let go and let godTo consciously surrender one's free will to the will of God.Rate it:

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look offTo put off by one's facial expression.Rate it:

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lucky breakA stroke of luck; a fortunate event, particularly of the sort that propels one to success, fame, etc.Rate it:

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lump togetherTo put different items or groups together and treat them, or think of them as one single group.Rate it:

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man of the peopleOne who shows understanding of and sympathy for the concerns of ordinary people, and who has a rapport with and acceptance by ordinary people.Rate it:

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Midas touchThe ability to gain success or financial reward from one's actions.Rate it:

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misery loves companyMisery is easier to bear when one is not the only one miserable.Rate it:

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no matter how thin you slice it, it's still baloneyRegardless of how many clever points or fine distinctions one makes, what one is saying is still false or is still nonsense.Rate it:

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no pain, no gainOne must be willing to endure some inconvenience or discomfort in order to achieve worthwhile goals.Rate it:

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nobody loves me, everybody hates me, i think i'm going to go and eat wormsFeeling sorry for one's self.Rate it:

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only the tip of the icebergTip of the iceberg speaks to the relative size of an Atlantic iceberg as the exposed tip above the seas' surface is only one eighth of the actual vertical size of the entire mass. Seven eighths of the ice is below the sea level.Rate it:

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penny pincherOne who spends little money; one who is very frugal or cautious with money.Rate it:

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pick atTo touch, grab, handle, or pull tentatively or gingerly, using a utensil or one's fingers.Rate it:

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pick up where you left offto start up again in the very place that one has stopped.Rate it:

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put the brakes onTo cease to perform one's current activity or to decrease one's level of activity.Rate it:

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reach a critical massWhen one works, reworks, tries every trick in the book, one can attain the verge of an explosion.Rate it:

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rock upTo work one's way vertically up a chimney or cleft using a rocking movement.Rate it:

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shit in someone's CheeriosTo ruin one's day.Rate it:

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shittin in high cottonLiving well, often above one's meansRate it:

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slow-walkTo delay a request or command, to drag one's feet, to stall, to obstruct, to drag out a process.Rate it:

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stem to sternStem is the main upright timber at the bow of a ship (front) & stern is the rear part of a ship or boat (back) Means entirely or beginning to end.Rate it:

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