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Phrases related to: more by accident than by design Page #4

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a little knowledge is a dangerous thingThe proverb 'A little knowledge is a dangerous thing' expresses the idea that a small amount of knowledge can mislead people into thinking that they are more expert than they really are, which can lead to mistakes being made.Rate it:

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a notch aboveSuperior to; of a higher quality than.Rate it:

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a pyrrhic victoryAn apparent victory, but one which is no victory at all, due to the great cost incurred. The phrase comes from the victory won by King Pyrrhus at Asculum in 279BC which cost him many of his best men. After the battle Pyrrhus remarked: "One more such victory and we are finished."Rate it:

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a vicious circlea sequence of reciprocal cause and effect in which two or more elements intensify and aggravate each other, leading inexorably to a worsening of the situation.Rate it:

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above and beyond the call of dutyExtremely heroic, more heroic that what is expected.Rate it:

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above one's stationOf higher social status than is suitable for one's position, standing or rank.Rate it:

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against the lawUsed other than as an idiom: see against, the, law.Rate it:

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and all thisUsed at the end of a statement to insinuate that there is more information that can be inferred from the preceding.Rate it:

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are you blindUsed other than with a figurative or idiomatic meaning: see are,‎ you,‎ blind.Rate it:

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at the end of one's ropeOut of options; having no more options.Rate it:

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back-cloth starAn actor who stands upstage, forcing the other actors to face him and turn their backs to the audience, in order to gain more attention to himself.Rate it:

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black beetleUsed other than as an idiom: see black, beetle.Rate it:

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black don't crackPeople of African descent tend to wrinkle less with age than people with fairer skin.Rate it:

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black tieUsed other than as an idiom: see black, tie.Rate it:

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blazing starUsed other than as an idiom: see blazing, star.Rate it:

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bright shiny objectUsed other than as an idiom: see bright, shiny, object.Rate it:

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bucket of boltsA piece of machinery that is not worth more than its scrap value, often of old cars.Rate it:

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close to the windUsed other than as an idiom: see close to, the, wind.Rate it:

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cut the lineThe willful entering of a queue of persons or vehicles waiting, for a service, anywhere other than the rear -usually to the objection of those already assembledRate it:

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doctor upTo falsify, or modify something, so that it appears to be better than it is.Rate it:

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dress for the slide, not the rideWhen choosing clothing for riding a motorcycle, priority should be given to protective gear that helps one survive an accident.Rate it:

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Dutch reckoningUsed other than as an idiom. as reckoned by the Dutch: five o'clock by the Dutch reckoning would be five o'clock in the Dutch rather than, e.g., a Canadian time zone; for example, 1 March 1625 in the Dutch reckoning was, in the English reckoning of the time, 19 February 1624(?).Rate it:

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elder sisterUsed other than as an idiom: see elder, sister. (This entry is here for translation purposes only.)Rate it:

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enough is as good as a feastJust the right amount is as good as more than enough: there is no value in excess.Rate it:

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fender-benderA minor accident involving at least one motor vehicle.Rate it:

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flutter in the dovecoteI further argued that the principal cause for the political deadlock that persisted for thirty years after the guns fell silent was Israeli intransigence rather than Arab intransigence. The appearance of the first wave of revisionist studies excited a great deal of interest and controversy in the media and more than a flutter in the academic dovecote. — Israel Confronts Its Past.Rate it:

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foot votingExpressing one's preferences through one's actions, by voluntarily participating in or withdrawing from an activity, group, or process; especially, physical migration to leave a situation one does not like, or to move to a situation one regards as more beneficial.Rate it:

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funny manUsed other than with a figurative or idiomatic meaning: see funny,‎ man.Rate it:

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gay upTo make something more appealing to the gay community e.g. by adding gay characters to a soap opera.Rate it:

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gold in them thar hillsUsed other than with a figurative or idiomatic meaning: see gold, in, them thar, hills.Rate it:

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good deeds sprinkle seedsPositive actions attract more positive outcomesRate it:

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ham upTo make something more clichéd, or more cheesy.Rate it:

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have a nice dayUsed other than as an idiom: see have, a, nice, day.Rate it:

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hit a home runAccomplish a difficult task, design a spectacular approach, display an outstanding solution.Rate it:

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i'll beAn expression of surprise; the same as saying "Isn't that something?" (unexpected); Short version of "I'll be damned," "I'll be darned" or the more clean version, "I'll be a monkey's uncle."Rate it:

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keep hope aliveEven if something seems to become more and more unlikely, do not stop believing in it.Rate it:

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keep your shirt onAn admonition to be more patient or to calm down.Rate it:

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keyboard messengerA person who transmits a fake news message faster than a rumor.Rate it:

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killer instinctUsed other than as an idiom: see killer, instinct.Rate it:

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knife-edgeUsed other than as an idiom: the edge of a knife.Rate it:

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lesser of two evilsThe more desirable of two bad alternatives.Rate it:

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lightning chessA form of chess in which each player must move much faster than normal. Time is controlled by a clock or a buzzer. If a player fails to make the time control he or she forfeits the game. Also known as speed chess.Rate it:

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look aroundUsed other than with a figurative or idiomatic meaning: see look,‎ around.Rate it:

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March to the Beat of a Different DrummerDo the things in your own way, don’t consider other people, to believe in different way, different attitude than other personsRate it:

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NIBMARAbbreviation of no independence before majority rule : a policy adopted by the United Kingdom requiring the implementation of majority rule in a colony, rather than rule by the white colonial minority, before the colony could be granted independence.Rate it:

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of all peopleEspecially; more than other people.Rate it:

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on a cloudy day i saw a rainbow, on the day i saw you , you gave a stormOn better days there's a plot of getting ahead than on a bad day.Rate it:

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other fish in the seaUsed other than as an idiom: see other, fish, in, the, sea.Rate it:

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people's republicUsed other than as an idiom: see people, 's, republic.Rate it:

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play upTo make or attempt to make something appear more important, likely or obvious; to showcase or highlight.Rate it:

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