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Phrases related to: win the battle, but lose the war Page #4

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the dogs bark, but the caravan goes onLife goes on, even if some will try to stop or talk against progress.Rate it:

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the lights are on, but nobody's homeSomebody is conscious or paying attention, but failing to understand.Rate it:

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the silence of a lion is not that he is a fool but for determination and accuracy.To concentrate before making a job - isn't a weakness. As Lions, whom are fierce predators that often stalk their prey before attacking. Their attacks cause prey to panic and disperse, allowing the lions to isolate and attack a weaker or slower individual.Rate it:

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the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak(proverbs) For much as one wishes to achieve something, the frailties of the human body often make it impossible.Rate it:

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the world is not in need of opinions but prayers.The world is not in need of opinions but prayers. No opinion has changed the world so far, but a prayer can change everything, what is more powerful than praying to God? Don't argue with your enemies, don't argue with your friends, your children, your husband, your thoughts, your dreams, just pray.Rate it:

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though butUsed at the end of a sentence to add emphasis.Rate it:

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tiny but mightysmall but powerful; something people say to express self-worth that even though they may be small they make up for it in being mighty; don't underestimate me/usRate it:

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two dogs fight for a bone, but a third runs away with itWhen two sides contend, it's always the third party that benefits.Rate it:

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you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drinkYou can give someone knowledge, advice or an opportunity or try to make something easy for them, but you can’t force them to believe it, act on it, or benefit from itRate it:

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you can run but one can't hideThere is nothing someone can do to evade something.You can run but you can't hide.Rate it:

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“we are not in prehistory, but dinosaurs still exist.”DinosaursRate it:

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a carpet-baggerA candidate for election who has no roots or interest in the constituency he wishes to represent. The original meaning was a Unionist financier or adventurer who exploited the cheap labour in the American South after the Civil War. The carpet bags carried by these adventurers were made of carpet material.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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acknowledge the cornTo cop a plea; to admit to a small error but not a larger one.Rate it:

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argue downTo win an argument, verbal conflict or debate.Rate it:

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baby elephant in the roomAn obvious but mostly inconsequential issue.Rate it:

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baby-killera Vietnam veteran returning to the United States, used by war opponentsRate it:

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Barmacide feastSomething that appears highly desirable, but proves to be imaginary, illusory and ultimately very disappointing.Rate it:

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believe it or notYou may not believe the following, but it is true.Rate it:

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blood is thicker than waterFamily relations and loyalties are stronger than relationships with people who are not family members.1866, Anthony Trollope, The Belton Estate, ch. 30,Blood is thicker than water, is it not? If cousins are not friends, who can be?circa 1915, Lucy Fitch Perkins, The Scotch Twins, ch. 5,The old clans are scattered now, but blood is thicker than water still, and you're welcome to the fireside of your kinsman!Rate it:

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brush upTo review; to improve an existing but rusty or under-developed skill.Rate it:

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buy cheap, buy twiceBuying a cheap but inferior product is a false economy since it will need replacement.Rate it:

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chalk and cheeseSaid of things that are superficially alike but very different in substance.Rate it:

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de facto(adverb) in fact, whether by right or not. (adjective) existing or holding a specified position in fact but not necessarily by legal right.Rate it:

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devil beating his wifeWhen it is raining but the sun is outRate it:

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don't be penny wise and pound foolishDon't be careful when it comes to spending small amounts of money, but careless when spending much larger amounts.Don't focus on minutiae and lose sight of the big picture; don't obsess over tiny inconsequential efficiencies while glaring inefficiencies are going on elsewhere.Rate it:

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drugstore cowboyDresses like a cowboy to show off at the drugstore; looks like a cowboy, but ain't.Rate it:

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easier said than doneEasy to propose, but difficult to accomplish.Rate it:

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elephant in the roomA problem or difficult issue that is very obvious, but is ignored for the convenience or comfort of those involved.Rate it:

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everything happens for a reasonAll events are purposeful.Everything happens for a reason, so there is no such thing as failure. Mary-Kate OlsenPeople like to say "everything happens for a reason." If you repeat that in your head long enough that starts to sound like "anything can happen with a razor." Laura KightlingerI believe that everything happens for a reason, but I think it's important to seek out that reason - that's how we learn. Drew BarrymoreRate it:

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fish or cut baitTo choose between taking action now, or forgoing the opportunity and putting that energy into another endeavor; to decide; do something constructive, but don't just do nothingRate it:

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get rid ofto dispose; to remove; to abolish; to loseRate it:

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ghost writerGhostwriters are hired to do the writing of a speech or literary work but do not get the credit.Rate it:

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hell in a hand basketto go to one's doom, to deteriorate quickly, to proceed on a course to disaster. The phrase go to hell in a handbasket is an American phrase which came into general use during the American Civil War, though its popularity has spread into other countries.Rate it:

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hidden in plain sightSeemingly hidden, but actually not hidden and easy to find.Rate it:

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hoi polloithe masses, the general populace, the common people; in America it can carry a negative connotation depending on the context (as though commoners don't belong amongst the rich (high society) but it is not inherently derogatoryRate it:

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i'm a lone wolfA meek and humble warrior who hunts down the enemy, and at his own peril by not drawing the sword from it's sheath. This allows opportunity for the enemy to relent "both hands up." But once the sword is drawn from it's sheath, probation is over and swift judgement is at hand.Rate it:

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I'm easyI have no strong feelings one way or another but am ready to complyRate it:

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if you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bullWhen you don't have all the facts or have a brilliant explanation, you can often convince people or win an argument by using bullshit.Rate it:

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in one's stockinged feetWearing socks, stockings or other hosiery on one's feet but no shoes.Rate it:

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Keep Body and Soul TogetherTo have just reason to be alive, just surviving but not living in real senseRate it:

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mama's baby, papa's maybeIt is easy to know the biological mother of a child, but difficult to be sure who the biological father is.Rate it:

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on the cardsCertain, likely to happen. Foretold and expected but not yet brought to pass.Rate it:

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On the WarpathFurious, hostile, engaged in battle, ready for confrontationRate it:

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one-horse raceA horse race in which a single horse takes such a considerable lead that the other horses are no longer contenders to win.Rate it:

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painting rocksPointless or futile work organised by the government, supposedly to increase employment but in fact merely disguising the unemployment level.Rate it:

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payback's a bitchUsually a complete sentence as an interjection: I am amused that someone got their revenge on you...but you certainly had it coming.Rate it:

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raw dealA situation in which a person is taken advantage of or treated unfairly; a situation in which a person is led to expect something, but receives nothing or much less than expected.Rate it:

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secret de deux, secret de dieu, secret de trois, secret de tousNo secret but between two.Rate it:

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shell shockA psychiatric condition characterized by fatigue caused by battle.Rate it:

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