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Phrases related to: if it's not one thing it's another Page #40

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you get what you pay forIn commercial transactions, the quality of goods and services increases as the prices increase, i.e., the more one pays, the better the merchandise.2003, Michael Blumenthal, "For Whom the School Bell Tolls," Time, 7 Dec.:Though it may sound unapologetically capitalistic to say soRate it:

(4.00 / 1 vote)
your eyes are bigger than your stomachTo take more food on one's plate than one can eat; Also and more often said "your eyes are bigger than your, belly"Rate it:

(4.00 / 1 vote)
turn to stoneTo become completely still, not moving. The phrase "turn to stone" typically means to become motionless, rigid, or unresponsive. It can also refer to becoming emotionally numb or unfeeling. The phrase has its origins in Greek mythology, where the Gorgon Medusa was said to have the power to turn anyone who looked at her into stone. In this context, "turning to stone" meant to become petrified, frozen, and unable to move. In a more metaphorical sense, "turning to stone" can refer to becoming emotionally or mentally rigid, closed off, or unresponsive. For example, a person might be said to have "turned to stone" if they have experienced trauma or emotional distress that has left them numb or unfeeling. The phrase can also be used to describe a situation where a person or group of people becomes unresponsive or unwilling to change their views or actions. For example, a team that is stuck in their ways and resistant to change might be said to have "turned to stone" in terms of their ability to adapt and evolve. Overall, the phrase "turn to stone" implies a sense of rigidity, immobility, and unresponsiveness. It can refer to becoming physically or emotionally petrified, and it can also describe a situation where a person or group is unwilling or unable to change or adapt.Rate it:

(3.86 / 7 votes)
a leopard cannot change its spotsOne cannot change one's own nature.Rate it:

(3.83 / 6 votes)
boiSomeone looking down on the person, Critically saying that a thing is wrong here.Rate it:

(3.83 / 6 votes)
don't look a gift horse in the mouthDo not unappreciatively question a gift or handout too closely.Rate it:

(3.80 / 5 votes)
e pluribus unumA national motto of the United States of America, meaning "From many, one", or "out of many, one", referring to the integration of 13 independent colonies into one country, and that has taken an additional meaning, giving the pluralistic nature of American society from immigration.Rate it:

(3.75 / 4 votes)
get thee behind meDo not tempt or torment me; I reject you, your statements, or your beliefs.Rate it:

(3.75 / 4 votes)
run around afterTo spend a lot of time doing things for another person or group of people. Often used when that person could reasonably do the things for themselves.Rate it:

(3.75 / 4 votes)
you can't always get what you wantIt is not always possible to get what is wanted.Rate it:

(3.75 / 4 votes)
take a leap of faithjump into the fray, gather all one's wits and plunge, take courage and step into the unknown:Rate it:

(3.71 / 7 votes)
a cat in gloves catches no miceOne cannot get what one wants by being cautious, one must use aggression to get it.Rate it:

(3.67 / 3 votes)
bow outTo resign, or leave, with one's credibility still intact.Rate it:

(3.67 / 3 votes)
concrete jungleAn urban or other populated area containing a high density of buildings constructed of concrete or similar materials, especially one which lacks greenery and which seems unattractive, harsh, or unsafe.Rate it:

(3.67 / 3 votes)
if you ask meUsed to introduce one's opinion, without being asked for itRate it:

(3.67 / 3 votes)
keep downTo cause not to increase or rise.Rate it:

(3.67 / 3 votes)
Let Sleeping Dogs LieNot to invite trouble, to be calm and avoid stirring any possible troubleRate it:

(3.67 / 3 votes)
no lube, no loveWhen one doesn't have lube. They won't get anal.Rate it:

(3.67 / 3 votes)
rainy dayA difficult period of need, when things do not go right.Rate it:

(3.67 / 3 votes)
zero inTo focus one's aim; to zoom in and center on something.Rate it:

(3.67 / 3 votes)
empty promiseA promise that is either not going to be carried out, worthless or meaningless.Rate it:

(3.60 / 5 votes)
never in a million yearsAbsolutely not.Rate it:

(3.55 / 11 votes)
a few sandwiches short of a picnicExhibiting disquiet or unsoundness of mind; not sane; mad.Rate it:

(3.50 / 4 votes)
all and someone and allRate it:

(3.50 / 2 votes)
asleep at the wheelto not pay attentionRate it:

(3.50 / 2 votes)
Blind Leading the BlindUninformed people, who try to lead or inform others, or it is about someone, who is not well equipped but wants to educate othersRate it:

(3.50 / 2 votes)
doss aroundTo shirk one's work or duty.Rate it:

(3.50 / 2 votes)
familiarity breeds contemptThe more acquainted one becomes with a person, the more one knows about his or her shortcomings and, hence, the easier it is to dislike that person.1894, H. Rider Haggard, The People Of The Mist, ch. 25:This was the beginning of evil, for if no man is a hero to his valet de chambre, much less can he remain a god for long in the eyes of a curious woman. Here, as in other matters, familiarity breeds contempt.Rate it:

(3.50 / 4 votes)
i'm livin' the dreamI am living, experiencing in my reality my dream of excellence, beauty, success, and all uplifting emotional, actual pleasantries one might only expect in a dream stage: The opposite; I'm living the 'nightmare'!Rate it:

(3.50 / 2 votes)
L-bombThe word love, or an expression of love, usually one that provokes a significant change in a relationship.Rate it:

(3.50 / 2 votes)
old saltA seasoned sailor, especially one who is hardy and forthright in manner.Rate it:

(3.50 / 2 votes)
proverbs run in pairsEvery proverb seems to be contradicted by another proverb with an opposed message, such as "too many cooks spoil the broth" and "many hands make light work."1863, Sir Richard Burton, Abeokuta and the Camaroons Mountains, vol. 1, Tinsley (London), p. 309:Moreover, all the world over, proverbs run in pairs, and pull both ways: for the most part one neutralizes, by contradiction, the other.Rate it:

(3.50 / 2 votes)
quack like a duckTo appear to be exactly what one is.Rate it:

(3.50 / 2 votes)
scientia potentia estKnowledge is Power; with knowledge or education, one's potential or abilities in life will certainly increase.Rate it:

(3.50 / 2 votes)
se mordre les doigtsTo repent what one has done.Rate it:

(3.50 / 2 votes)
set the wheels in motionto initiate a chain of events necessary to help one achieve a goal (more quickly)Rate it:

(3.50 / 2 votes)
slop bowlOne of the four components of the traditional tea set. Tea drinkers emptied their unwanted, cold tea into the slop bowl before refilling their cups with fresh, hot tea.Rate it:

(3.50 / 2 votes)
step in front of a moving trainTo sacrifice one's own life for a noble and loyal cause.Rate it:

(3.50 / 2 votes)
Take With a Grain of SaltTo be in a doubt about something; not to believe entirelyRate it:

(3.50 / 2 votes)
there are many ways to skin a catAlternative form of there's more than one way to skin a cat.Rate it:

(3.50 / 2 votes)
twenty-five cent wordAn uncommon word, often used in place of a more common one with the intent to appear sophisticated.Rate it:

(3.50 / 2 votes)
very goodUsed as acknowledgement of receipt of one's orders.Rate it:

(3.50 / 2 votes)
walk like an EgyptianTo walk with one arm horizontally at the side, with arm bent at the elbow facing up, and the other arm horizontally at the side with arm bent at the elbow facing down.Rate it:

(3.50 / 2 votes)
yank offTo remove something, like a piece of cloth or bread, by tearing it with one quick strong pull.Rate it:

(3.50 / 2 votes)
zero in onTo concentrate or focus one's attention on at task.Rate it:

(3.50 / 2 votes)
a big blow hardOne whom exaggerates, over emphasizes personal prowess and accomplishments.Rate it:

(3.40 / 5 votes)
alma materthe university, school, or college that one formerly attended.Rate it:

(3.38 / 8 votes)
a brand new meOne can forge a complete new outlook, launch a personal renaissance by enrolling in self improvement courses or agendas.Rate it:

(3.33 / 6 votes)
a short drop and a sudden stopA fall to one's death by hanging.Rate it:

(3.33 / 3 votes)
ask for the moonTo claim or desire something that one cannot have.Rate it:

(3.33 / 3 votes)

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