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bestes Wissen und Gewissenthe best of one's knowledge; good faith; roughly combining the senses of both English idioms, namely that one does or says something in the honest conviction of its correctness but under the condition of the fallibility of one’s knowledge and competencesRate it:

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big fish in a small pondOne who has achieved a high rank or is highly esteemed, but only in a small, relatively unimportant, or little known location or organization.Rate it:

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blanket termA word or phrase that is used to describe multiple groups of related things. The degree of relation may vary. Blanket terms often trade specificity for ease-of-use; in other words, a blanket term by itself gives little detail about the things that it describes or the relationships between them, but is easy to say and remember. Blanket terms often originate as slang, and eventually become integrated into the general vocabulary.Rate it:

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Blessing in DisguiseAn event or opportunity that seems to be blessing in the beginning, but later turns out to be a problemRate it:

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bon berger tond mais n'écorche pasWe may use but not abuse our subordinates.Rate it:

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borrowed timeA period of time whose precise duration is not known but which can be expected to be quite limited, and at the end of which one's situation, benefits, or opportunities will be entirely terminated.Rate it:

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brain candyA narrative, commentary, etc. which amuses and holds one's attention, but which lacks intellectual depth or importance.Rate it:

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butter cupA term of affection Or endearment for someone you like Buttercups are a large genus of flowering plants called Ranunculus. It has yellow, shiny petals, and grows wild in many places. It is poisonous to eat for humans and cattle, but when dry the poison is not active.Rate it:

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by the way[...] I had counted on a life-lease of the profits, whereas I only received those of a few short years. But this is by the way.Rate it:

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c'est la vieL’essentiel, le but même de l’existence, de la vie.Rate it:

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can of wormsA troublesome situation; an issue whose resolution is difficult or contentious, but not necessarily complex.Rate it:

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cargo-200the code word referring to casualties for transportation in the Soviet and modern Russian military. In its official meaning, Cargo 200 refers to bodies contained in zinc-lined coffins, but in military context this code word can be used for dead bodies as they are transported from the battlefield.Rate it:

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catch a buzzTo become slightly inebriated, but not yet be drunk.Rate it:

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catch someone's driftIf you catch someone's drift (or get someone's drift) it means you understand what they mean; this phrase is used especially when you want to get an idea across to someone but you don't want to exactly speak the words you mean or if you think the listener may be confused about what you meanRate it:

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ce n'est ni fait ni à faireIt is done, but badly, (in a slovenly fashion).Rate it:

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ce n'est pas mal, mais il y a encore quelque chose qui clocheIt is not bad, but there is still something wrong.Rate it:

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ce n'est pas tous les jours fête1. Christmas comes but once a year. 2. One cannot always have “a high old time,” but must work as well. 3. Life is not all beer and skittles.Rate it:

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ce que vous proposez est bel et bon, mais je n'en ferai rienWhat you propose is all very fine, but I shall do no such thing.Rate it:

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cela est bon à dire, mais...That is all very well for a speech, but...; That is all very fine, but...Rate it:

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cela touche à la folieThat is but one remove from madness; That borders on lunacy.Rate it:

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cet homme a mauvaise tête et bon cœurThat man is quick-tempered, but kind-hearted.Rate it:

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cherry on topAn unnecessary, but welcome, addition to a desirable object or outcomeRate it:

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China syndromeA rare disease, first characterized in the early 1990s, which resembles poliomyelitis but which has somewhat different characteristics and occurs in persons vaccinated for poliomyelitis.Rate it:

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close one's eyes and think of EnglandTo accept (rather than fight)-and distract oneself so as to be able to endure-bad or unwanted sex, or by extension any unpleasant but inevitable experience.Rate it:

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color upTo exchange a high number of low-value chips for a lower number of higher value, but keeping the same overall value.Rate it:

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computer says noA popular phrase for an attitude in customer service in which the default response is to check with information stored or generated electronically and then make decisions based on that, apparently without using common sense, and showing a level of unhelpfulness whereby more could be done to reach a mutually satisfactory outcome, but is not.Rate it:

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cookie lickingClaiming a project as your own, but without actually finishing it.Rate it:

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could go all dayOne has much to say about something, but chooses to say only a fraction of it.Rate it:

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crab mentalityA way of thinking best described by the phrase "if I can't have it, neither can you." The metaphor refers to a pot of crabs in which one tries to escape over the side, but is relentlessly pulled down by the others in the pot.Rate it:

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culpable homicideHomicide which is culpable but does not rise to the level of murder; unlawful killing of a human being which does not constitute murder.Rate it:

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deadbeatOwes money but is unlikely to pay it backRate it:

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different as chalk and cheeseTwo things which are superficially alike but very different in substance.Rate it:

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dirty laundryUnflattering facts or questionable activities that one wants to remain secret, but which some other may use to blackmail with.Rate it:

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discretion is the better part of valour.Be brave but be discreet.Rate it:

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double-edged swordA benefit that is also a liability, or that carries some significant but non-obvious cost or risk.Rate it:

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double-edged swordA benefit that is also a liability, or that carries some significant but not-so-obvious cost or risk.Rate it:

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dragon's denA place to do battle, but the enemy is formidable. Only enter if prepared.Rate it:

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each to his ownEveryone is entitled to their own opinion or tastes.My housemate is a strict vegan. I personally could never not eat meat, but each to his own.Rate it:

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elle n'est pas jolie, tant s'en fautShe is not pretty, far from it; She is anything but good-looking.Rate it:

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every cloud has a silver liningIn every bad situation there is an element of good1881, National Academy of Code Administration (U.S.), Folio, page 417:Every cloud has a silver lining; but in the old-fashioned meeting-houses every cloud of hymnal melody generally had a nasal lining before the congregation...1887, Shakers, Religion, page 36:that "a little reserve and thou'lt fail surely," will prove to be true in our experience. Every cloud has a silver lining and so has every sorrow,1918, George Jean Nathan, Performing Arts, page 222:But the most popular attitude toward what we may call "sad" plays is the peculiar one of believing that, since every cloud has a silver lining,Rate it:

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execution styleResembling an execution; with the victim aware, but unable to defend himself or resist.Rate it:

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Fair-Weather FriendSomeone who is your friend only when you are successful and prosperous but leave you in the time of needRate it:

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false alarmA thing or occurrence which initially causes fear, distress, etc. but which is subsequently recognized as being no cause for concern.Rate it:

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feed a cold, starve a feverEating more will cure the common cold, and eating less will cure a fever.1887, J. H. Whelan, "The Treatment of Colds.", The Practitioner, vol. 38, pg. 180:"Feed a cold, starve a fever." There is a deal of wisdom in the first part of this advice. A person with a catarrh should take an abundance of light nutritious food, and some light wine, but avoid spirits, and above all tobacco.1968, Katinka Loeser, The Archers at Home, publ. Atheneum, New York, pg. 60:I have a cold. 'Feed a cold, starve a fever.' You certainly know that.2009, Shelly Reuben, Tabula Rasa, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, ISBN 015101079X, pg. 60:They say feed a cold, starve a fever, but they don't tell you what to do when you got both, so I figured scrambled eggs, tea, and toast.Rate it:

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first among equalsA person or position that if formally equivalent to others in a group, but is superior in some attribute.Rate it:

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fixing toGoing to, preparing to, about to, planning on doing, with the implication that it will not happen or be done immediately, but some time in the near future; can be used conditionally.Rate it:

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forewarned is forearmedAdvance awareness of a situation, especially a risky one, prepares one to deal with it.1863, Charles Reade, Hard Cash, ch. 4:[W]hatever a young gentleman of that age says to you, he says to many other ladies; but your experience is not equal to your sense; so profit by mine . . . forewarned is forearmed.1885, G. A. Henty, Saint George for England, ch. 4:Sometimes, they say, it is wiser to remain in ignorance; at other times forewarned is forearmed.circa 1903, Lucy Maud Montgomery, "Why Mr. Cropper Changed His Mind":"Well, Miss Maxwell, I think it only fair to tell you that you may have trouble with those boys when they do come. Forewarned is forearmed, you know."Rate it:

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frig itAn expression of frustration similar to, but not as coarse as f** it.Rate it:

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fudge the factsSomeone who complains constantly but does not tell the straight story.Rate it:

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funxuWhen a person is having an absolute blast of a time no thanks to anyone else but only because of themselves.Rate it:

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