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Phrases related to: what's the big idea Page #5

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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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you can't squeeze blood out of a turnipyou can't force a situation when there is no possibility of successRate it:

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you don't know shit from shinola1. Like calling someone ignorant 2. Often said in reference to something specific, the person saying this phrase is expressing that they don't think the subject of their complaint knows what they are talking about, or doesn't know what they are doing or that they don't know anything at all 3. Same as the phrase: "You don't know your ass from a hole in the ground"Rate it:

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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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Ballpark FigureTo give a rough estimate or an idea of anythingRate it:

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BFDbig deal. (initialism for big fucking deal)Rate it:

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build castles in the airTo imagine visionary projects or schemes; to daydream; to have an idle fancy, a pipe dream or any plan, desire, or idea that is unlikely to be realized.Rate it:

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circle backTo revisit a topic, concept or idea after having put it on the back burner; to return to a place or locationRate 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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elevator pitchA concise way to introduce yourself, business, or idea to strangersRate 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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give birthTo invent a new idea.Rate it:

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God is in the detailExpresses the idea that whatever one does should be done thoroughly; i.e. details are important.Rate it:

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hang your hat on thatAssume or take credit for an idea, suggestion, phrase, development, creation, invention, proclamation, prediction, accomplishment, result, acceptance at large for your creation, art.performance et al: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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how do you say...in EnglishCommon phrase used to ask how to express an idea or translate a word, often in a foreign language.Rate it:

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i could eat a horseI am very hungry; short form of "I'm so hungry, I could eat a horse."Rate it:

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i have many bridges to sell you.You've been very naive.Rate it:

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jiminy cricketAn expression of surprise or annoyance; a euphemism for Jesus Christ used in place of swearing or taking the Lord's name in vainRate it:

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mr. potato headA popular, commercially available, children's game featuring a plastic potato onto which a variety of features can be added for amusing results.Rate it:

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no harm, no foulEncapsulation of the idea that although technically a breach of some code or law may have occurred there is no need for punishment, apology or retribution if no actual damage occurred.Rate it:

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now we’re talkingSynonym of now you’re talking; that’s good news, that’s a good plan or idea; that’s what I wanted to hearRate it:

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on boardin agreement especially with an idea or project; to approve of an idea or projectRate it:

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ox is in the ditchThis is a big problem; there is unavoidable or demanding work ahead.Rate it:

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round robinan arrangement of choosing all elements in agroup equaly in some rational order e.g. 'taking turns"Rate it:

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stay wokeFirst used by Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductee, Huddie “Lead Belly” Ledbetter in a 1938 interview afterword of his song Scottsboro Boys-named for nine Black teenagers and young men falsely accused of raping two white women in Alabama in 1931. Lead Belly knew the Scottsboro boys, and urged Black listeners and Black persons traveling through that area in Alabama to "Stay Woke" (be vigilant, cautious, and alert) in the spoken afterword to the song. Lead Belly's direct relative, Global Activist and Equality Advocate Greshun De Bouse began the #STAYWOKELEADBELLY movement to acknowledge the phrase's origin, and redefine its present-day meaning as a more generalized, all-inclusive phrase admonishing all to be cognizant of past, present, and future world occurrences.Rate it:

(5.00 / 1 vote)
take care of the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselvesIf you take care of little things one at a time, they can add up to big things.1750, Chesterfield, letter 5 Feb. (1932) IV. 1500:Old Mr. Lowndes, the famous Secretary of the Treasury, ?used to say?Take care of the pence, and the pounds will take care of themselves.1912, G. B. Shaw, Pygmalion ii. 132:Take care of the pence and the pounds will take care of themselves is as true of personal habits as of money.1979, R. Cassilis, Arrow of God, iv. xvii.:Little things, Master Mally. Look after the pennies, Master Mally, and the pounds will look after themselves.1999, Rate it:

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test of timeThe correlation of longevity with validity of an idea or trend.Rate it:

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thirsty thursdayA Thursday description when adding an adult drink to the mix is a good idea.Rate it:

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where's the fireWhat's the big rush?Rate it:

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you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegarIt's easier to persuade others with polite requests and a positive attitude than with rude demands and negativity.Rate it:

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home sweet homeOne's home, especially a nice, comfortable home.Rate it:

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kick in the ballsa big setback or disappointmentRate it:

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tall orderA big job; a difficult challenge.Rate it:

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a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go downAn otherwise unpleasant situation can be pleasant when a pleasant aspect is deliberately introduced.1999, Eli Yassif, The Hebrew Folktale: History, Genre, Meaning, Indiana University Press, ISBN 0253335833, page 372,One is known as the "sweetening parable," that is to say a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down. Thus, when the aim is to preach to the people, to guide them along the "bitter," arduous path of upholding burdensome precepts and prohibitions, a tale can lighten the load, make the "medicine" easier "to swallow."2001, Maureen Reagan, First Father, First Daughter: A Memoir, Little, Brown, ISBN 0316736368, page 319,It put some fun into the tedious business of preparing for a presidential debate. A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, right?2004, John Hoover, How to Work for an Idiot: Survive & Thrive... Without Killing Your Boss, Career Press, ISBN 1564147045, page 11,If a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, a barrel of laughs can wash down the big pills you might need to swallow.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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il est de taille à se défendreHe is big enough to defend himself.Rate it:

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never fight a land war in AsiaDon't bite off more than you can chew; don't start a fight that is too big to win.Rate it:

(4.00 / 1 vote)
put something into perspectiveTo compare with something similar to give a clearer, more accurate idea.Rate it:

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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:

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flight of fancyAn idea, narrative, suggestion, etc. which is extremely imaginative and which appears to be entirely unrealistic, untrue, or impractical; thinking which is very speculative.Rate it:

(3.67 / 3 votes)
all hat and no cattleFull of big talk but lacking action, power, or substance; pretentious.Rate it:

(3.50 / 2 votes)
bird of one's own brainOne's own idea or conception.Rate it:

(3.00 / 1 vote)
existimatio hominum, omniumthe common opinion, the general idea.Rate it:

(3.00 / 1 vote)
Highway RobberyA big robbery, to charge heavily for somethingRate it:

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no biggieNot a big deal, not something to worry about.Rate it:

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no good deed goes unpunishedUsed to express the idea that beneficial actions often go unappreciated or are met with outright hostility.Rate it:

(3.00 / 2 votes)
run byTo inform someone briefly of the main points of an idea.Rate it:

(3.00 / 1 vote)
run something up the flagpoleTo float an idea that one suspects might be controversial.Rate it:

(3.00 / 2 votes)

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