expressio unius est exclusio alterius

canon of construction
canon of construction

(law) A canon of construction holding that, when a legal document includes a list, anything not in that list is assumed to be purposely excluded.


there's life in the old dog yet

It wasn’t quite Sacheen Littlefeather, but a rolling tide of firebrand speeches showed there’s life in the Hollywood dog yet.

2015 February 23, “Oscars 2015: 10 things we learned”, in The Guardian (London):

A person's faculties, or an organization's usefulness, should not be written off simply because of age.

c’est dans les vieux pots qu’on fait la meilleure soupe

there's many a good tune played on an old fiddle


sounds like a plan

Let's catch a movie after dinner, what do you say? ― Sounds like a plan.

(informal, idiomatic) Used to indicate agreement with a proposed suggestion.

好主意

used to indicate agreement with a proposal to do something


CTFU

(Internet slang) Initialism of cracking the fuck up..


ctfu

(Internet slang) Alternative letter-case form of CTFU.


I'm embarrassed

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-I'm embarrassed.wav

Indicates that the speaker is embarrassed.

zavarban vagyok

~ uncomfortable, like faced with an overly attractive person or an unfamiliar situation


MTE

(Internet, text messaging) My thoughts exactly: an expression of agreement.


thanks a heap

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-thanks a heap.wav

(colloquial, often sarcastic) Synonym of thanks a lot.


temper temper

(idiomatic) Used to tell someone to control their (bad) temper


stuff you

(idiomatic, euphemistic) Used in place of fuck you.


you can't make this stuff up

Used to describe a situation so outlandish or ridiculous that one could not have imagined it.

you can't make this up (alternative)
you couldn't make it up (alternative)
you couldn't make this up (alternative)
you can't make this shit up (alternative)
you couldn't make this shit up (alternative)

I can't believe it. Elena is my sister's husband's brother's daughter, and her mother is my boyfriend's deceased wife. You... you can't make this stuff up.

2011, “Daddy Issues”, in The Vampire Diaries, spoken by Jenna Sommers (Sara Canning):

(often as an aside) The reality is so bizarre, ironic, or comically coincidental as to be unbelievable.


you couldn't make it up

you can't make this stuff up
you can't make this stuff up#English

Synonym of you can't make this stuff up.


MRW

(Internet slang) Initialism of my reaction when ....


MFW

(Internet slang) Initialism of my face when ....


OODA

(Observe, Orient, Decide, Act): Coined by USAF instructor John Boyd

(military) Initialism of Observe, Orient, Decide, and Act, a decision cycle for military combat operations and other processes.

Observe

OODA (Observer, Orienter, Décider, Agir)


it's been real

A few minutes later, D.J. stood up from the table. "Well, it's been real," she said.

1993, Devra Newberger Speregen, Phone Call from a Flamingo, →ISBN, page 19:

(US) An informal farewell indicating the speaker's enjoyment of the time spent together. Often used ironically.


the genie's out of the bottle

the genie is out of the bottle
the genie is out of the bottle#English

(idiomatic) Alternative form of the genie is out of the bottle.


DWAI

(US, law) Initialism of driving while ability impaired.


said no one ever

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-said no one ever.wav

Insurance can be quite exciting to talk or read about...SAID NO ONE EVER!

2014, Philip Bradley, "Equal Rights Could Mean Changes in Your Insurance", Beau Magazine, Winter 2014, page 12

"Her butt looks so good in those high-waisted shorts" ... said no one ever.

2015, "10 Trends We Hope Do Not Follow Us Into 2015", FACES Magazine, January 2015, page 36 (approx.)

I work in digital all the time, but “digital makes things sound better,” said no one ever.

2015 May, Jordan Tishler, “How To Use Tape as an Effect During The Mixing Process”, in Performer Magazine, page 22:

(Internet slang) Used to imply that the preceding statement is absurd or false.


the natives are restless

Originally a literal description of rebellious aboriginal inhabitants of British colonies, as in:
:* New Zealand Parliamentary Debates: Third Session of the Fourth Parliament, Vol. 2, 1868, page 387
::: As to the Native question, […] The Natives are restless, and seem desirous of fighting.

This election year, the natives are restless, the senior campaigners say. Long Island voters are angry about high taxes, affordable housing and drugs.

1989 October 29, Diane Ketcham, “About Long Island: Warhorses On The Campaign Trail”, in New York Times, retrieved 2015-05-28:

Gateway has plenty of company in having to deal with frustrated, sometimes irate, customers. […] The natives are restless. Few vendors are spared.

1997 December 29, David C. Churbuck, “Help! My PC won't work!”, in Forbes, retrieved 2015-05-28:

The natives are restless. Americans of all persuasions at last agree on something. It is a message to their leaders that starts with F and ends with u.

2010 May 20, David Von Drehle, “The Pitchfork Primaries: Will Washington Get the Message?”, in Time, retrieved 2015-05-28:

(set phrase, often mildly humorous) A group of agitated people—such as a set of residents, customers, or citizens—is expressing annoyance, distress, or other discomposure.


up and at 'em

At 41, Jockey Richards was still up and at 'em last week, and his wrists and knees were still persuasive enough to boot home the winner in Newmarket's Icklingham Stakes.

1945 November 12, “Sport: Stretch Drive”, in Time, retrieved 2015-05-29:

[O]nly two alternative responses seem available: irrepressible up-and-at-'em chirpiness or apocalyptic hysteria.

2002 September 15, Simon Schama, “A Whiff of Dread for the Land of Hope”, in New York Times, retrieved 2015-05-29:

I padded downstairs to find everyone up and at 'em, their day leaps ahead of mine.

2011 September 9, Andrea Sachs, “Bed Check: Mountain dreamin’ in W. Va.”, in Washington Post, retrieved 2015-05-29:

Siddle is the sort of up-and-at-'em, tearaway fast bowler whom you imagine to train on raw red meat while running over a bed of hot coals.

2013 November 18, Stephen Brenkley, “Peter Siddle hungry to leave some banana skins in England's path”, in Independent, UK, retrieved 2015-05-29:

(idiomatic) Vigorously launched or launching into an activity.


game, set, match

"Game, set and match to Byrd!" announced Westcott above the applause. "Byrd wins the School Championship!"

1915, Ralph Henry Barbour, chapter 13, in Left Tackle Thayer:

(sports, tennis) Victory at the conclusion of a tennis match.

A few years after that, Mikhail Gorbachev effectively surrendered in a cold war that had lasted almost four decades, and in a few more years the Berlin Wall came down. Game, set, match.

2003 February 19, Christopher Buckley, “Opinion: Another March of Folly?”, in New York Times, retrieved 2015-06-09:

The atom bomb: U.S. 1, U.S.S.R. 0. Then came Sputnik, and the score was tied at 1 apiece. Then Apollo and putting a man on the moon — game, set, match.

2010 July 6, Mark Thompson, “Hyping Hypersonic Missiles”, in Time, retrieved 2015-06-09:

This is game, set and match for Microsoft. . . . [I]f Microsoft can pull off one operating system and one companion App Store that functions seamlessly across all device types from smartphones, to tablets, notebooks, hybrid 2-in-1 devices and desktops, all with common apps that just work, they could very well one-up the competition.

2014 September 30, Dave Altavilla, “The Most Important Promised Feature Of Windows 10”, in Forbes, retrieved 2015-06-09:

(idiomatic, by extension) An expression indicating finality, announcing that a series of events—usually involving some form of rivalry—has reached a conclusion.


game, set and match

game, set, match
game, set, match#English


pacta sunt servanda

Latin plural of pactum (“pact”) + sunt servanda (“must be kept”), after pacta et promissa semperne servanda sint (“whether agreements and promises should always be kept”) in Cicero, De Oficiis 3.92.

In the law of treaties, the most important manifestation of the principle of good faith is undoubtedly the rule of pacta sunt servanda.

2004, FA Engelen, Interpretation of Tax Treaties under International Law, page 125:

Painstakingly negotiated agreements governed many aspects of international relations; the doctrine of pacta sunt servanda dictated that those agreements be obeyed.

2015, Susan Pedersen, ‘At least we worried’, London Review of Books, volume 37, number 12:


do you have a girlfriend

Used to ask whether the interlocutor has a girlfriend.


what is his name

from the most polite to the least polite

hogy hívják azt az urat / azt a férfit / azt a fickót?


what is her name

Used to ask the name of a female animal.


here's looking at you

"Here's looking at you," said Yates, strolling into the barn, taking a telescopic metal cup from his pocket, and clinking it into receptive shape by a jerk of the hand. He offered the now elongated cup to Hiram, who declined any such modern improvement.
"Help yourself in that thing. The jug's good enough for me."

1894, Robert Barr, chapter 4, in In the Midst of Alarms:

"I drink out of the bottle—not your style.
Mayn't I offer you—?"
"No, no, no, thank you."
"Just as you say. Here's looking at you then."

“Here's looking at you, Dave, old man,” Nick gestured a toast with a half filled punch cup.

2009, Catelin Hoover, The Assignment, →ISBN, page 105:

A toast made to a friend or acquaintance when drinking an alcoholic beverage.


woulda, coulda, shoulda

Derisively mimics the frequent perfect conditional forms (I would have done this and that) which are used when discussing events that may have occurred in the past.

shoulda, coulda, woulda (alternative)
shoulda, woulda, coulda (alternative)
woulda, shoulda, coulda (alternative)
coulda, shoulda, woulda (alternative)
coulda, woulda, shoulda (alternative)

President Clinton . . . had his clear shot at health-care reform, if we need it, he and his wife, but they blew it. As Mrs. Clinton might say, woulda coulda shoulda.

1995 November 17, A. M. Rosenthal, “The Great Botch-Up”, in New York Times, retrieved 2015-06-16:

Rahlves described the team's overall skiing performance here as, "woulda, shoulda, coulda—all that stuff. It sucks—we definitely came up very short."

2006 February 21, Mike Rowbottom, “Retirement talk works wonders for Dorfmeister”, in Independent, UK, retrieved 2015-06-16:

[S]uch a contentious reading of the 87-line tablet depends on creative interpretation of a smudged passage, making it the latest entry in the woulda/coulda/shoulda category of possible New Testament artifacts.

2008 July 7, David Van Biema, Tim McGirk, “Was Jesus' Resurrection a Sequel?”, in Time, retrieved 2015-06-16:

[H]e was talking about last night’s game and what it would have meant to have this roster last spring. . . .
“Shoulda, coulda, woulda” he started. “If ifs and buts were candies and nuts, we’d all have a Merry Christmas, right?”

2014 December 18, Doug Smith, “Three things to ponder from easy Raptors win”, in Toronto Star, Canada, retrieved 2015-06-18:

An expression of dismissiveness or disappointment concerning a statement, question, explanation, course of action, or occurrence involving hypothetical possibilities, uncertain facts, or missed opportunities.'New York Times, May 15, 1994): "The order of words in this delicious morsel of dialect varies with the user. . . . In this rhyming compound, a triple elision does the hat trick: although each elision expresses something different, when taken together, the trio conveys a unified meaning. Shoulda, short for should have (and not should of, which lexies call a variant but I call a mistake), carries a sense of correctness or obligation; coulda implies a possibility, and woulda denotes conditional certainty, an oxymoron: the stated intent to have taken an action if only something had not intervened. . . . Taken together, the term means 'Spare me the useless excuses.'"

the road to hell is paved with good intentions


shoulda, coulda, woulda

woulda, coulda, shoulda
woulda, coulda, shoulda#English

Alternative form of woulda, coulda, shoulda.


WDYT

“WDYT,” she IM'd Sophie, wondering what her new friend thought of the idea. Sophie, sitting next to her, quickly IM'd back “G4I” to show her support.

2010, Jeanne C. Meister, Karie Willyerd, The 2020 Workplace […] , Harper Collins, →ISBN:

(Internet slang, text messaging) Initialism of what do you think?.


here's the thing

(informal, colloquial) Precedes the key point of an explanation.


no human involved

He was not working with what the police facetiously call a no-humans-involved case, where everyone involved whether as witness or suspect already has a substantial criminal record.

2003, John Lescroart, chapter 37, in The Oath:

Cops closed them all with a code: NHI. The unsolved crimes had been back-burnered until a reporter revealed that the letters stamped on the police files were shorthand for No Human Involved.

2008, Linda Fairstein, Killer Heat, page 191:

I remembered Ed's offensive remark—“No human involved in that first murder anyway”—and tried to keep the disdain off my face.

2010, Martha C. Lawrence, Pisces Rising, page 33:

“NHI-No Human Involved,” the cops used to say. It was only the newest shorthand for the idea that murders of blacks somehow didn't count. “Nigger life's cheap now,” a white Tennessean offered during Reconstruction, […]

2015, Jill Leovy, Ghettoside: A True Story of Murder in America, One World/Ballantine, →ISBN, page 6:

Wynter's earlier example is a demonstration of the discourse of “no human involved” and shows that young Black men in zones of police surveillance are denied humanity in order to excuse the inexcusable violence enacted upon them.

2020, Sara Smith, Political Geography: A Critical Introduction, John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN, page 63:

(law enforcement slang, derogatory) Describing crimes committed against people deemed undesirable or subhuman, e.g., those with criminal records, sex workers, drug addicts, transients, or people of color.


BBE

Initialism of best before end: used to indicate a use-by date at the end of a specified month.


is that the time

Used to indicate surprise at how late in time it is.

都這麼晚了 /都这么晚了

used to indicate surprise at how late in time it is


no plan survives contact with the enemy

En-au-no plan survives contact with the enemy.ogg

(idiomatic) After a plan against an enemy is drafted, there will be unexpected elements from the opposition that will call for improvisation.

‹"No plan survives first contact with the enemy." Or with a pretty girl in a sundress.›

2015, Jeph Jacques, Questionable Content (webcomic), Number 2933: Game Over Man, Game Over:

(loosely) Even with a preexisting plan, unexpected circumstances will require one to think on one's feet.


no time to lose

Meanwhile, Japan must bolster its own defenses and substantially increase defense spending to meet new threats. Tokyo should swallow some of its suspicions and move more quickly to rebuild frayed ties with South Korea. It should make cooperation with the United States a cornerstone of its engagement throughout the Indo-Pacific and with NATO. It is a full agenda and there is no time to lose.

2022 July 1, The Japan Times Editorial Board, “Groundbreaking NATO summit means work for Japan”, in The Japan Times, archived from the original on 2022-07-01, Editorials:

It is important to do something immediately


enough is too much

enough is enough
enough is enough#English


the curtains match the drapes

the carpet matches the drapes
the carpet matches the drapes#English

(colloquial, vulgar, humorous) Synonym of the carpet matches the drapes.


the carpet matches the drapes

(colloquial, vulgar, humorous) A woman's pubic hair is of the same color as the hair on her head, i.e. her hair is not dyed.


mene mene tekel upharsin

A transliteration of Aramaic מְנֵא מְנֵא תְּקֵל וּפַרְסִין (mənē mənē təqēl ūp̄arsīn, “a mina, a mina, a shekel, and half-shekels”) from Daniel he:T:25.

der

מְנֵא מְנֵא תְּקֵל וּפַרְסִין

Words written by a mysterious hand on the wall of Belshazzar's palace, and interpreted by Daniel as predicting the doom of the king and his dynasty.


denial ain't just a river in Egypt

denial is not a river in Egypt
denial is not a river in Egypt#English

Alternative form of denial is not a river in Egypt.


as if there is no tomorrow

as if there were no tomorrow
as if there were no tomorrow#English

Alternative form of as if there were no tomorrow.


PBC

(historical, philately) Initialism of passed by censor.


are you blind

rhetorical question
rhetorical question#English

(sarcastic) A rhetorical question to someone who has failed to see or notice something.

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see are, you, blind.


head

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-what does that have to do with the price of corn.wav

(rhetorical question, colloquial, sarcastic) A comment used to indicate that a previous comment is irrelevant or unimportant.

what does that have to do with the price of tea in China?


the plural of anecdote is not data

(somewhat humorous) Anecdotal evidence is not sufficient to prove something.


butter wouldn't melt in someone's mouth

butter will not melt in someone's mouth (alternative)
butter won't melt in someone's mouth (alternative)

en-au-butter wouldn't melt in someone's mouth.ogg

Col. Why, they say she's one of the chief toasts in town.
Lady S. Ay, when all the rest are out of it.
Miss. Well; I wouldn't be as sick as she's proud for all the world.
Lady A. She looks as if butter wouldn't melt in her mouth but, I warrant, cheese won't choke her. . . .
Col. I can't pardon her for her rudeness to me.

1738, Jonathan Swift, “Polite Conversation”, in The Works of Jonathan Swift, D. D., volume 6, published 1859, page 45:

When a visitor comes in, she smiles and languishes, you'd think that butter wouldn't melt in her mouth: and the minute he is gone, very likely, she flares up like a little demon, and says things fit to send you wild.

1850, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 61, in The History of Pendennis:

"Yes, he is a ruffian and a brute, and I don't see what Mr. Cameron sees about him to like, I am sure."
"Probably the boy makes him think he is a model of excellence. Such boys are apt to be deceitful."
"He's deceitful enough. You'd think butter wouldn't melt in his mouth."

1875, Horatio Alger, chapter 29, in Herbert Carter's Legacy:

Yes, he is the bishop's chaplain; a Jesuit in disguise I call him, with his moping and mowing and sneaky ways. Butter wouldn't melt in his mouth; […]

1900, Fergus Hume, “‘Enter Mrs Pansey as Chorus’”, in Bishop Pendle: Or, The Bishop’s Secret, Chicago, Ill., New York, N.Y.: Rand, McNally & Company, →OCLC, page 7:

"Evil, wise and cruel," reflected Rob, as he restored the spectacles to his pocket. "How easily such a man could impose upon people. To look at him one would think that butter wouldn't melt in his mouth!"

1901, L. Frank Baum, chapter 18, in The Master Key:

"There's old Stephen Grant coming in," exclaimed Peg viciously, shaking her floury fist at him, "and looking as if butter wouldn't melt in his mouth. He may be an elder, but he's a scoundrel just the same."

1913, Lucy Maud Montgomery, chapter 21, in The Golden Road:

"I've often laughed, seeing you walk past me as though butter wouldn't melt in your mouth and everybody saying what a nice young man Mr. So-and-so is, and I have thought, if they only knew that this sleek lad—"
"Shut up!" said the other savagely.

1918, Edgar Wallace, chapter 2, in The Man Who Knew:

One villager said: "This lad looks like butter wouldn't melt in his mouth with his blonde hair and good looks. But he is no cherub in real-life. He is the devil child for many people around here."

2015 February 5, Julian Robinson, “'Angelic' looking teen who terrorised his village”, in Daily Mail, UK, retrieved 2015-07-13:

(idiomatic) The identified person appears to be benign, mild-mannered, or calm (but with an integral suggestion that, to the contrary, he or she really is untrustworthy, disagreeable, or mean-spirited).

van de prins geen kwaad weten

benign appearance, suggesting the contrary

on lui donnerait le bon Dieu sans confession

All unmarried women are necessarily in the market; but if they behave themselves properly they make no signs. Now there was Griselda Grantly; of course she intended to get herself a husband, and a very grand one she has got: but she always looked as though butter would not melt in her mouth.

1861, Anthony Trollope, chapter 38, in Framley Parsonage:

It was a very long way from Mozart's Pamina, Handel's Alcina, Donizetti's Adina or Bizet's butter-wouldn't-melt-in-her-mouth Micaela. Indeed, Lisa Milne had put away her shining soprano for the night. . . . The only way to reach the songs of Jacques Brel is from the heart; the only way to deliver them, from the gut.

2004 October 21, Edward Seckerson, “Lisa Milne Sings, Jacques Brel, Wigmore Hall, London”, in Independent, UK, retrieved 2015-07-12:

Sir Robert is the type of whom it is said that butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth; Mr. Nivola invests him with such a potent blend of froideur and hauteur that you imagine that butter wouldn’t melt anywhere within a 10-foot radius of him.

2013 October 17, Charles Isherwood, “‘The Winslow Boy’ Is Revived at American Airlines Theater”, in New York Times, retrieved 2015-07-12:

(idiomatic) The identified person is prim and proper, standoffish, cool, or dispassionate.


butter will not melt in someone's mouth

butter wouldn't melt in someone's mouth#English

Alternative form of butter wouldn't melt in someone's mouth.


butter would not melt in someone's mouth

All unmarried women are necessarily in the market; but if they behave themselves properly they make no signs. Now there was Griselda Grantly; of course she intended to get herself a husband, and a very grand one she has got; but she always looked as though butter would not melt in her mouth. It would have been very wrong to call her a marrying girl.

1861, Anthony Trollope, Framley Parsonage:


stars are aligned

"[T]his is something we've been fighting for for years. . . . I think the stars are aligned for legislative action this year."

1998 February 27, David W. Chen, “Insurer Sets Review Plan For Disputes”, in New York Times, retrieved 2015-07-24:

"The stars are aligned for tobacco stocks," says Bonnie Herzog, a tobacco analyst with Credit Suisse First Boston. "Everything is working in their favor."

2001 June 24, Daren Fonda, “Why Tobacco Won't Quit”, in Time, retrieved 2015-07-24:

Ed Warner, the chairman of UK Athletics, yesterday considered the merits of the domestic governing body's bid to bring the 2017 World Athletics Championships to London and concluded: "Our stars are aligned at the moment."

2011 November 9, Simon Turnbull, “Can London win in Monte Carlo and trump Qatar's big cash pitch?”, in Independent, UK, retrieved 2015-07-24:

(idiomatic) Present conditions are favorable; future prospects are good.


that cock won't fight

But in "refined" strata? That cock won't fight, O thou Aspirant to the Sacred Wisdom!

1943 (written), Aleister Crowley, Magick Without Tears, published in 1954

that dog won't hunt
that dog won't hunt#English


it's not you, it's me

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-it's not you, it's me.wav

Originally used in American sports as a humblebrag consolation to less successful players. Popularized in romantic contexts by the 1988 American comedy Casual Sex?

Matthew: We have a problem...
Melissa: Is it me?
Matthew: No, no, no. It's not you, it's me. I'm not attracted to you.
Melissa: Oh.
Matthew: Now, I don't want you to take this as a rejection, but as an acceptance between two people whose needs are profoundly incompatible. And you're not alone. I devote an entire chapter to this in my book.

George: I don't understand. Things were going so great. What happened? Something must have happened.
Gwen: It's not you, it's me.
George: You're giving me the "it's not you, it's me" routine?! I invented "it's not you, it's me"! Nobody tells me it's them, not me! If it's anybody, it's me.
Gwen: All right, George, it's you.
George: You're damn right it's me.
Gwen: I was just trying to...
George: I know what you were trying to do. Nobody does it better than me.
Gwen: I'm sure you do it very well.

1993 October 28, “The Lip Reader”, in Seinfeld:

‘[…] I've been repeatedly calling him all morning. He won't pick up. All I got was this pathetic text,’ I cough and clear my throat. ‘It said, “It's not you, it's me, I'm sorry Katie”.’

2011, Lotte Daley, chapter 1, in Faking It, Penguin:

(often ironic, sarcastic) Don't blame yourself for the end of our relationship.

günah səndə deyil, məndədir

don't blame yourself for the end of our relationship


which foot the shoe is on

what foot the shoe is on (alternative)
whose foot the shoe is on (alternative)

A whole lot depends on whose foot the shoe is on. I have noticed some of these fellows who speak about sentiment do not object so much to it when it works their way.

1915, Hannah Kent Schoff, The Wayward Child: A Study of the Causes of Crime, Bobbs-Merrill Co., p. 22 (at archive.org)

As usual, it makes a difference which foot the shoe is on. All too often the farmer has been willing to vote for legislation as long as he was exempted […] But he doesn't like it when it is proposed that laws he supports when they apply to others also be applied to him.

1948 December 9, “Shoe on the Other Foot”, in Milwaukee Journal, retrieved 2015-08-14, page 18:

The little girl said to her mother, "Mother, why is it when you are cross, you say it's your nerves; and when I'm nervous, you say I'm cross?" It depends on which foot the shoe is on, doesn't it?

2000, Raymond Barber, Don't Look Now, But Your Attitude is Showing, →ISBN, page 105:

Some of those involved with the Broadway Triangle proposal, however, dispute the coalition’s claims that the project unfairly excludes minority residents.
“It all depends on which foot the shoe is on,” said Rabbi David Niederman […] “Other groups are trying to dilute the chances of Jewish families getting access to affordable apartments by trying to include another large community board in the development.”

2015 July 28, Jeff Stein, “Nonprofits Seek to Keep Communities Intact Amid Rampant Gentrification”, in New York Nonprofit Media, retrieved 2015-08-14:

(idiomatic) Which point of view is considered or whose interests are used as a basis.


what foot the shoe is on

which foot the shoe is on
which foot the shoe is on#English

Alternative form of which foot the shoe is on.


I could eat a brick

I could eat a horse
I could eat a horse#English


Goddess knows

(uncommon, chiefly paganism) Synonym of God knows.


get thee behind me

Originally uttered by Christ in the King James Bible, Matthew 16:23: “get thee behind me, Satan”; Latin vāde retrō, Satanā; Ancient Greek ὕπαγε ὀπίσω μου, Σατανᾶ (húpage opísō mou, Satanâ).

calque

ὕπαγε ὀπίσω μου, Σατανᾶ

“Jesu Maria!” exclaimed the younger. “Oh, fie, Sister Seraphina! Fie, fie!--VADE RETRO--get thee behind me!”

1824, Sir Walter Scott, chapter 16, in Redgauntlet:

Peter most assuredly would have risen in his wrath, would have said to his distinguished-looking temptress, "Get thee behind me, Miss Ramsbotham."

1904, Jerome K. Jerome, chapter 4, in Tommy and Co.:

Get thee behind me, Derrida! Skeptical postmodernists may have reduced the certainties of Western intellectual life to a pile of gaudy plastic tchotchkes, but Pope John Paul II is fighting back.

1998 October 15, Tony Karon, “Postmodern Papacy?”, in Time, archived from the original on 2016-03-08:

Get thee behind me, Santa. Curious news from Germany, where a group has launched a campaign to persuade people to turn their backs on Santa Claus and return to St Nicholas instead.

2005 November 26, Ian Irvine, “btw”, in Independent, UK, retrieved 2015-08-25:

(idiomatic) Do not tempt or torment me; I reject you, your statements, or your beliefs.


as ever trod shoe-leather

/əz ɛvə ˈtɹɒd ˈʃuːˌlɛðə/

/æz ɛvɚ ˈtɹɑd ˈʃuːˌlɛðɚ/

Treading shoe-leather refers to walking, in the sense of “walking on this earth”.

As grate a rascal, as ever trod shoe-leather.

1767, Andrew Barton [pseudonym; Thomas Forrest or Francis Hopkinson?], The Disappointment, or, The Force of Credulity: A New American Comic-opera, of Two Acts, New York [i.e., Philadelphia, Penn.]: Printed [by John Dunlap?], →OCLC; The Disappointment, or, The Force of Credulity: A New American Comic-opera, in Three Acts, 2nd edition, Philadelphia, Penn.: Printed for and sold by Francis Shallus […], 1796, →OCLC, page 34:

As handsome a gentleman, to be sure, as ever trod shoe leather! I wonder that old folks can be so very, very blind!

1809 February, E[nos] Bronson et al., “On the Marriage Manufactory at Gretna Green”, in Select Reviews, and Spirit of the Foreign Magazines, volume I, Philadelphia, Pa.: From the Lorenzo Press of E. Bronson; published by Hopkins and Earle, […], →OCLC, page 118:

"He is a brave Indian, sir." – "Oh – is that all?" – "As brave a man, as ever trod shoe leather." – "Hum!" – "Yes." – "But Indians – do they tread shoe leather?" – "He's very brave, I mean – very." – "Why not say so, then?" – "I do."

1825, [John Neal], chapter XXVI, in Brother Jonathan: Or, The New Englanders: In Three Volumes, volume II, Edinburgh: William Blackwood; London: T[homas] Cadell, […], →OCLC, page 446:

[I]t's his temper as has saved his life; he's the best-temperdest cretur as ever trod shoe leather.

1830, [Theodore Edward Hook], chapter II, in Maxwell. … In Three Volumes, volume II, London: Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley, […], →OCLC, pages 54–55:

I've ne'er heard his name named since I saw him go out of the yard as stout a man as ever trod shoe-leather.

1855 October 6, [Elizabeth Gaskell], “Half a Life-time Ago”, in Charles Dickens, editor, Household Words: A Weekly Journal, volume XII, number 289, London: [Household Words] Office (printed by Bradbury and Evans), →OCLC, page 236:

It was as finely organized a Church as ever trod shoe-leather.

c. 1855, Lyman Beecher, “The Revival”, in Charles Beecher, editor, Autobiography, Correspondence, etc., of Lyman Beecher, D.D., volume II, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, published 1865, →OCLC, page 72:

I'm sure I never shall forget the turn young SIMMONS gave me when he came in with that paper as he'd been and copied out of a winder thro' being in a west-end house, tho' livin' at home with his mother, as steady a woman as ever trod shoe-leather, [...]

1865 September 23, “Mrs. Brown and the Emperor of the French”, in Fun, London: Published (for the proprietors) by Thomas Baker, →OCLC, page 17:

(idiomatic, archaic) As ever existed or lived.


more at eleven

(humorous) Used after a statement that is typical or should be obvious.


it takes two to tangle

Reconstruction of it takes two to tango, with tangle.

Fee-fi-fo-fum
It takes two to tangle and one to have won

1985, J. G. Thirlwell, “Anything (Viva!)”, in Nail, performed by Scraping Foetus Off the Wheel:

Blame is to be laid on both parties in a conflict.

ei yhden syy kuin kaksi tappelee

blame is to be laid on both parties in a conflict


life is too short

(idiomatic) Don't waste time on trivial issues


life's too short

life is too short
life is too short#English


feels over reals

Likely influenced by the pattern (of rhyme, meter, and syntax) that bros before hoes and similar phrases follow.

(colloquial, derogatory) A preference for one's feelings or beliefs over the reality that they contradict.


and don't play one on TV

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-and don't play one on TV.wav

A reference to US television advertisements where well-known actors from medical shows were obliged to add the disclaimer "I'm not a doctor, but I play one on TV".

I'm not a financial expert and don't play one on TV, but I think now is a bad time to buy shares.

(humorous) A term often used after a person claims to have no expertise in a topic of discussion, but still wants to contribute a comment.


better than a poke in the eye

better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick#English

Synonym of better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick.


head

better than a poke in the eye with a burnt stick


better than a poke in the eye with a shitty stick

(vulgar) Synonym of better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick.


better than a poke in the eye with a rusty nail


methinks the lady doth protest too much

the lady doth protest too much
the lady doth protest too much#English

Alternative form of the lady doth protest too much.


the lady doth protest too much, methinks


business is business

Possibly a calque of French les affaires sont les affaires (or vice versa). The French phrase is found as far back as George Sand's Mattea (1833).

I've a mortgage now on Tompkins' lot; / What a fool he was to become a sot! […] How she will blubber and sob and sigh, / But business is business,—and what care I?

before 1843, anonymous author, The Grog-Seller's Dream:

But money first, you know, Mark; business is business as the saying is; and there's nothing like the ready.

1846, Charles Rowcroft, The Bushranger of Van Diemen's Land:

Although I am your nephew, I wouldn't think of asking you to lend me money without security. Business is business, so I say.

1874, Horatio Alger, Risen from the Ranks:

Business matters should not be influenced by friendship or sentiment.


say no more

Last week the Brits appropriated a couple of all-American icons—persnickety Sally Albright and her friend Harry Burns—when the stage play of Rob Reiner's 1989 classic When Harry Met Sally opened in London's West End. . . . Next spring Americans will get their return when the musical version of Monty Python and the Holy Grail debuts on Broadway. The show will be called Spamalot. Say no more.

2004 March 1, Sora Song, “Fake an Orgasm, Fend Off a Rabbit”, in Time, retrieved 2015-09-19:

Nas walked through the garden of Gethsemane in his 1999 music video. Other scenes featured the rapper being crucified on the cross. Say no more.

2013 May 8, “Most controversial music videos”, in Independent, UK, retrieved 2015-09-19:

Those who left early missed a highlight of the event, a self-described "rising sophomore at the University of Connecticut" telling Franzen that The Corrections was the basis for her project on the "depressed male protagonist in post-9/11 literature."
"Say no more," answered a surprised, but amused Franzen.

2015 May 27, “Jonathan Franzen Talks Up, and Around, His New Novel”, in New York Times, retrieved 2015-09-19:

(idiomatic, often humorous) What has already been said conveys all the meaning and information needed to draw a conclusion concerning a matter which it would be imprudent to discuss further.

(MLE, MTE, Commonwealth) A standard formula to end a conversation, i.e. bye, see you soon.


be in luck

You're in luck: this is the last one.

(idiomatic, informal) To be lucky in getting something that one wants.


some people have all the luck

(informal) Suggests that someone is enjoying more success than they deserve.


pile it high, sell it cheap

pile 'em high, sell 'em cheap (alternative)

Selling a product at a low price allows large volumes of the product to be sold.


buy low, sell high

[T]he art of broadcasting, writes William Paley, "is to know what the public is seeking before the public even knows it is looking for something else." As a guide, that advice is about as useful as buy low, sell high.

1979 March 26, Gerald Clarke, “Books: Man Behind The Tube”, in Time, retrieved 2015-10-05:

The old investment adage “buy low, sell high” makes perfect intuitive sense, but folks like William O’Neil would prefer to “buy high and sell higher.”

2006 December 11, John P. Reese, “Buying High, Selling Higher”, in Forbes, retrieved 2015-10-05:

Any savvy investor knows the basic principle of investment: buy low, sell high.

2011 May 14, Jennifer Hill, “The 10 biggest investment pitfalls (and how to avoid them)”, in Independent, UK, retrieved 2015-10-05:

(business, finance) Commonplace investment advice, recommending that a prospective investor purchase an asset at a low cost and sell it later for a high price.


on the

We go to school on the daily.

My sister gets in trouble on the regular.

For quotations using this term, see Citations:on the.

(chiefly African-American Vernacular, used with adjectives describing frequency) Every; on such a basis.

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see on, the.


I'm Hindu

Indicates that the speaker is a follower of Hinduism.

jestem wyznania hinduistycznego

speaker is of unspecified gender; I'm of Hindu faith


sell in May and go away

sell in May (alternative)
sell in May and stay away (alternative)
sell in May then go away (alternative)

If ever there was a year in which, as the saying goes, “to sell in May and go away”, this was surely it. . . . From the beginning of May, when the Dow Jones Industrial Average stood above 10,000, it slid to a low in July of 7,702.

2002 August 23, “Jumping but jumpy”, in The Economist, retrieved 2015-10-11:

"Sell in May, and go away" is an old English proverb, but it does have some basis in reality. In the 1980s, Yale Hirsch, founder of the Stock Trader's Almanac, crunched the numbers. . . . From 1950 to 2007, the market from May to October provided an average annual gain of 0.6%, enough to earn $1,021 on $10,000 in those years. But if you had invested only in the "best six months," from November to April, your average gain would have been 7.6%, netting you $531,444 over those 58 years.

2009 May 15, Ben Steverman, “Stocks: Sell or Stay in May?”, in Businessweek, retrieved 2015-10-11:

One such truism is this: “Sell in May and go away”, meaning investors are best advised to sell stocks at the beginning of May and return to the equity market at the end of October.

2011 April 25, Josh Lipton, “Should You Sell in May and Go Away?”, in Forbes, retrieved 2015-10-11:

(business, stock market) Stock market securities can be expected to increase in value to a greater degree in the months from November through April than in the months from May through October, and profit-minded investors should manage their portfolios accordingly.


sell in May

sell in May and go away
sell in May and go away#English

Alternative form of sell in May and go away.


if you're not Dutch, you're not much

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-if you're not Dutch, you're not much.wav

Believed to originate from Dutch American communities in the Midwest.

The Dutch culture is vastly superior to all others.


buy when it snows, sell when it goes

buy when it snows and sell when it goes (alternative)

There is a phenomenon in stock market investment known as "seasonality." In Canada we sometimes summarize it with the epithet "Buy when it snows, sell when it goes."

2007 May 10, Peter McKenzie-Brown, “Sell in May and Stay Away!”, in Language Matters, retrieved 2015-10-13:

Most years, he says, investors can make money by simply holding broad indices, such as the S&P 500 and Canada's S&P/TSX Composite, from Oct. 28 to May 5, when they tend to make most of their gains, and then selling. If that's too hard to remember, Vialoux has a handy catch phrase: “Buy when it snows! Sell when it goes!”

2010 October 21, Paul Marshman, “Buy when it snows, sell when it goes!”, in Toronto Star, Canada, retrieved 2015-10-13:

According to Carlo R. Besenius, CEO of Creative Global Investments in Luxembourg, the trade, known as "buy when it snows, sell when it goes," was profitable in 53 of the past 61 periods. In a recent note, he pointed out that Munich, Geneva, Luxembourg, and Calgary had their first snowfall on Sunday, Oct. 28. He credits annual recurring events such as transactions for tax purposes and the holidays, among others.

2012 November 3, Robin Goodwin Blumenthal, “Season for Stocks: Let It Snow, Let It Snow?”, in Barron's, retrieved 2015-10-13:

(business, stock market, chiefly northern US and Canada) Stock market securities can be expected to increase in value to a greater degree in the cold winter months from November through April than in the warm months from May through October, and profit-minded investors should manage their portfolios accordingly.


buy when it snows and sell when it goes

buy when it snows, sell when it goes#English

Alternative form of buy when it snows, sell when it goes.


voices off

Redirect and remind (verbal): "Freeze. Voices off; eyes on me. Everyone take a few deep breaths." Let students be silent together for thirty seconds.

2013, Margaret Berry Wilson, Teasing, Tattling, Defiance and More..., Northeast Foundation for Children, Inc., →ISBN, page 58:


jdfr

(military, US) Abbreviation of joined from.


jds/RS

(military, US) Abbreviation of joined by staff returns.


S/RS

(military, US) Abbreviation of staff returns.


if it ain't broken, don't fix it

if it ain't broke, don't fix it
if it ain't broke, don't fix it#English

Alternative form of if it ain't broke, don't fix it.


why God invented

I do not, however, wish to be awakened by Stevie Wonder and that is why God invented alarm clocks.

1994, Fran Lebowitz, The Fran Lebowitz Reader, page 138:

It's not your job. That's why God invented cops.

1999, Denise Dietz, Footprints in the Butter: An Ingrid Beaumont Mystery, page 74:

Most men don't make enough money to buy all the tools they need all at once, which is why God invented revolving debt. Sometimes, though, men actually hit their credit limits, which is why God invented garage sales.

2005, W. Bruce Cameron, How to Remodel a Man, page 127:

He likes dark, emotionally angry music. I like pop, upbeat, happy songs. That's why God invented 12 different pre-set stations.

2008, Laurie Frey, Cindy Dupree, Eric Coble, Unbeatable: The Whole Story, page 26:

(humorous) The reason for something (specified) existing; the purpose fulfilled by something.


what happens on tour stays on tour

Originally referring to sporting or band tours.

To be honest, I can't really commit to paper half the stuff that went on during the ‘Unleashed’ tour, as we promised to take it to our graves. ‘What happens on tour, stays on tour!’ as they say.

2010, Dannii Minogue, Dannii: My Story, Simon and Schuster, →ISBN:

Inevitably, men who spent time together travelling formed bonds and friendships, which overlapped and supported their professional relationships. One of the results was the ‘what happens on tour stays on tour’ mentality, which recognised that humans—whether or not they are sportsmen—are likely to do dumb things from time to time.

2013, Jacquie L'Etang, Sports Public Relations, SAGE, →ISBN, page 5:

When a group of people, usually a group of all-male close friends, get together and travel, go on vacation, throw a party, etc., any controversial conduct engaged in during the event must be kept strictly confidential.

what happens on the road stays on the road


no jab, no play

(Australia, informal) The government policy of permitting or requiring childcare centres or schools to exclude unvaccinated children.


happy Halloween

A greeting used during Halloween to recognize its celebration.


RTFFAQ

(Internet) Initialism of read the fucking FAQ.


suo motu

(law, India, Pakistan) Synonym of sua sponte.


never the twain shall meet

Coined by the English author and poet Rudyard Kipling (1865–1936) in his poem The Ballad of East and West (1889).

coinage

In Silverstein's terms, Frank is an "excitement seeker" and the lover is a "home builder." Never the twain shall meet. Again, for a while I saw the conflict between the two in the movie as a refreshing examination of a problem many gay couples (of both sexes) face. But […]

1981 December 27, Charles Bonnell, “Throwing In The Towel”, in Gay Community News, volume 9, number 23, page 5:

(idiomatic) Used to emphasize that two subjects are so different that they cannot coexist or agree with each other.


Good Night, Vienna

goodnight Vienna
goodnight Vienna#English


give credit where credit is due

credit where credit's due
credit where credit's due#English

Alternative form of credit where credit's due.


riddle me that, Batman

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-riddle me that, Batman.wav

From the formulaic phrase riddle me this, additionally referring to the Batman comic book universe, in which the fictional supervillain the Riddler would pose puzzles for Batman to solve (riddle).

"That too. But it's this: how can a benevolent being let such bad things happen? Terrorism, world hunger, AIDS, people dying too young of cancer. Riddle me that, Batman.”

2009, John C. Stipa, No Greater Sacrifice, page 55:

"You have no idea what's going on, Melanie," she snarled. "No. Freaking. Clue. I'm going to have to join witness protection, and then where will you be, huh? Riddle me that, Batman!"

2014, Marni Bates, Awkwardly Ever After, page 77:

Why can't Jerry and I be together forever like a real couple? Riddle me that, Batman? Society? No. Idiots.

2014, Jason Medina, The Diary of Audrey Malone Frayer, page 135:

Said to demand that the listener take notice of a question or situation just mentioned, especially one that is particularly difficult to solve or explain.

riddle me this

a demand that the listener solve a conundrum


if I'm lying, I'm dying

(colloquial) A promise that one is telling the truth.


not the sharpest tool in the box

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-not the sharpest tool in the box.wav

(humorous, euphemistic) Lacking in intelligence; dimwitted.


arse is gone right out of 'er

We are about to leave the relative security of 2008. And about to enter what will be a desolate end to this decade. The arse has indeed gone clean out of 'er.

2008 Dec. 27, Ed Smith, "The arse is gone right out of 'er," The Telegram (St. John's, Newfoundland) (retrieved 20 Dec 2015)

Tracker: I got the lens working from 17 to 85mm, but aperture control and AF gave up the ghost. Just bought a replacement 17-85mm at Futureshop in St John's.
Oldguywithacamera: Yikes! Like the Newfs say, "The arse is gone right out of 'er" warranty?

2009 July 14, "So, gear failure (discussion in 'Photography')," at www.reality-check.ca (retrieved 20 Dec 2015)

Wayne: “The financial situation is so depressing I think we’re headed for total economic collapse.”
Kevin: “Da arse is gone right out of ‘er.”

2011 May 14, Buddy Wasisname and the Other Fellers, "Newfunese" (song lyrics) (retrieved 20 Dec 2015)

A vessel flying before the wind. That can be kind of a warm fuzzy metaphor, until the wind blows a gale and suddenly, "Now luh, da arse is gone right out of er."

2011 July 1, David Webber, "Who's in the back of the boat?," at thefreelibrary.com (retrieved 20 Dec 2015)

(Canada, Newfoundland English) Matters, especially economic matters, have gone very wrong; things are out of control.


arse has gone clean out of 'er

arse is gone right out of 'er
arse is gone right out of 'er#English

Alternative form of arse is gone right out of 'er.


to speak of

not enough to speak of

no [X] to speak of

Q: How many people heeded the advice to bring an umbrella? A: Not enough to speak of.

There was no air conditioning to speak of. [ = There was some, but it was wholly inadequate.]

While he spoke thus, the good man leaped with joy; and as he was a widower, they advised him to put himself agian to the ranks. 'No raillery,' said he, 'if I were always as young, I might yet do something to speak of.

1792, Jean François Marmontel, C. Dennis, Robert Lloyd, Moral Tales By M. Marmontel Translated From the French by C. Dennis and R. Lloyd, page 130:

There were no tall buildings to speak of, certainly nothing in the way of skyscrapers, no brownstones […]

1980, Charlotte Vale Allen, Promises, page 79:

But some have no parents, or none to speak of, and are living with a grandmother or uncle or married sister or sister who's not married but has three tots of her own to look after, or this unruly student's helping her to take care of them with babysitting or a paying after-school job.

2013, Stephen Dixon, 30 Pieces of a Novel, →ISBN:

Completely disorientated by the explosion of dust, it was only now she realised she was running through Tina’s flat. It was even grottier than Zoe’s. There was no furniture or carpet to speak of.

2012, David Walliams [pseudonym; David Edward Williams], Ratburger, London: HarperCollins Children’s Books, →ISBN:

(idiomatic, usually negative) Sufficient; important or significant enough to be worth mentioning.

mainittava (often in the partitive singular)


clock is ticking

Near-synonym: tick-tock (interjection)

I have the feeling that even while the clock is ticking we are moving on to terrible things.

1922, E. Phillips Oppenheim, chapter 2, in The Great Prince Shan:

The clock is ticking for Mikhail Gorbachev too. Of all the failures of political and economic theory in this century, the Soviet failure is the most spectacular.

1986 April 23, James Reston, “Washington The Ticking Clock”, in New York Times, retrieved 2015-12-22:

"We know the clock is ticking, and the longer it takes us to find the person who has been kidnapped, the less likely the case is to have a successful outcome."

2006 February 19, Alasdair Palmer, “‘We know the clock is ticking. Kidnap is a murder waiting to happen’”, in Telegraph, UK, retrieved 2015-12-22:

The clock is ticking. And with every tick, the Trudeau government’s goal of bringing 25,000 refugees from the Middle East to Canada by the end of the year grows more improbable.

2015 November 12, John Ibbitson, “Politics notebook: Clock is ticking for Trudeau to resettle 25,000 refugees”, in Globe and Mail, Canada, retrieved 2015-12-22:

(idiomatic, almost always preceded by the and often followed by for) Time is running out; a deadline is approaching.

l'horloge tourne

time is running out; a deadline is approaching


clock is running

clock is ticking
clock is ticking#English


DUSTWUN

(military) Acronym of duty status, whereabouts unknown.


NTTAWWT

Initialism of not that there's anything wrong with that.


now we're talking

now you're talking
now you're talking#English


NGI

Initialism of not guilty by reason of insanity.


Acronym of explain like I'm five [years old].

acronym

Please ELI5 the whole thing.

Develop techniques to share complex ideas in a scalable way (going from ELI5 to rocket science).

2016, “SASE National Conference & STEM Career Fair 2016: Schedule”, in SASE Magazine, Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers, section “10:45 am - 12:00 pm: Engineering The Art of Storytelling”, page 82:

Periscope: ELI5 Family History / Wednesday, May 31, 3:30-4:30 pm / Why can’t I find my great-great grandmother’s death record in 1880?

2017 May, “Online Classes”, in Kenton County Public Library Calendar, page 12:

To see how potential partners might interpret and/or communicate key verification challenges, we created Can You Verify?, a website and poster competition. We posted thirteen of the clearest responses from the ELI5 challenge, in which experts explain what they do and where they need help, asking information designers to depict the challenges visually.

2019, “Verification”, in Erika Gregory, Tim Maly, editors, Signals for the Future: New Ways to Tackle Nuclear Risk, N Square, page 68:

(Internet slang) Provide an explanation that is very easy to understand.


RTLS

(space flight) Initialism of return to launch site.


head

my very educated mother just served us nachos

my very educated mother just served us noodles#English

(astronomy mnemonic) Alternative form of my very educated mother just served us noodles.


my very educated mother just served us noodles

From the initial letters of the 8 planets' names.

(astronomy mnemonic) Used to remember the order and names of the eight planets of the solar system: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune.

mes vieilles tantes mangeaient jadis sur une nappe percée

mein Vater erklärt mir jeden Sonntag unseren Nachthimmel

my very educated mother just served us nine pizzas

my very educated mother just served us nine pumpkins


why oh why

A strengthened form of why, as used in questions.

Are these terrible figures greeted by hysterical "why-oh-why?" letters to the Times demanding a huge shift in resources from road-building to rail-modernisation?

Indeed, a right-wing paper is hardly ready for press without a why-oh-why article on children's failures to identify verbs and nouns.

2005, Fred Sedgwick, How to Teach with a Hangover: A Practical Guide to Overcoming Classroom Crises, A&C Black, →ISBN, page 94:

To mark the introduction of civil partnership in Britain, the Daily Telegraph duly featured a bitter polemic from 'Why-oh-Why' columnist Ferdinand Mount.

2006, Ben Summerskill, The Way We Are Now: Gay and Lesbian Lives in the 21st Century, A&C Black, →ISBN, page 7:

David Starkey and John Casey, a donnish don from Cambridge who cranks out 'why, oh why?' hand-wringing pieces for the Daily Mail, are modern equivalents.

2009, Andrew Marr, My Trade: A Short History of British Journalism, Pan Macmillan, →ISBN, page 27:

... the British health system, once the best in the world, was disintegrating in a welter of underfunding, staff shortages and collapsing morale. A hand-wringing why-oh-why piece appeared in the Daily Mail, an internal investigation was ordered.

2012, Deborah Moggach, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Random House, →ISBN, page 3:

(UK, sometimes used attributively) A statement of exasperation associated with reactionary viewpoints.


shut up and take my money

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-shut up and take my money.wav

From a scene in the Futurama episode "Attack of the Killer App" (2010) where Fry demands to buy an eyePhone in front of a store clerk who is talking about the product's features.

(informal) Said about something that the speaker wants to buy immediately.

Attack of the Killer App
Futurama
Philip J. Fry


three bags full, sir

/ˌθɹiː bæɡz ˈfʊl ˌsɜː/

/ˌθɹi bæɡz ˈfʊl ˌsɝ/

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-three bags full, sir.wav

Referencing the nursery rhyme Baa, Baa, Black Sheep with the lyrics "Have you any wool? / Yes, sir, yes, sir, / Three bags full".

Because, if he speaks his truth, he may no longer have a job and so, instead of living his truth, he says: “Yes, Sir; of course, sir. Three bags full, Sir.” He gives his power away.

2001, Barbel Mohr, translated by Heike Müller, “How Do I Learn to Listen to My Inner Voice?”, in The Cosmic Ordering Service, Charlottesville, Va.: Hampton Roads Publishing Company, Inc., →ISBN, page 31:

Some managers took 50% of the income, some even paid the artist nothing but a weekly salary, and still the majority of those artists said, yes sir, no sir and three bags full sir. To a great degree, Epstein changed all of that ...

2004, Paul Charles, The Complete Guide to Playing Live: A Survival Guide to the Rock Circuit, Music Sales Group, →ISBN:

Get forensic on to it right away.' 'Yes, sir,' Hatchley said through clenched teeth as he left. Banks could almost hear the 'three bags full, sir'

2014, Peter Robinson, DCI Banks: The first three novels, Pan Macmillan, →ISBN:

(often sarcastic) Intensifies a statement of agreement, indicating that the speaker is craven or obsequious.


I'll go to the foot of our stairs

“Well, I'll go to the foot of our stairs,” said Elsie, totally flabbergasted.

2010, Anna Champney, Buried Past, Hidden Secrets, page 540:

“Did you hear that boys, I'm a girl, well I'll go to the foot of our stairs, I would never have known if he hadn't told me” she said, smiling at the Lad and by now enjoying the attention she was getting.

2015, Peter Knowles, Short Story Collection:

(UK, Northern dialect) Expressing astonishment.


useful as a chocolate teapot

Since a chocolate teapot would be melted by hot tea and is therefore a useless idea.

as much use as a chocolate teapot (alternative)


an insult to one is an insult to all

When individuals are insulted based on their characteristics, that insult also applies to everybody who shares them.


so much the better

Its business was to block change, not advance it, and if it thereby obstructed something he himself, as a very conservative fellow, disliked, so much the better.

2016 February 20, “Obituary: Antonin Scalia: Always right”, in The Economist:


so much the worse

"Ah! So much the worse! A bitter taste it is that such poor cattle always have in their mouths, and hard lives they live, Jacques.

1859, Charles Dickens, chapter V, in A Tale of Two Cities, London: Chapman and Hall, […], →OCLC:


all to the better

If some people enjoy them, andI have evidence that some do, that is all to the better.

2011, Dayton Lummis, Spaceships and Liquor: Venus and Mars Are All Right Tonight, →ISBN:


it's grim up north

(UK) A phrase suggesting that the standard of life in the north of England is poor compared to that in the south.


Roma locuta est, causa finita est

From Latin, literally "Rome has spoken, the case is closed".

(idiomatic) The discussion is at an end.


YMBJ

(Internet slang, text messaging) Initialism of you must be joking.


NIBMAR

(UK, politics, historical) Abbreviation 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.


like a martin to his gourd

like a martin to its gourd (alternative)

The ball flew to its mark like a martin to his gourd and Lucky Ned Pepper fell dead in the saddle.

Whether all of the above was reason enough I don't know, but I left East St. Louis and, like a martin to its gourd, I headed back to the cotton fields of southeastern Missouri.

2008, Paul Self, No Lower Place, page 219:

(simile, US, regional) Straight, unerringly, directly.


IYSWIM

if you see what I mean
if you see what I mean#English


gottle o' geer

Pronunciation spelling of the phrase "bottle of beer" with the labial consonants replaced by velars; labials are the hardest English consonants to produce without visible lip movement.

gottle o'geer (alternative)
gottle of geer (alternative)
gottle of gear (alternative)

‘And a gottle of gear,' said Watson, trying to disguise himself as a dummy.

1992, Spike Milligan, William McGonagall: Freefall, Michael Joseph, →ISBN, page 109:

Buyer beware: if you think this is a history of end-of-pier gottle of geer merchants, think again

2001 January 13, Brian Boyd, “Not only here for the geer [Review of Dumbstruck - A Cultural History of Ventriloquism]”, in The Irish Times, page 15:

On the same bill was a ventriloquist called Arthur Worsley, who had a doll with the catchphrase 'gottle of geer'.

2016, Pat Stewart, The Girl in the Spotty Dress - Memories From The 1950s and The Photo That Changed My Life, Kings Road Publishing, →ISBN:

Stereotypical phrase spoken by the dummy of an incompetent ventriloquist


Earth to someone

Suggesting a control room on Earth communicating with a crew on a space mission.

Hello! ...Hello? Earth to Daniel!

(humorous) Used to call the attention of a distracted person.

Maa kutsuu jotakuta

used to call the attention of a distracted person

(humorous) Used to suggest that a person's opinion is divorced from reality.


En-us-sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me.oga

sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me#English

Alternative form of sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.


bless someone's cotton socks

Used to express affection toward the named person.


not your circus, not your monkeys

none of your business
none of someone's business

(colloquial) It's none of your business, or not your responsibility; an exhortation to stay out of a volatile or delicate situation.


sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never harm me


sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never harm me


sticks and stones may break my bones

Ellipsis of sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.


bloody oath

‘Coming in?’ Kerry asked, stripping down to her sports bra. ‘Bloody oath,’ said Steve, ripping his singlet off.

2018, Melissa Lucashenko, Too Much Lip, University of Queensland Press, published 2023, page 131:

(Australia) Most certainly; you bet; used to intensify an affirmative response.


there's no use

There's no use trying to tell him; he won't listen.

There's no use in complaining. It doesn't change anything.

There's no use crying over spilt milk.

(colloquial, usually with a following present participle or infinitive expression) Used to indicate that the specified action cannot succeed or offers no advantage if successful


it's no use

It's no use trying to push the car out of the ditch; the axle is broken.

It's no use to ask him; he doesn't really know.

-Metal Sonic: It’s no use… but why can’t I defeat you?
-Sonic: Because we’re…Sonic Heroes!

2003, Sonic Heroes, spoken by Metal Sonic (Ryan Drummond), Sega:


what's the use

What's the use trying to tell him? He won't listen.

What's the use of worrying? It never was worthwhile.

(colloquial, often with a following present participle or infinitive expression) Used to indicate that a specified or implied action cannot succeed or offers no advantage if successful


going once, going twice, sold

Said before closing the bidding for a particular item in an auction, giving other bidders a final opportunity to bid for it.

ensimmäisen, toisen ja kolmannen kerran

phrase said before closing the bidding for a particular item in an auction

először, másodszor – senki többet? –, harmadszor: elkelt!

dou-lhe uma, dou-lhe duas, dou-lhe três; vendido!


one could do it in one's sleep

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Sapaa-one could do it in one's sleep.wav

(informal, idiomatic) Said of something that can be done very easily or effortlessly.


AKICIF

(fandom slang) Initialism of all knowledge is contained in fanzines (or fandom): a humorous allusion to the tendency of irrelevant topics to be discussed in venues ostensibly devoted to fandom.


WAI

software engineering
software engineering

(software engineering) Acronym of works as intended: current situation is what was intended and thus not subject to change.

works as intended

(software engineering) Acronym of working as intended.


the natives are getting restless

the natives are restless
the natives are restless#English

Alternative form of the natives are restless.


the joke's on someone

Person #1: You must give me exactly half of the money you earned.

Person #2: The joke's on you! I earned exactly $0.00, so you get nothing, too!

Used to point out that someone tried to say something smart but it came out foolish.


if it's the last thing I do

I'll get into a good college, if it's the last thing I do!

At any cost; for certain; indicates the speaker is determined, resolute in doing something.


tbqh

(text messaging) Initialism of to be quite honest.


never fight a land war in Asia

Attributed to various military leaders, including Bernard Montgomery, Dwight Eisenhower and Douglas MacArthur, the quotation has existed in various forms since the Second World War. It was popularized when used by the character Vizzini in the 1987 movie The Princess Bride (after appearing in the 1973 novel The Princess Bride). Asia is far more heavily populated than Europe or North America, and while Western armies had technological advantages post-WWII, these could be overcome (as they were in Korea by the Chinese PLA and Vietnam by the PAVN) by sheer numbers.

never start a land war in Asia (alternative)

Although Britain is one of the world's most lucrative markets, with retail sales of £286bn last year, expensive shop rents and world-class local competition have kept international groups at bay. Indeed, some analysts put the UK in the "never fight a land war in Asia" category due to the challenges posed by the market.

2010 October 1, Zoe Wood, “Retail therapy: foreign chains glimpse window of opportunity in UK market”, in The Guardian:

Apple’s mistake in instigating a patent war with Samsung is illustrative of a larger pattern involving large stockpiles of patents. “Never fight a land war in Asia” comes to mind.

2014 July 4, Evan Jensen, “The Patent Wars”, in Lexology:

"Well listen here, Walmart," wrote blogger Caroline Gallay, "you should heed the advice of Vizzini in The Princess Bride: Never fight a land war in Asia."

2016, Philip Kotler, François Maon, A Stakeholder Approach to Corporate Social Responsibility: Pressures, Conflicts, and Reconciliation, Routledge, →ISBN, page 50:

bite off more than you can chew
bite off more than you can chew

Don't bite off more than you can chew; don't start a fight that is too big to win.


two can play this game

two can play that game
two can play that game#English

Alternative form of two can play that game.


don't tell me

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see don't, tell, me.

“Sorry. Excuse me. Am I very late?”
Henrietta shrugged. They had travelled the world together on commissions for the Morning Graphic. They had been in many scrapes but the irritation she felt with him never went away. She admonished him.
“Don't tell me. You've brought that damn Morgan Aero8 sports car with you, haven't you? You've been trying to park it, keeping me waiting.”

(idiomatic) Used to introduce a guess at a fact or situation, as if forestalling the other speaker's utterance.


let's be having you

This went on for a while, until one morning I came in about five to eight, not quite due on the shop floor yet, and I stopped outside the tearoom, put on my best Smiler voice: 'Right, lads, come on, let's be having you, let's have you on shop floor now, lads, come on, stop messing around in there with tea, come on, let's be having you.'

2009, Russell Watson, Finding My Voice, →ISBN, page 68:

You've just been volunteered, friend, so let's be having you.

2011, D.G. Compton, Justice City, →ISBN:

Draping a cloak round his crooked figure, he leaned on his cane and shuffled awkwardly to the door. 'Let's be having you!' he grumbled, impatiently donning his top hat. 'Or have you forgot we've a sale to attend?'

2012, Josephine Cox, Don't Cry Alone, →ISBN:

(UK, idiomatic) Expression to encourage someone to hurry up and move somewhere.


where do I sign up

(rhetorical question) Expresses interest in doing something.


may God be my witness

as God is my witness (alternative)
with God as my witness (alternative)

May God be my witness, I shall never disappoint you again!

Used to introduce a serious, solemn statement.


would it kill someone

Would it kill you to pay more attention in lectures?

(rhetorical question) Indicates the speaker is annoyed that someone is not doing something they should do.


you call this

You call this a party?

(rhetorical question, informal) Used to indicate that something is unsatisfactory, inadequate, substandard.


tell you what

Ellipsis of I'll tell you what or I tell you what.

(colloquial) Introduces a compromise or arrangement where the interlocutor has some benefit or advantage.


welcome to my world

A: This job is too tough; I don't think I can do it!

B: Welcome to my world! I've been doing it for three years now.

(idiomatic, colloquial) Indicates that the speaker is very experienced with a (usually unpleasant) situation that is new to the interlocutor.


written in someone's face

written all over someone's face
written all over someone's face#English

Alternative form of written all over someone's face.


PEBCAC

(humorous) Problem Exists Between Chair And Computer. Used by technical support helpdesk staff to indicate that the problem with a user’s computer or experience is due to user error.


would it hurt

Would it hurt to say "please" once in a while?

(rhetorical question) Used to point out that the interlocutor is failing to do something relatively easy that they should be doing.


just you wait

Indicates that something unpleasant is going to happen to the interlocutor, and the speaker is glad about it, as in vengeance or punishment.

odotas vain

or (colloquial) vain -> vaan in any of these


one's elevator doesn't go all the way to the top

one's elevator doesn't go to the top (alternative)

(US, humorous) Used as an indirect way to say that someone is mentally deficient.

(humorous) Used as an indirect way to say that someone is crazy.


how much do I owe you

Asking how much money is to be paid for products or services.


would you mind putting on your seat belt?

Politely asks someone in a vehicle to put on their seat belt.

請繫上安全帶好嗎？ /请系上安全带好吗？

importaríache poñer o teu cinto de seguridade?

legyen szíves, kapcsolja be a biztonsági övet

você poderia colocar o cinto de segurança?

¿le importaría abrocharse el cinturón de seguridad?


lang may yer lum reek

/ˈlæŋ meɪ jə ˌlʌm ˈɹiːk/

PIE word
 *dlongʰos
Borrowed from Scots lang may yer (or your) lum reek (expression of good wishes for one’s prosperity, literally “long may your chimney smoke”): from lang (“long”), lum (“chimney”), and reek (“of a chimney: to emit smoke”).

bor

The B[ritish] P[rinter] is much appreciated in our office. It is regarded as indispensable, and is beyond doubt the best Trade Journal. Lang may your lum reek.

1895 March–April, Andrew Craighead, “‘Lang May Your Lum Reek’”, in The British Printer, volume VIII, number 44, London: Raithby, Lawrence & Co. […], →OCLC, page 117:

If he will only see that Protestantism is protected, my daily prayer shall be, "Lang may your lum reek," a prayer which warms and gladdens every Scottish heart.

1896, Joseph Parker, “Note XXIX. [Concerning ‘Bits’.]”, in Might Have Been: Some Life Notes, New York, N.Y.: Frederick A[bbott] Stokes Company, →OCLC, page 187:

Lang may your lum reek and your kalipot boil!

1922 February, James Joyce, “[Episode 14: Oxen of the Sun]”, in Ulysses, Paris: Shakespeare and Company, […], →OCLC, part II [Odyssey], page 404:

And as they say—lang may yer lum reek!

1998, Alan Grant, Batman: Scottish Connection, London: Titan Books, →ISBN, page 47:

'And lang may yer lum reek on other folk's coal,' Jock reciprocated.

2005, Peter Kerr, From Paella to Porridge: A Farewell to Mallorca and a Scottish Adventure, Chichester, West Sussex: Summersdale Publishers, →ISBN:

In the event I don't see you again before you leave Glory—well, you know, cheerio, cheery-bye and lang may yer lum reek!

2008, Ron Benrey, Janet Benrey, chapter 14, in Season of Glory (Love Inspired Suspense), New York, N.Y.: Steeple Hill Books, →ISBN, page 155:

‘Lang may your lum reek,’ called Fingal as his guest drifted out of sight. […] ‘Lang may your lum what?’ Ben murmured to himself. Just catching the question, Alec whispered – ‘reek. Lang may your lum reek. Long may your chimney smoke. That’s what. Long may you live, you see.’

2012 May 2, Will Riding, chapter 9, in Flight of the Yellow Bowler, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire: AuthorHouse, →ISBN, page 126:

"A'll see y Monday next, then," Grinning Hottie says, giving Angus one of those Macho Man half hugs with the bruising back slap. "Lang may yer lum reek." Angus laughs, slaps Grinning Hottie on the back, and repeats the salutation. He says it so fast, though, that it almost sounds like, "Long may your bum reek."

2015, Leah Marie Brown, Finding It (An It Girl Novel), New York, N.Y.: Lyrical Press, Kensington Publishing Corp., →ISBN:

wish someone well
wish someone well#English

(Scotland) Used to wish someone well, especially as a drinking toast or a farewell.


ACAB

Having a tattoo or a bomberjack with the text '1312' or 'ACAB' (All Cops Are Bastards).

[2015, Thomas Bustamante, Christian Dahlman, Argument Types and Fallacies in Legal Argumentation, →ISBN, page 70:

One group is simply called 'ACAB'; the other is called 'Visitors 1312'. The latter was formed from the amalgamation of two groups, '1312' and 'Visitors'. '1312' is significant because it refers to the numerical positions in the alphabet of the letters comprising 'ACAB'.

[2015, Mark Doidge, Football Italia: Italian Football in an Age of Globalization, →ISBN, page 174:

(derogatory) Acronym of all cops are bastards, a political slogan protesting against police behavior.


after all is said and done

After all's said and done
One and one still is one
When we cry, when we laugh
I am half, you are half

1996, Robert Miles, “One and One”, performed by Maria Nayler:

when all is said and done
when all is said and done#English

Alternative form of when all is said and done.


I spy with my little eye

The phrase used in the guessing game I spy.


I can't find my ...

I can't find my baggage!

ma ei leia oma ... (object in the partitive case; e.g. "kohvrit" - "luggage")

en löydä ...-ni (object in partitive case; e.g. "passiani" - "my passport")

ខ្ញុំមិនអាចរកឃើញ ... របស់ខ្ញុំទេ

khñom mɨn ʼaac rɔɔk khəəñ ... rɔbɑh khñom tei


what is the Wi-Fi password

와이파이 비밀번호가 무엇인가요? 와이파이 비밀번호가 어떻게 되나요? 와이파이 비밀번호 뭐에요?


do you have Wi-Fi

Asks if there is any available Wi-Fi connection.


you're a long time dead

Be merry, man, for a minute, for you'll be a long time dead!

1968, Sean O'Casey, The Sean O'Casey Reader, page 259:

When opportunity knocks, take it. You're a long time dead you know!

2011, Sophie Boswell, The Power of Feng Shui, →ISBN, page 103:

'You're a long time dead,' my mother used to shout at the neighbours when they complained about the noise, and for once I agree.

2015, Rebecca Whitney, The Liar's Chair, →ISBN:

A reminder that we are all mortal, as a justification for enjoying life while one can.


AMAB

The sample consists of participants AMAB.

Gender-affirming hormone therapy may involve testosterone for trans people assigned female at birth (AFAB) and estradiol and anti-androgens for trans people AMAB.

2021, Jane Y. Xu, Michelle A. O’Connell, Lauren Notini, Ada S. Cheung, Sav Zwickl, Ken C. Pang, “Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators: A Potential Option For Non-Binary Gender-Affirming Hormonal Care?”, in Front Endocrinol, →DOI:

(LGBTQ) Acronym of assigned male at birth.


AFAB

The sample consists of participants AFAB.

(LGBTQ) Acronym of assigned female at birth.


I don't want it

Indicates that the speaker does not want to take something that is being offered.

nem akarom

(before a particular noun expressing action)


les jeux sont faits

/leɪ ˌʒɜː sɒ̃ ˈfeɪ/

Borrowed from French les jeux sont faits (literally “the games are made”). Earliest use found in James Joyce (1882–1941) in the 1920s.

(gambling) In roulette, the call made by the croupier as the wheel is set in motion.

(idiomatic) Things have reached an irreversible point; you cannot go back now that you have done something.


where does it hurt

Asked to find out where a wounded or ill person is feeling pain.


is anyone here a doctor

Asked to call upon a doctor to come forth from a group of people.

この中にお医者様はいらっしゃいませんか

Kono naka ni o-isha-sama wa irasshaimasen ka?


are you feeling better

Asked to find out whether someone has recovered to some degree from past illness or unwellness.

汝較好無？ /汝较好无？

lí khà hó--bô? / lí khah hó--bô? / lír khà hó--bô? / lú khah hó--bô?

汝儂有較好無？ /汝侬有较好无？

lír-lâng ū khà hó--bô? / lí-lâng ū khah hó--bô? / lú-lâng ū khah hó--bô?


I can't swim

Indicates the speaker does not know how to swim.

我𣍐曉泅水 /我𫧃晓泅水

góa bōe-hiáu siû-chúi / góa bǒe-hiáu siû-chúi / góa bē-hiáu siû-chúi


do you think you can walk

Asked to find out whether an ill or wounded person is able to walk or needs to sit down or lie down.

汝會行𣍐？ /汝会行𫧃？

lí ē kiâⁿ--bōe? / lír ě kiâⁿ--bǒe? / lí ě kiâⁿ--bǒe? / lí ē kiâⁿ--bē? / lú ē kiâⁿ--bē? / lú ē kiâⁿ--bōe?


TL;DW

TL (canonical)
DW (canonical)
tl;dw (alternative)

(online communication) Initialism of too long; didn’t watch, signaling that a video message lacked communicative efficacy because of its length.


faites vos jeux

/ˌfeɪt vəʊ ˈʒɜː/

/ˌfɛt vəʊ ˈʒɜː/

/ˌfɛt voʊ ˈʒɜ/

Borrowed from French faites vos jeux (literally “make your bets”).

(gambling) In roulette, the call made by the croupier when gamblers can place their bets.


help is on the way

Used to inform the interlocutor that emergency assistance is approaching.

幫助欲來囉 /帮助欲来啰

used to inform the interlocutor that emergency assistance is approaching

pang-chō͘ beh lâi--lo͘ / pang-chō͘ beh lâi--lo͘h


I am a doctor

I am a doctor (a physician, a member of the medical profession)


every time one farts

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-every time one farts.wav

He's a prodigious bird watcher and a genius chess player. That's why he's graciously invited us to stay at his villa—so that we admire him and applaud every time he farts.

2013, Grigori Gerenstein, The Lucrezia Borgia European Marriage Center: The third novel in the Michael Fridman trilogy, AuthorHouse, →ISBN, page 83:

(vulgar, humorous) Every time one does any small thing.


where are you

Anna? Where are you? — Marsha, I am in the bathroom!

2016, VOA Learning English (public domain)

where are you? (used over the phone or while texting, for example)


is there a problem

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Sapaa-is there a problem?.wav


are you doing anything tomorrow

Asks if someone is busy tomorrow, possibly to invite them to do something if they are available. ("Tomorrow" can be replaced by other dates, such as "are you doing anything on the weekend", etc.)

not used in Arabic (politeness is not expressed grammatically in Arabic, no T–V distinction)

avez-vous quelque chose de prévu demain?


how many languages do you speak

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Sapaa-how many languages do you speak.wav

Used to ask the interlocutor how many languages he or she speaks.


are you a man or a mouse

(rhetorical question) Are you a courageous man or a coward?


my spider sense is tingling

From Marvel Comics' "Spider-Man" comic books, in which the main character (Spider-Man) has a superpower called "spider sense" (sometimes called spidey sense) that would forewarn him about dangerous events. He would often say his spider sense was "tingling" when it was warning him of something.

(colloquial) My intuition (spider sense) tells me that something wrong or dangerous is happening or about to happen.


could go all day

I could all go day about how they messed up, but you get the point.

One has much to say about something, but chooses to say only a fraction of it.


am I under arrest

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Sapaa-am I under arrest?.wav

Asked to authority, to ascertain if one is being arrested.

我被逮捕了嗎 /我被逮捕了吗

asked to ascertain if one is being arrested


one's ship comes in

Merchants used to send goods abroad on ships to be sold, receiving the money when the ships returned.

I often wish I had the money the eggs and chickens bring; but, when I say so, father answers I shall when his ship comes in. When I was younger, I really thought he owned a ship, which would one day come into port.

1871, The Family treasury of Sunday reading, ed. by A. Cameron (W. Arnot), page 381:

He is heir to some property and prefers to loaf at saloons until his ship comes in. In the meantime, the wife's parents practically support her and her children.

(idiomatic) One makes or comes into possession of a significant amount of money.


FAST

Coined in recognition of the word fast, e.g. (medical sense) describing the need for speedy diagnosis and treatment.

(medicine, pathology) Acronym of facial drooping, arm weakness, speech difficulty, time, a mnemonic for diagnosing a [[cerebrovascular accident||CVA]] or stroke.

facial drooping

w:Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope

Initialism of Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope.


YKWIM

you know what I mean
you know what I mean#English

(text messaging) Initialism of you know what I mean.


happy Fourth

Alternative form of happy Fourth of July.


happy Independence Day

A greeting used during Independence Day to recognize its celebration.

Selamat Hari Merdeka

good wishes at a country's independence day


happy Valentine's Day

A greeting used during Valentine's Day to recognize its celebration.


my condom broke

Indicates that the condom of the speaker broke.

我把安全套刺破了

indicates that the condom of the speaker broke


as the fella says

(informal) As the saying goes; as someone once said, invoking the wisdom of the common man on the street.


as the fella said

as the fella says
as the fella says#English


YWMV

I can't justify spending that much money on a meal, but YWMV since your recent inheritance has replenished your checking account.

Initialism of your wallet may vary: you may have more or less money to spend, or different financial priorities.


if my uncle had tits, he'd be my aunt

if my aunt had balls, she'd be my uncle#English

Synonym of if my aunt had balls, she'd be my uncle.


head

if my grandmother had balls, she'd be my granddad


if my sister had balls, she'd be my brother


SYS

(text messaging) Initialism of see you soon.


correct me if I'm wrong

Correct me if I'm wrong but picking the school your children will attend is a relatively important decision for parents.

2016 July 28, Stephanie Arthur-Worsop, “Opinion: Zoning hard issue to tackle”, in New Zealand Herald:

Used before stating something the speaker believes is true, especially while correcting what another person has said.

ret mig hvis jeg tager fejl

used before stating something the speaker believes is true

korrigier/verbesser mich, wenn ich falsch liege


there are no stupid questions (alternative)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-there's no such thing as a stupid question.wav

a 1992, Nancy Purtil, letter quoted in When Did Wild Poodles Roam the Earth?, David Feldman
The general feeling is that, while there is no such thing as a stupid question, this one comes very close. Poodles never did live in the wild […] .

Used to encourage people to seek knowledge by asking questions, no matter how silly the questions may appear to be.

ask a silly question, get a silly answer


I have a headache

Indicates that the speaker's head hurts.


that's a relief

Said upon hearing good news that makes someone cease to be worried about something


INA

Initialism of information not available.


couldn't organise a chook raffle

EN-AU ck1 couldn't organise a chook raffle.ogg

couldn't organise a piss-up in a brewery#English

(Australia) Synonym of couldn't organise a piss-up in a brewery.


what time have you got

What is the time of day according to your timepiece?


pobody's nerfect

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-pobody's nerfect.wav

nobody's perfect
nobody's perfect#English

(humorous) Spoonerism of nobody's perfect


so crazy it might just work

so crazy it just might work
so crazy it just might work#English

Alternative form of so crazy it just might work.


I just work here

Originally used as I only work here since at least the 1950s.

(slang, informal, idiomatic, sometimes Internet slang) Indicates that the speaker cannot answer their interrogator's question, because of lack of experience with or knowledge on the topic.


I only work here

I just work here
I just work here#English


I'm good

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-I'm good.wav

Possibly originally poker slang, used to tell the dealer that one does not want additional cards.

(chiefly US, informal) No, thank you: used when asked whether one wants or needs something, etc.


MINASWAN

programming language
programming language

(computing) Initialism of Matz is nice and so we are nice: a motto of the Ruby programming language community, in reference to the demeanor of Yukihiro Matsumoto (nicknamed Matz, born 1965), the Japanese computer scientist who designed the language.


new phone, who dis

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-new phone, who dis.wav

My phone rings, interrupting my thoughts. Glancing down at the screen, I smile when I see Laurie's name. “Yeah?” I answer pointedly. “New phone, who dis?” Laurie starts to laugh.

2015, Serena Grey, Lost In You, page 142:

They'll get to heaven's gates one day, trying to hit Saint Peter with the “I'm outside, open the door” text, and Saint Peter will be all “New phone. Who dis?”

2016, Luvvie Ajayi, I'm Judging You: The Do-Better Manual, page 147:

The text contained just four words: Are you in town? I didn't know if I wanted to jump up and down and scream, Yes, yes, YES! or if I wanted to throw my phone at the screen. I briefly considered texting back, New phone. Who dis? But I just couldn't do it, so I opted for brevity.

2017, Jaime Primak Sullivan, The Southern Education of a Jersey Girl: Adventures in Life and Love in the Heart of Dixie, page 22:

(slang, Internet slang, humorous) Used to express or feign ignorance in order to avoid unwanted communication, typically in response to a text message from an unknown or unrecognized number, implying that the recipient has a new phone and thus does not recognize the sender's contact information.


well played

Used to praise performance in a sport or game.

Synonym of touché (“acknowledges the appropriateness or superiority of an argument in a discussion”).


where do you live at

where do you live
where do you live#English

(nonstandard) Alternative form of where do you live


duty calls

Excuse me, gentlemen, but I'm afraid duty calls.

(idiomatic) Expresses that the speaker must go and deal with something.

de plicht roept

expresses that the speaker has something they must do


the drinks are on me

Indicates that speaker is going to pay for the drinks consumed (at a bar, restaurant, etc.)


the wheels came off

I'm gonna love you
Til the wheels come off

1999, Tom Waits, Kathleen Brennan, “Picture in a Frame”, in Mule Variations, performed by Tom Waits:

the wheels fell off
the wheels fell off#English

Alternative form of the wheels fell off.


the wheels came off the wagon

However, until the wheels came off the wagon in 2008, no doubt existed as to the efficacy of Bush's Reaganomics redux in feathering the nests of his wealthy “base.”


I thought you'd never ask

(colloquial) an answer of acceptance to an eagerly-awaited question


LIMH

(Internet slang) Initialism of laughing in my head.


as if by magic

In a very surprising or seemingly impossible way.

不可思議 /不可思议

in a very surprising or seemingly impossible way

jak za dotknięciem czarodziejskiej różdżki


what the fudge

What the fudge do you need from me, Francis?


asposta

Pronunciation spelling
pronunciation spelling

(rare, nonstandard) Pronunciation spelling of supposed to.


devil to pay

Ellipsis of the devil to pay and no pitch hot or ready.

ellipsis

the devil to pay and no pitch hot or ready#English

between the devil and the deep blue sea

devil seam (“the seam between garboard strake and the keel”) (a seam on wooden boats)


what day is it today

Used to ask for the current day of the week or of the month.

今天星期幾？ /今天星期几？

what day is it today? (current day of the week or of the month)

quel jour sommes-nous

(of the week) de la semaine, (of the month) du mois

milyen nap van ma?

for the day of the week or any holiday or anniversary

hányadika van ma?

for the day of the month, e.g. 1st/2nd/…


the feathers fly

Probably from the fact that feathers may fly from birds when they fight.

the feathers will fly (alternative)
the feathers'll fly (alternative)

(idiomatic) An argument or fight is instigated.


see you tomorrow

Used as a farewell, stating that the speaker and interlocutor(s) will see each other the next day.


I don't suppose

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-I don't suppose.wav

I don't suppose you could show me the way to the museum?

(formal) Used to introduce a question, implying that eliciting an affirmative answer from the interlocutor would be unlikely yet desirable for the speaker.


I can't hear you over the sound of

en-au-I can't hear you over the sound of.ogg

“I'm sorry, I can't hear you over the sound of your stupidity.”

2016, Erin Mc, Blurred Lines: The Complete Series, Erin McCarthy, →ISBN:

I can't hear you over the sound of me being awesome.”

2014, Ariel Wood, Moonlight, iUniverse, →ISBN, page 186:

“I can't hear you over the sound of your imminent death.”

2011, Audrey Hart, The Dig: Zoe and Zeus, Backlit Fiction, →ISBN, page 200:

2014, P. J. Hoover, Tut: The Story of My Immortal Life, Macmillan, →ISBN, page 104:

Sorry, I can't hear you over the sound of how awesome I am.

2013, Lawrence Dorfman, The Illustrated Dictionary of Snark: A Snide, Sarcastic Guide to Verbal Sparring, Comebacks, Irony, Insults, and Much More, Skyhorse Publishing, Inc., →ISBN:

"What was that, Will? I can't hear you over the sound of how bloody awesome and powerful I am!"

year unknown, Eric May, Will's Downfall, Book Two: "Why Did They Have To Ruin Such A Perfectly Good World?", Lulu.com →ISBN, page 172

“Sorry, I can't hear you over the sound of your sweatshirt continuing to rip,” I sniped back.

2004, Melanie Jackson, The Mask on the Cruise Ship, Orca Book Publishers, →ISBN, page 141:

"Mom, just listen." "I' m sorry, I can't hear you over the sound of your rent checks bouncing!"

2016, Kate Siegel, Mother, Can You Not?, Crown Archetype, →ISBN, page 246:

(idiomatic, impolite) Said to dismiss what the interlocutor is saying.


don't ring us, we'll ring you

don't call us, we'll call you
don't call us, we'll call you#English

(chiefly UK) Synonym of don't call us, we'll call you.


SGTM

(Internet) Initialism of sounds good to me.

(internet, marketing) Initialism of server-side Google Tag Manager, Google's advanced tag management solution for tracking and data transmission by processing requests on the owned server instead of doing it directly in the user's browser.


the ayes have it

Something has received enough votes to be approved.

(figuratively) The majority agrees to or supports something.


beg pardon

`What is the matter, Job?' I said. `Beg pardon, sir,' he said, touching his hair. `I thought you were asleep, sir; and I am sure you seem as though you want it.'

1886 October – 1887 January, H[enry] Rider Haggard, She: A History of Adventure, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., published 1887, →OCLC:

I beg your pardon
I beg your pardon#English


forgeddaboudit

Pronunciation spelling of forget about it.


my car has broken down

moje auto się zepsuło (use of the noun samochód or auto depends on the region the speaker is from)


I don't drive

我𣍐曉捍車 /我𫧃晓捍车

góa bōe-hiáu hōaⁿ-chhia / góa bǒe-hiáu hōaⁿ-chhia / óa bē-hiáu hōaⁿ-chhia

我𣍐曉駛車 /我𫧃晓驶车

góa bōe-hiáu sái-chhia / góa bē-hiáu sái-chhia / óa bōe-hiáu sái-chhia / óa bē-hiáu sái-chhia

我𣍐曉開車 /我𫧃晓开车

góa bōe-hiáu khui-chhia / góa bǒe-hiáu khui-chhia / góa bē-hiáu khui-chhia


I'm aromantic

Indicates that the speaker is aromantic.


I don't want to talk about it

Indicates that the speaker does not want to discuss a particular topic.


I don't want to buy anything

我無愛買啥 /我无爱买啥

góa bô ài bóe siáⁿ / góa bô ài bé sahⁿ / góa bô ài bóe siahⁿ

我無欲買啥 /我无欲买啥

góa bô beh bóe siáⁿ / góa bô berh bóe siáⁿ / góa bô beh bé sahⁿ / góa bô beh bóe siahⁿ


hell if I know

(idiomatic, vulgar) Synonym of I don't know.


KYS

Alternative form: kys

Person 1: I hate that guy
Person 2: bruh he ain't do anything wrong kys hater

(Internet slang, text messaging, offensive) Initialism of kill yourself.


asking for a friend

“Oh, please, like we'd ever believe that whole 'I'm asking for a friend' routine.”

2015, Belle Payton, Even the Score, page 70:

How many more of these #debates do we have to suffer through? Asking for a friend. — Eva Amurri Martino (@TheHappilyEva)

2016 October 9, “Celebrities React to Presidential Town Hall Debate 2016”, in Just Jared:

"So what really is "in the shooting motion" rule?!?!?" James wrote on Twitter. "Asking for a friend @OfficialNBARefs."

2018, "Lakers survive Ball's gaffe to beat Thunder in OT". — LeBron James (@KingJames)

(idiomatic, humorous) Indicates that a question is embarrassing by pretending to be posing the question on behalf of another person.

帮朋友问一下

phrase to indicate embarrassing question pretending it to be on behalf on another person


I'm a trans girl

Indicates that the speaker is a trans girl.


I'm a trans guy

Indicates that the speaker is a trans man.


whatever happens, happens

Expresses acceptance of whatever happens in the future.


continued page 94

Used by Private Eye to abruptly end over-running articles and rants, since the magazine never ran to 94 pages.

continued on page 94 (alternative)
cont p.94 (alternative)
cont. p.94 (alternative)
cont p94 (alternative)
cont. p94 (alternative)

Yes the CIA has got a really big computer and lots of equations, and they screw up really well: Bay of Pigs, Vietnam, Iran, continued page 94.

1996 August 24, Chris Whittington, “What I mean by solved”, in rec.games.chess.computer (Usenet):

While I have no interest in opera, fishing, the Church of England...(list continued page 94), I know that many other people do, and I tend to let them get on with it, without complaining about the "poisonous torrents" of things I don't like.

1999 January 7, Tim Hall, “Just tell us... Gary Richardson”, in uk.media.radio.bbc-r4 (Usenet):

Re-filming? When did that start? In my day we did it all in one take, with no chance of covering up embarrassing fluffs or other antics. But then Mr Gascoigne was _such_ a professional. Not like that journalist chappie that they have these days. Oh, and we had to win 3 times just to get through to the second round. Young people today just don't know they're (cont p.94)

2001 March 20, Stephen, “Linham Strikes Again”, in uk.media.radio.archers (Usenet):

Let's face it: a man whose snappy one-liners usually include the phrase "blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah (continued on page 94)" isn't going to be giving Nora Ephron any sleepless nights.

2002 January 25, Alan Hope, “Space: The Line That Never Was But Should Have Been”, in misc.writing.screenplays (Usenet):

Predicted reply from David: 'Ian Pace, idealist that he is, uses terms like "imperialism" as reified concepts without giving any clear description of what he means. Just like "capitalism" or "fascism" or "truth". These are just free-floating concepts which have no basis in reality. I prefer to look at the reality of what's actually going on in the world. (rant continued on page 94)'

2006 January 15, Ian Pace, “Mahler #6”, in rec.music.classical.recordings (Usenet):

Some people enjoy being hard done by, but are cursed by nothing much to complain about, so they're forced to invent things like how you're 'not allowed' to say 'queer' any more, but it's double standards because they use the word themselves and... (continued page 94)

2015 February 2, Syd Rumpo, “Coming Out”, in uk.media.radio.archers (Usenet):

Indicates that the text could continue indefinitely; and so on ad infinitum.


sorry, we don't accept credit cards

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Sapaa-sorry, we don't accept credit cards.wav

olen pahoillani, emme hyväksy luottokortteja

désolé, nous n'acceptons pas les cartes de crédit

síntoo, non aceptamos tarxetas de crédito

Entschuldigung, wir akzeptieren keine Kreditkarten

syngnómi, den dechtoúme pistotikés kártes

συγγνώμη, δεν δεχτούμε πιστωτικές κάρτες

elnézést, hitelkártyát nem fogadunk el (kérek/kérünk)

maaf, kami tidak menerima pembayaran dengan kartu kredit

scusa, no accettiamo le carte di credito

przepraszam, nie akceptujemy kart kredytowych

desculpe, não aceitamos cartões de crédito

disculpa, no aceptamos tarjetas de crédito

disculpe, no aceptamos tarjetas de crédito


compliments of the house

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-compliments of the house.wav

(formal) Said when offering something on the house, for free.


there must be something in the water

/ðɛə mʌst biː ˈsʌmθɪŋ ɪn ðə ˈwɔːtə/

/ðɛəɹ mʌst bi ˈsʌmθɪŋ ɪn ðə ˈwɔtəɹ/

En-au-there must be something in the water.ogg

From the idea that there is a substance in drinking water which many people have drunk, thus affecting their behavior.

there is something in the water (alternative)

Our fathers' fathers / Hand-me-downs / The clip for the rounds / Just squeeze, don't choke / The future weeps in the shadow of the gun smoke / There must be something in the water / There must be something in the water / Over and over and over and over again / Violent men meet violent ends

2019, “Something in the Water”, performed by Stray from the Path, UNFD:

(idiomatic, humorous) There are so many instances of something unusual, such as in people's behavior, that there must be a common cause.

onkohan vedessä jotain outoa?

there are so many instances of something unusual that there must be a common cause


no wuckin' furries

no wucking furries
no wucking furries#English

(vulgar, slang) Pronunciation spelling of no wucking furries.


no wuckas

From no wuckin' furries, a jocular spoonerism of no fuckin' worries.

no wuckers (alternative)
no wukkas (alternative)
no wuckaz (alternative)
no wukkaz (alternative)
no wucks (alternative)
no wucken furries (alternative)
no wuckies (alternative)

(Australia, slang, euphemistic) Synonym of no worries.


you just had to

You just had to take us on a "shortcut"! And now we're lost!


I hope you're happy

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Sapaa-I hope you're happy.wav

That wasn't funny! You really scared me! I hope you're happy.

2016, “28 Pranks Later”, in My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, episode:

(sarcastic) Said to scold someone who did something wrong, after seeing the consequences for the speaker.


pudding and tame

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-pudding and tame.wav

(childish, dated) An impertinent response to being asked "what is your name?"


does someone look like

Why are you asking me to make dinner? Do I look like I can cook?

So you're learning the cello. Great. Do I look like someone who cares?

(rhetorical question) Used if the interlocutor seems to believe something inaccurate about (someone); this question serves to free someone of a misconception.


MFWTK

(Internet slang) Initialism of my friend wants to know.


how's the weather up there

(humorous, rhetorical question) Asked to tall people or someone who is at a high vantage point, either literally or metaphorically.


that's my

Marco: Don't do it, Lobster Claws! What about wanting to be good?
[Lobster Claws punches Marco]
Ludo: That's my monster.

2015, "Lobster Claws", season 1, episode 7a of Star vs. the Forces of Evil [Lobster Claws chooses to follow Ludo as a villain, instead of staying behind with Marco]

2016, "The Veracity Elasticity", season 10, episode 7 of The Big Bang Theory
Sheldon: While I'm gone, don't breathe on my pillow.
Amy: How about if I don't breathe at all?
Sheldon: That's my girl.

Indicates approval at someone who is doing something praiseworthy.


welcome back

Said to someone coming back to somewhere they have been before.

Isten hozta újra köztünk

for someone returning to a community again


welcome home

Said to someone coming back to their own home.


not wanted on voyage

Used on destination tags for some of the passengers' baggage on a ship, for goods that were to be stored in the ship's hold, rather than kept available in the passenger's cabin, or "wanted in stateroom".