a hard pill to swallow
A situation or information that is unpleasant but must be accepted.
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a heart to heart talk
A confidential talk in private; generally one in which good^advice is offered, or a warning or reprimand given.
a hedge between keeps friends green
Good fences make for good neighbors
a horse of another colour
A different affair altogether. A nod is as good as a wink to a blind horse.
a horse wins a kingdom
It is said that on the death of Smerdis (522 B.C.), the several competition for the throne of Persia agreed that he should be king whose horse neighed first when they met on the day following. The groom of Darius showed his horse a mare on the place appointed, and as soon as it arrived at the spot on the following day the horse began to neigh, and won the crown for its master.
A horseǃ a horseǃ My kingdom for a horseǃ (William Shakespeare)
English proverb; full definition pending editorial review.
a hot potato
A controversial issue or situation that is awkward or unpleasant to deal with.
a house builded upon a rock
Typical of a person or a thing whose foundations are sure. The allusion is to Matt, vii, 24.
a house of correction
A jail governed by a keeper. Originally it was a place where vagrants were made to v»ork, and offenders were kept in ward for the correction of small offences.
a house-warming
An entertainment given by new occupiers of a house; a first welcoming of friends to a fresh residence.
a hundred and ten percent
completely and totally
a hungry man thinks of bread
A person in need thinks of their basic necessities
A Jack and a half-jack
Counters resembling a sovereign and a half-sovereign; used at gaming-tables.
a job for life
A permanent position with long-term security
a jolly dog
A bon vivant; a jovial fellow. The jolly god, Bacchus. The Bible speaks of wine which "maketh glad the heart of man.
a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Even the longest and most difficult tasks begin with one small action
A Kentish man
A resident of West Kent. TTie Fair Maid of Kent. See FAIR. The Holy Maid of Kent. See HOLY.
a kettle of fish
An old Border name for a kind of fete champe*tre> or picnic by the river- side in which newly caught salmon is the chief dish. Having thickened some water with salt to the consistency of brine, the salmon is put therein and boiled; and when fit for eating, the company partake in gipsy fashion. The dis- comfort of this sort of picnic probably gave rise to the phrase "A pretty kettle of fish," meaning an awkward state of affairs, a mess, a muddle.
A King Log
A king who rules in peace and quietness, but never makes his power felt. In allusion to the fable of the frogs asking for a king. Jupiter first threw them down a log of wood, but they grumbled at so spiritless a king. He then sent them a stork, which devoured them eagerly.
a king should die standing
The reputed dying saying of Louis XVIII.
a king's bad bargain
Said of a soldier (or sailor) who turns out a malingerer or to be of no use; in allusion to the shilling formerly given by the recruiting sergeant to a soldier on enlistment.
a knock-about turn
A music-hall term for a 'noisy, boisterous act in which (usually) a. icouple of red-nosed comedians indulge in ^violent horseplay.
a knowing card
A sharp fellow, next door to a sharper. The allusion is to cardsharpers and their tricks.
a labour of love
Work undertaken for the love of the thing, without regard to pay.
a lame duck
A stock-jobber or dealer who will not, or cannot, pay his losses. He has to "waddle out of the alley like a lame duck.
a land of mflk and honey
One abounding in all good things, or of extraordinary fertility. Joel lii, 18, speaks of "the mountains flowing with milk and honey." Figuratively used to denote the blessings of heaven.
a language is a dialect with an army and navy
A language's status depends on the power of its speakers
a large number of something
a great quantity of something
a lash of scorpions
A specially severe punishment, in allusion to the biblical passage: —
a leading card
The strongest point in one's argument, etc. ; a star actor. In card games a person leads from his strongest suit.
a leap in the dark
A step the consequences of which cannot be foreseen. Thomas Hobbes is reported to have said on his death-bed, "Now am I about to take my last voyage — a great leap in the dark " Hallam considered this term to apply to the period lasting from A.D. 475 to about the middle of the 12th century; in 1868 Lord Derby applied the words to the Reform Bill.
a led captain
An obsequious person, who dances attendance on the master and mistress of a house, for which service he has a knife and fork at the dinner table.
a left-handed compliment
A compliment which insinuates a reproach.
a left-handed marriage
A morganatic marriage (#.v.), in which the husband gave his left hand to the bride instead of the right, when saying, "I take thee for my wedded wife.
a leopard cannot change its spots
A person's nature cannot be changed
a lick and a promise
To give a lick and a promise to a piece of work is to do it in a hasty and superficial way — as a cat might give its dirty face one quick lick of its tongue with a promise of more cleaning later.
a lie can go halfway around the world and back again while the truth is lacing up its boots
False information spreads quickly, while truth takes time to catch up
a lie hath no feet
Because it cannot stand alone. In fact, a lie wants twenty others to support it, and even then is in constant danger of tripping. Cp. LIAR (Liars should have good memories).
a little
Common English phrase; full definition pending editorial review.
a little bird told me so
From Eccles. x, 20; "Curse not the king, no not in thy thought, ... for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter.
a little bit
Common English phrase; full definition pending editorial review.
a little bit of bread and no cheese
Having some resources, but not enough to be sufficient
a little bit of fluff
Edwardian slang for a girl, especially a lively one of the fluffy variety.
a little from column A, a little from column B
Taking a combination of options or ideas from different sources
a little help
Some assistance or support
a little learning is a dangerous thing
Limited knowledge can lead to overconfidence and mistakes
a little money
a small amount of money
a little more
a small additional amount
a little of something goes a long way
A small amount can be very effective or have a big impact.
a little pot is easily hot
English proverb; full definition pending editorial review.
a little pot is soon hot
A small person is quickly "riled." Grumio makes humorous use of the phrase in The Taming of the Shrew (iv, 1).
a little sugar
something pleasant that makes a difficult situation more acceptable
a long time
a large amount of time
a long time ago
At a point far in the past
a long way
a significant distance or amount of time
a loose card
A worthless fellow who lives on the loose. A loose card is a card of no value, and consequently the properest to throw away. — HOYIE: Games, etc.
a loose fish
A man of loose or dissolute habits. Fish as applied to a human being usually carries with it a mildly derogatory implication.
A losing trade, I assure you, sir; literature is a drug. (George Borrow)
Writing is an all-consuming and potentially destructive passion
a lot more
a significantly greater amount or degree
a lot of something
A large quantity of something
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