a lot to do
Many tasks or activities to complete
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a lucky stone
A stone with a natural hole through it. Cp. LUCK PENNY.
a man can do what he wills but he cannot will what he wills
People have control over their actions, but not over their desires or intentions.
a man of colour
An old-fashioned term for a Negro, or, more strictly speaking, one with Negro blood.
A man of Kent
One born east of the Med- way. These men went out with green boughs to meet the Conqueror, and obtained in conse- quence a confirmation of their ancient privi- leges from the new king.
a man of parts
An accomplished man ; one who is clever, talented, or of high intellectual ability.
a man of straw
A man without means, with no more substance than a straw doll; also, an imaginary or fictitious person put forward for some reason.
a man of wax
A model man; like one fashioned in wax. Horace speaks of the "waxen arms of Telephus," meaning model arms, or of perfect shape and colour; and the nurse says of Romeo, "Why, he's a man of wax (i, 3), which she explains by saying, "Nay, he's a flower, i* faith a very flower.
a man of words and not of deeds, is like a garden full of weeds
Someone who talks a lot but does little is unproductive
a man too busy to take care of his health is like a mechanic too busy to take care of his tools
One who neglects their health is like a worker neglecting their essential equipment
a man with no pants fears no pickpocket
Someone with nothing to lose has nothing to fear
A man's best fortune or his worst is a wife. (Strauss, 1994 p. 65)
Marriage can greatly improve or worsen a man's life
a man's folly ought to be his greatest secret
One should keep their mistakes or foolish actions private.
A man's worst enemies are often those of his own house. (Strauss, 1994 p. 52)
English proverb; full definition pending editorial review.
a means of communication
A method or system for conveying information
a means of something
a way or method to achieve something
a means of transport
a vehicle or system for traveling
a mere flash in the pan
All sound and fury, signifying nothing; like the attempt to dis- charge an old flint-lock gun that ends with a flash in the lock-pan, the gun itself "hanging fire." lilat* One who is not sharp.
a mill cannot grind with the water that is past
One cannot change the past
a miss by an inch is a miss by a mile
English proverb; full definition pending editorial review.
a miss is as good as a mile
A small failure is just as bad as a large one
a mite
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
a moment or two
a short period of time
A month of Sundays
Aa indefinite long time; never. See NEVER.
a month's mind
Properly the Mass, or lesser funeral solemnities, that in pre-Refor- mation days was said for a deceased person on the day one month from his death. The term often occurs in old wills in connexion with charities to be disbursed on that day.
a nation of gentlemen
So George IV called the Scots when, in 1822, he visited their country and was received with great expres- sions of loyalty.
a natural child
One not born in lawful wedlock. The Romans called the children of concubines naturales, children according to nature, and not according to law.
a new broome sweepeth cleane
A new person brings new energy and efficiency
A new language is a new life (Persian proverb)
Acquiring a new language brings new opportunities and experiences
a nice situation or fortune
The place in which a ship is anchored is called its berth, and the sailors call it a good or bad berth as they think it favourable or otherwise. The space also allotted to a seaman for his ham- mock is called his berth.
a nigger in the woodpile
Originally a way of accounting for the disappearance of fuel, this phrase now denotes something under- handed or wrong, or a concealed motive.
a nine days' wonder
Something that causes a great sensation for a few days, and then passes into the limbo of things forgotten. An old proverb is: "A wonder lasts nine days, and then the puppy's eyes are open," alluding to dogs which, like cats, are born blind. As much as to say, the eyes of the public are blind in astonishment for nine days, but then their eyes are open, and they see too much to wonder any longer.
a nod's as good as a wink to a blind horse
English proverb; full definition pending editorial review.
a nose of wax
Mutable and accommodating (faith). A waxen nose may be twisted any way.
a notch above
Slightly better than something else
a note of hand
A promise to pay made in writing and duly signed.
a number of something
Some, but an unspecified amount
A parish demagogue. (P. B. Shelley)
A local leader who gains power by exploiting emotions
a paternoster- while
Quite a short time: the times it takes one to say a paternoster.
A Paul's man
A braggart; a captain out of service, with a long rapier; so called because the Walk down the centre of old St. Paul's, London, was at one time the haunt of stale knights.
a penny saved is a penny earned
Saving money is as valuable as earning it
a penny-father
A miser, a penurious person, who "husbands" his pence.
a period of time
A duration or length of time
a picture is worth a thousand words
A visual representation can convey more information than a large amount of text
a pig in a poke
A blind bargain. The refer- ence is to a common trick in days gone by of trying to palm off on a greenhorn a cat for a sucking-pig. If he opened the poke or sack he "let the cat out of the bag,'* and the trick was disclosed. The French chat en poche (from which the saying may have come) refers to the fact, while our proverb regards the trick. Pocket is diminutive of poke.
a pig's whisper
A very short space of time; properly a grunt — which doesn't take long.
a pitched battle
One for which both sides have made deliberate preparations.
a place in the sun
A favourable position that allows room for development; a share in what one has a natural right to. The phrase was popularized by William II of Germany during the crisis of 1911. In his speech at Hamburg (Aug. 27th) he spoke of the German nation taking steps that would make them — sure that no one can dispute with us the place in the sun that is our due.
a plucked pigeon
One fleeced out of his money; one plucked by a rook or sharper.
a point-to-point race
A race, especially a steeplechase, direct from one point to another; a cross-country race.
a poor hand
An unskilful one. "He is but a poor hand at it," i.e. he is not skilful at the work.
a poor thing
A person (or, sometimes, an inanimate object) that is regarded with pity or disparagement.
a post-mortem degree
In old University slang, a degree given to a candidate after having failed at the poll.
a pot of money
A large amount of money; especially a large stake on a horse.
a pound or two
a small amount of weight
a pound to a penny
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
A prejudice is a vagrant opinion without visible means of support. (Ambrose Bierce)
A prejudice is an unsupported and baseless opinion
a preliminary canter
Something which precedes the real business in hand. The reference is to the "trial trip" of horses before the race begins.
a pretty good spell
A long bout or pull, as a "spell at the capstan," etc. Spell ho! An exclamation to signify that the allotted time has expired, and men are to be relieved by another set.
a pretty penny
A considerable sum of money, an unpleasantly large sum. A penny for your thoughts! Tell me what you are thinking about. Addressed humorously to one in a "brown study." The phrase occurs in Heywood's Proverbs (1546).
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