Phrasal verbs

be completely used up. "her energy was on the verge of giving out" synonyms: run out, be used up, be consumed, be exhausted, be depleted; More stop functioning; break down. "he curses and swears till his voice gives out"

Elbow grease is an idiom for working hard at manual labour, as in "You need to use some elbow grease." Fig. hard scrubbing. Tom: What did you use to get your car so shiny? Mary: Just regular wax and some elbow grease. Joe put a lot of elbow grease into cleaning the kitchen.

Over loaded. Busy

1.   Obtained,   done,   or   made   by   clandestine   or   stealthy   means. 2.   Acting   with   or   marked   by   stealth.   See   Synonyms   at   secret .   "he   was   watching   her   surreptitiously   as   she   waited   in the   hotel   lobby"

Preparing for tomorrow needs to take priority over unrealistic hopes, in the absence of fundamental change, of a return to the glory years. Means "...hope of a return to the glory years, in the absence of fundamental change."

  used   as   a   standard   of   reference   or   measurement:   a   fiducial   point .

a flight of fancy/fantasy/imagination an   idea   which   shows   a   lot   of   imagination   but   which   is   not  practical   or   useful   in   real   situations   You   were   talking   about  cycling   across   the   US,   or   was   that   just   another   flight   of  fancy?

half laugh, semi-cynical connotation, used on IRC by those too cool to say  lol  or roflmao e.g. heh heh e.g. heh

e.g. Come with the mindset that this is going to be a great event and it will be for you.  If a wrinkle in the event happens (and one always does) adjust and move beyond it.  Enjoy the event!

Xiao mi

having concern for one's own welfare and interests before those of others.

Joking about cart dealership. E.g. They don't call it the stealership for nothing!

e.g. gratuitous wall post def:  1.   Given   or   granted   without   return   or   recompense;   unearned. 2.   Given   or   received   without   cost   or   obligation;   free. 3.   Unnecessary   or   unwarranted;   unjustified:   gratuitous   criticism.

Jia dai si huo

without foundation in fact. "baseless allegations" synonyms: groundless, unfounded, ill-founded, without foundation; More antonyms: valid

1. Surpassing a goal or quota. 2. Excessively expressive or dramatic. 3. Over the breastwork, as an attack in trench warfare: "a whole battalion, onto the beachhead, over the top" (Margaret Atwood).

unable to relax and just chill, has panties all up in a twist, walks with a stick up their ass "When under the influence of the Juana, OB the HOMO is the epitome of uptight. Luckily, chill patrol will respond with the motto of "just chill uptight boy!!!"

to fail to attend school or some other event. Why aren't you in school? Are you playing hooky? I don't have time for the sales meeting today, so I think I'll just play hooky.

(Fig.) to work hard or very effectively. Look at all those ants working. Ants always go to town when it comes to work. That kid will go to town on his studies. He'll definitely get an A

An imaginary zone from which sound or discussion can't escape. The cone of silence is used to keep something quiet or private. Most often applied to spoken communication, but can also apply to writing or email. From a running gag on the TV show "Get Smart" in which a plexiglass device would lower from the ceiling and cover the heads of two speakers, so that their conversation couldn't be spied upon. The cone of silence rarely worked correctly on TV, and usually isn't much better in real life. Employee 1: Hey, I just overheard your boss talking about you. You won't believe what he said. Employee 2: Let's take this one to the cone of silence.

I really hope some people with the Zojirushi HTC and also those with the Zojirushi HBC weigh in and explain why they chose the model they did, and also whether they notice a difference that's worth paying for.

We are Asian, so rice is a staple.

E.g. I’m willing to bet that most home cooks aren’t particularly dead-set on cooking rice to that level of precision (or taking that much time).

1. A short high-pitched sound made by an electronic device. 2.  A   temporary   or   insignificant   phenomenon,   especially   a   brief   departure   from   the   normal:   "The   decline   in   the share   of   GNP   going   to   health   .   .   .   appears   to   be   a   one-time  blip   in   the   historic   trend   rather   than   the   start   of   a new   trend "  

to express surprise. This is extraordinary. e.g. -... did not have Prev, Capt or AE buttons . -? This is  quite remarkable.  It says the cam did not connect.

make a fool of  yourself to   do   something   which   makes   you   seem   stupid   He's   always   getting   drunk   and   making   a   fool   of himself   at   parties.

shiftless indolence eat ones' head off: eat too much that your heads becomes too heavy parasites

something   that   you   say   which   means   that   if   you   allow   someone   to   behave   badly   at  all,   they   will   start   to   behave   very   badly   I'm   always   wary   about   making  concessions   to   these   people.   Give   them   an   inch   and   they'll   take   a   mile.

I was thankful that our mover was not a big, burly man who would have done it all for us. Instead, as the saying goes, we were taught to fish and will forever have this helpful knowledge in our back pockets!

to go to sleep. e.g. I'll tuck you in. to "tuck in" to bed Well, it's getting late. I think I'm going to tuck in for the night.

( informal )  the act of exclaiming `ooh', esp in admiration or surprise. aahing: To   exclaim   in   pleasure,   satisfaction,   surprise,   or   great   joy. e.g.  Her face was deep in the ledger when Pris pulled the stopper out of the bottle and began oohing and aahing over the aroma it released. Amanda ordered a mild veal sausage with panfried potatoes, and in a few moments we were oohing and aahing in embarrassing fashion. Everyone was oohing and aahing at the beautiful sight.

1. To keep (two or more objects) in the air at one time by alternately tossing and catching them. 3. To keep (more than two activities, for example) in motion or progress at one time: E.g. managed to juggle a full-time job and homemaking.

verb, "to noodle" - means to mull over, think about, contemplate, ponder, puzzle over or brain-storm. e.g. OK-let’s all noodle on this and the other two, we can wrap on Tuesday when Jose is back. 1) "Jack, do we have a way to make gold from salt-water, yet?" "I don't think so, Bob. Let me noodle that one for a bit. I'll get back to you!"  2) Christy was struggling with her Powerpoint presentation, so she decided to take a break and noodle it.  3) The physics students were always noodling over one or another silly idea.

Fig.   to   understand   someone   or   something   that   someone   has   said.   (Usually   with  the   negative.)   I   can't   make   heads   or   tails   of   Fred.   No   one   can   make   heads   or  tails   of   this   problem. to   understand   something   The   way   the   document   was   worded   was   incredibly  complicated   -   no   one   could   make   heads   or   tails   out   of   it.

"Prejudice, not being founded on reason, cannot be removed by argument." by  Samuel Johnson

the most important aspects or practical details of a subject or situation. "let's  get down to the nitty-gritty  of finding a job"

1. Lacking in strength of character or purpose; ineffective; weak in willpower.  (Reduplication of washy, thin, watery, from wash.) He is just so wishy washy because he won't tell that girl what he wants in their relationship. 2. Someone who is flaky. Someone who is indecisive. Someone who changes their minds. 

Fig.  to cease paying attention to anything at all.  I wasn't interested, so I just tuned out. I think that most of the audience tuned out during the last part of the lecture.

A framework or stand in or on which to hold, hang, or display various articles:  a trophy rack; a rack for baseball bats in the dugout; a drying rack for laundry.

a.k.a.  Gastroenteritis   Typically involves both  diarrhea  and  vomiting .  Abdominal cramping may also be present. [1] Signs and symptoms usually begin 12–72 hours after contracting the infectious agent.

The English language is one big brand graveyard | Marketplace.org

got your back An expression assuring someone that you are watching out for them. Comes from making sure you are safe by watching what's behind you when you're busy looking ahead. 

Old ,  aged That actor is getting a little long in the tooth to play the romantic lead.   I may be long in the tooth, but I'm not stupid.

surly or ill-tempered; discontentedly or sullenly irritable; grouchy. synonym: cranky

ill-tempered; irritable. "he was bored and cranky after eight hours of working" synonym: grumpy

n. *off on a sidetrack Fig.  on a digression; discussing a topic that is not the main topic. (Alludes to a train waiting on a siding. *Typically:  be ~; get ~; get  someone~.)  Anne got off on a sidetrack and never returned to her topic.   The ineffective committee got off on one sidetrack after another.

at all; even one little bit. (Used with a negative.)  For the life of me, I can't figure this out.   I can't for the life of me climb up a mountain.

spill the beans  and  spill the works Fig.  to give away a secret or a surprise.  There is a surprise party for Heidi on Wednesday. Please don't spill the beans. Paul spilled the works about Heidi's party. "We're spilling the beans about at-cost investing" - Vanguard

e.g.  Did it seem large at first? No doubt. Does that feeling go away in a week's time? Yes. And the joy you'll feel of all its beauty will supersede any concerns you have over the size. Def: take the place of (a person or thing previously in authority or use); supplant. "the older models have now been superseded" synonyms: replace , take the place of, take over from,  succeed ; 

e.g. A convo betw Ben Johnson and a lady in Tech - Marketplace Morning Report Lady: 1 billion Ben: no idea Lady: number of facebook user on mobile Ben: I just installed fb on my phone and I was prolly the 1 billionth user Lady: (laugh) you tipped the scales 1.  to make something more or less likely to happen, or to make someone more or less likely to succeed (often +  against  )  Recent environmental disasters have tipped the scales against oil producers.   The sudden economic growth in the area should  tip the scales in favour of  new investment.

to hear news from someone who heard that news from someone else  I heard through the grapevine that she was pregnant, but I don't know anything more. e.g. Joe, have you heard through the grapevine that XYZ Co. will be shutting down production in NY?

A  jot ; a very small,  inconsiderable  quantity.  e.g. So I just want to thank you ahead of time—honestly, from the bottom of my heart—for ensuring that I can just concentrate on doing whatever I want in any formerly Soviet region that is of geopolitical, military, or economic value to Russia without having to worry one iota about suffering any consequences.

Meaning: Allows one to learn from their mistakes. Phrase used to describe the fact that it is easy for one to be knowledgable about an event after it has happened.  IE: An individual has a realization about the event that should have been obvious all along, yet they didn't catch on because they were acting in the heat of the moment.  e.g. Jim: "Dad, why did you let me quit my job without interceding?"  Dad: "Hindsight is 20/20, son, learn from your mistakes."

Something that serves as indisputable evidence or proof, especially of a crime. e.g. Each lawsuit was too nuanced for a standard set of sorting rules, and the string of keywords lawyers suggested before every case still missed too many smoking guns.

easily persuaded to believe something; credulous. "an attempt to persuade a gullible public to spend their money" e.g. "His fault for being deceitful ? Or people's fault for being so gullible ?" in response to  The judge called Trudeau "deceitful to the core" at sentencing Monday, after the author violated a 2004 court order prohibiting him from running misleading ads for his bestseller "The Weight Loss Cure 'They Don't Want You To Know About"

having all one's attention or interest absorbed by someone or something. "they seemed to be  engrossed in  conversation" ( often with  in ) having one's attention and interest completely taken up.  He is completely engrossed in his work.  

a large or excessive amount of (something). "a plethora of committees and subcommittees" similiar to: plenty

1.  The act of bending over, pulling down one's pants and showing an innocent person one's  ass . Moon  has been a common shape-metaphor for the  buttocks  in English since 1743, and the verb  to moon  has meant 'to expose to (moon)light' since 1601.

It is to be a person who lives in isolation from and has limited knowledge of what is happening in the world around them. Used to describe an ignorant or obtuse person. Usually someone who lives in the basement of their mothers house. Someone who spends too much time playing Farmville on Facebook. Often someone glued to their television or computer screen.

arranged or properly taken care of Is Ann squared away in her dorm room yet? I will talk to you when I am squared away. perfectly arranged or organized e.g. Just when you think your kids are squared away and you can relax, one of them decides to do something crazy.

extremely unpleasant, horrifying, or terrible. e.g.1 "Geez, my spelling is horrendous."

rub off  (on someone) [for a characteristic of one person] to seem to transfer to someone else.  I'll sit by Ann. She has been lucky all evening. Maybe it'll rub off on me. Sorry. I don't think that luck rubs off. ( of personal qualities, behavior, opinions, etc) to become part of a person's character as a result of that person spending time with sb who has those qualities, etc: My MF's hyperbolic constructions rub off on this head-man! Lets hope some of John's good ideas rub off on all of us!

While J is typing in the password of the Photoshop, S commented "key to the kingdom". LOL

lively and high-spirited. "stickers bearing peppy slogans" def: Full of  pep ;  energetic ,  cheerful , and  vigorous ;  bouncy e.g. Cedric was not feeling  peppy  when he woke up two hours before dawn. Synonyms energetic ,  lively ,  perky ,  sparky ,  zippy def: Full of or characterized by energy and high spirits; lively.

( idiomatic ,   colloquial )  To  inspect  something to  ensure  it meets  expected   standards  or has  favored   characteristics , typically before committing  to  purchasing  or otherwise  selecting  it. e.g. Not content with the advantage it gets when 39% of its customers  kick the tires  on the merchandise in someone else's showroom before buying from them, Amazon decided to go a little further.

to understand how to do a particular job or activity  It'll take some time for the new receptionist to learn the ropes. Usage notes: sometimes used in the forms  know the ropes   (to understand how something is done)  and  show someone the ropes  or  teach someone the ropes (to teach someone how something is done) :  You'd better find someone to show you the ropes if you're going to fix the car yourself.

1 . an unintended consequence occurring some time after an event or action, esp. an unwelcome one. "the move would have grave repercussions for the entire region" synonyms: consequence(s), result(s), effect(s),  outcome ;  reverberation(s), backlash ,  aftermath ,  fallout , tremors "the political repercussions of the scandal"

ill-tempered; irritable. "he was bored and cranky after eight hours of working" eccentric or strange, typically because highly unorthodox. "a cranky scheme to pipe ground-level ozone into the stratosphere" (of a machine) working badly; shaky. "the cranky elevator breaks down periodically"

R&B = rhythm & blue Smooth R&B:  the mellower subset of R&B.

to relax all day and eat a lot I'll probly be veggin out all day state of being vegetable-like (unmoving and slowly degenerating) "I vegged on my couch for a few days"

def: A person or thing that develops something.  Can be used to refer to a group of people (individual developers).

A spontaneous, thoughtless, predictable and stereotypical reaction to something, usually an opinion or a statement. E.g. An entire culture of American neo-conservatives has seemed to build itself on a type of knee-jerk reaction to any kind of criticism of the Bush Administration or the loyal element of the Republican Party, even from fellow conservatives -- the kind of pseudo-patriotism discouraged by Theodore Roosevelt.