2008
I. Blow one’s top
To be very angry, Explode in anger, lose one’s temper, go into a rage
ii. A cock and bull story
An unbelievable tale that is intended to deceive; a tall tale
Jack told us some cock and bull story about getting lost.
This expression may come from a folk tale involving these two animals, or from the name of an English inn where travellers told such tales.
W.S. Gilbert used it in The Yeomen of the Guard (1888), where Jack Point and Wilfred the Jailer make up a story about the hero’s fictitious death: “Tell a tale of cock and bull, Of convincing detail full.” [c. 1600]
iii. Find one’s feet
To be confident, become adjusted; become established
iv. Call it a night
To stop what one has been doing, for the remainder of the night.
v. The tip of the iceberg
- Below par
Less than average, less than normal
vii. From pillar to post
From one place or thing to another in rapid succession
viii. Hang up
Hold on , suspend; end a telephone conversation
ix. Turn some one in
- By and by
Pretty soon, it won’t be long now; gradually, eventually
2007
1) To put the lid on / keep the lid on
Suppress
I don’t know how but we’ll have to put the lid on that rumor about her. Let’s keep the lid on our suspicions.
The word lid here is used in the sense of “a cover for a container.” [Early 1900s]
2) Flavour if the mouth
Something that is prominent in the public eye for a short time then fades out of interest.
Originally a term of approval for something that was up to the minute and desirable. It has been used ironically from the late 20th century to pass disdainful comment on things which pass out of fashion quickly. For example, the “one hit wonders” of the music business.
3) Zero hours
The time when something important is to begin is zero hour.
4) Gloom and doom
the feeling that a situation is bad and is not likely to improve
Come on, it’s not all doom and gloom, if we make a real effort we could still win.
5) To pig out
Eat ravenously, gorge oneself
The kids pigged out on the candy they had collected on Halloween. [Slang; early 1970s]
6) Bag people
- Compassion fatigue
A weariness of and diminishing public response to frequent requests for charity.
8) No matters
Some thing which is not important
2006
(1) Twiddle with
To play with something; to play with something, using one’s fingers; to fiddle with something.
I asked Jason to stop twiddling with the pencils. Someone is twiddling with the stereo controls.
(2) Vamp up
Make up
vamp up an excuse for not attending the meeting
(3) Whittle away
cut away in small pieces, to cut or carve something away
The carver whittled the wood away until only a small figure was left. He whittled away the wood.
(4) Winkle out
Force from a place or position
The committee winkled out the unqualified candidates.
(5) Give someone the bum’s rush
To eject (or be ejected) forcibly
(6) Loom large
Appear imminent in a threatening, magnified form
The possibility of civil war loomed large on the horizon.
Martha wanted to take it easy for a week, but the bar exam loomed large.
This term employs loom in the sense of “come into view”, a usage dating from the late 1500s.
(7) Besetting sin
A sin which is habitually attending a person, a prevailing or predominant vice
We regret to say that apathy is the besetting sin of our rural population.
(8) To hang fire
Delay
The advertising campaign is hanging fire until they decide how much to spend on it.
This expression originally referred to the 17th-century flintlock musket, where the priming powder ignited but often failed to explode the main charge, a result called hanging fire. [c. 1800]
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