phrases, sayings, idioms and expressions at

Help if you can.

Posted by ESC on November 21, 2003

In Reply to: Help if you can. posted by kathaab on November 20, 2003

: hi,
: I need to know the meaning for the following phrases. I thank you very much.

: 1.gears up to run for re-election.

: 2.a washington think-tank.

: 3.to knock off Saddam.

: 4.pulled the plug on something.

: 5.got off to a bad start.

: 6.to create common ground.

: 7.to seeth over the affair.

: 8.took the oath of office.

: 9.swept into office.

: 10.ceremony was steeped in tradition.

: 11.to put a damper on livelier festivities.

: 12.political high ground.

: 13.stalking out.

: 14.something remained in effect.

: 15.defied the prophets of doom.

: 16.have a wedge issue to use against someone.

: 17.trying to find their footing.

: 18.to mow down someone.

: 19.pried something open.

: 20.bemoaned the fate of something.

: 21.hands-on familiarity.

: 22.chord of disquiet in the american soul.

: 23.girlie bar.

: 24.sexual pit stops.

: 25.crop up in any boomtown.

: 26.to be no outcast.

: 27.wattzed off your feet.

: 28.tuned-up calendar.

: 29.gear up to do something.

: 30.knock your socks off.

: 31.next time around.

: 32.went out on a limb.

: 33.winging into some place.

: 34.blow out.

: 35.fly-overs.

: 36.ad hoc.

: 37.going wobbly.

: 38.kicked down the road.

: 39.a watershed event.

: 40.the name rang a bell.

: 41.monument-stippled mall.

: 42.to lie low.

: 43.a wake up call.

: 44.to read between the lines.

: 45.set off the bombshell.

: 46.our military around the world is tapped out.

: 47.mentioned in the same breath as someone.

: 48.he had been eclipsed by his son.

: 49.to sail off to somewhere.

: 50.leapt to its feet.

: 51.wacky women.

: 52.slyly boasted.

: 53.with all due respect to ...

: 54.make someone a token.

: 55.gatekeeping.

: 56.somebody is cooking the books.

: 57.with the economy taking off.

: 58.bureaucratic foul-ups.

: 59.pencilling in a date for election.

: 60.to hunt down terrorists.

: 61.brushing off warnings.

: 62.to stamp out the terrorist threat.

: 63.thrash out their views.

: 64.cement an image.

: 65.she opt for a wheelchair.

: 66.missing out on the opportunity to get better.

: 67.in limbo.

: 68.dreaft dodgers.

: 69.break-ins.

: 70.armed offshoot.

: 71.backed off.

: 72.set out on a tour.

: 73.to add insult to injury.

: 74.to draw up a plan.

: 75.a sham speech.

: 76.to kick off his tour.

: 77.to keep the schedule under wraps.

: 78.to shrugg off the anouncement.

: 79.to mend fences with someone.

: 80.to hold off any action.

: 81.well-to-do man.

: 82.to stay the course with someone.

: 83.wishfull thinking.

: 84.steered the whale around the pool.

: 85.tucked his daughter into bed.

: 86.an effort is in full swing.

: 87.one-on-one play.

: 88.down to earth subjects.

: 89.to keep the ball up and in play.

: 90.putting someone on the spot.

: 91.sort out his ideas.

: 92.wandered off into the evening.

: 93.hot-wire your ignition.

: 94.buzzing off.

: 95.hopping up and down with rage.

: 96.ripped off.

: 97.clambered down into the pool.

: 98.hands-on study.

: 99.the case thrown out on techicality.

: 100.a shoo-in-ticket for the presidency.

: 101.so out of character.

: 102.voted out of office.

: 103.just for starters.

: 104.fit in with other kids.

: 105.wee hours of the morning.

: 106.for the life of me.

: 107.fired off a string of allegations.

: 108.at stake.

: 109.waded into the raw.

: 110.took a sides wipe at her critics.

: 111.salted away more than $5 billion.

: 112.i will take him on that offer.

: 113.struck a chord with me.

: 114.an hour whizzes by.

: 115.goofing around on his boogie board.

: 116.dorsal fin.

: 117.throw off the yoke of colonial oppression.

: 118.relegious right is on the act.

: 119.fire up my internet.

: 120.the resistence got so heated up.

: 121.domestic strife.

: 122.self-immolation.

: 123.bluffed his way into the reception.

: 124.full-fledged state visit.

: 125.morphed into something.

: 126.miffed at.

: 127.dapper career diplomat.

: 128.raged out of control.

: 129.filibustered someone.

: 130.quasi-democracy.

: 131.cozied up to exile.

: 132.a litmus test for authenticity.

: 133.up for grabs.

: 134.the army rounded up thousands of people.

: 135.to spook the stock market.

: 136.he has shoved out.

: 137.two statesmen are tying their ties without pomp.

: 138.will go into high gear.

: 139.to pull off something.

: 140.get someone off the hook.

: 141.root someone out.

: 142.the fact of the matter is.

: 143.to snap up jobs.

: 144.swooped on someone.

: 145.spearheaded by.

: 146.set the wheel in motion.

: 147.common ground.

1. gears up to run for re-election. Does the preparation work before running for election to an office he or she already holds.

2.a washington think-tank. Washington, D.C. Think tank (from Merriam-Webster online):
Main Entry: think tank
Function: noun
Date: 1959
: an institute, corporation, or group organized for interdisciplinary research (as in technological and social problems) -- called also think factory
3.to knock off Saddam. Kill him.
4.pulled the plug on something. Stop it.
5.got off to a bad start. Things didn't go well in the beginning of a project.
6.to create common ground. Decide what issues people/groups agree on.
7.to seeth over the affair. Angry within about something. Affair sometimes means a sexual affair.
8.took the oath of office. Swore the required oath ( a solemn usually formal calling upon God or a god to witness to the truth of what one says or to witness that one sincerely intends to do what one says before) before assuming the duties of a political office.
9.swept into office. Won by a big margin.
10.ceremony was steeped in tradition. Lots of tradition, customs.
11.to put a damper on livelier festivities. Spoiled the fun, high spirits.
12. political high ground. Acting on a higher moral level. Not getting down in the dirt.
13.stalking out. Getting angry and walking out.

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