eter Idiom

peter out

die down gradually, grow less strong The large crowd from the football game has begun to peter out and the streets around the stadium are becoming quiet now.

rob Peter to pay Paul

take from one person or thing to pay another When the government began to take money from education to pay for the medical system it was like robbing Peter to pay Paul.

the Peter Principle

people are promoted to a job they cannot do The manager is an example of the Peter Principle. He's hopeless!

veterano

veteran gang member, war veteran

bound and determined

Idiom(s): bound and determined

Theme: DETERMINATION

determined. (Fixed order.)
• We were bound and determined to get there on time.
• I'm bound and determined that this wont happen again.

peter out|peter

v., informal To fail or die down gradually; grow less; become exhausted. After the factory closed, the town pretty well petered out. The mine once had a rich vein of silver, but it petered out. But as he thought of her, his anger slowly petered out.
Compare: GIVE OUT.

rob Peter to pay Paul|Paul|Peter|pay|pay Paul|rob|

v. phr. To change one duty or need for another; take from one person or thing to pay another. Bill owed Sam a dollar, so he borrowed another from Joe to pay Sam back. He robbed Peter to pay Paul. Trying to study a lesson for one class during another class is like robbing Peter to pay Paul.

bound and determined to

bound and determined to
Firmly resolved to, as in He was bound and determined to finish the assignment before taking on another. This phrase is a redundancy used for emphasis, as bound and determined here both mean “resolved to.” Also see bound to, be.

determine

determine
see bound and determined to.

eternal

eternal
the Eternal
God

eternal triangle

eternal triangle
A relationship involving three lovers, such as two women involved with one man or two men with one woman. For example, The plot of the murder mystery revolved around the eternal triangle of a husband, wife, and another woman. [c. 1900]

hope springs eternal

hope springs eternal
People will keep on hoping, no matter what the odds. For example, I keep buying lottery tickets—hope springs eternal. This expression was coined by Alexander Pope (An Essay on Man, 1732) and quickly became proverbial.

meter is running, the

meter is running, the
Costs or other consequences are accumulating, as in We'd better come to a decision soon, for the meter is running. This metaphoric expression alludes to the fare mounting up on a taxi meter. [Late 1900s]

Peter

Peter
rob Peter to pay Paul
to pay a debt, obligation, etc. by creating or leaving unpaid another