Meaning: aardwolf

n.
striped hyena of southeast Africa that feeds chiefly on insects

WO Idiom, Proverb

a babe in the woods

"a defenseless person; a naive, young person" He's just a babe in the woods. He needs someone to protect him.

a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush

having one is better than seeing many When searching for a better job, remember A bird in the hand... .

a blowout

to win by a large score, no contest """Did the Flames win?"" ""Ya, 11-2. It was a blowout."""

a double-edged sword

a device that can help you and hurt you Truth is a double-edged sword. It can imprison me or set me free.

a kept woman

a woman who is paid to live with a man I'm tired of being a kept woman. I want to be free of him.

a man of few words

"a man who says little; who uses few words" Chung is a man of few words, but when he speaks, people listen.

a picture is worth a thousand words

a picture is easier to understand than a report or essay Instead of more talk, I'll draw thousand words a diagram. A picture is worth a thousand words.

a play on words

a pun, a word or phrase that has two meanings When a man says he'll give you a ring, it may be a play on words.

a way with words

natural ability to speak, the gift of the gab Ask Viv to write the speech. She has a way with words.

a wolf in sheep's clothing

an evil person who looks innocent The priest looked harmless, but he was a wolf in sheep's clothing.

a word to the wise is sufficient

a wise person understands when he hears a key word I can't discuss the plan, but a word to the wise is sufficient: progress.

a wordsmith

a person who works with words, a writer or author Ask Jan if it's colour or color. She's a wordsmith.

actions speak louder than words

people judge by actions more than words, practice what you preach Parents should remember that actions speak louder than words. Kids imitate their parents.

all in a day's work

not extra work, just part of my duties "She said, ""Thanks for the help."" ""All in a day's work,"" he replied."

all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy

do not work too long, take time for recreation, take time to smell... When I picked up my overtime cheque, Karen reminded me that All work and no play... .

an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure

prevent a problem so you don't have to solve it, a stitch in time... Forest fires deserve an ounce of prevention: public education in campfire safety.

any word

any phone calls or letters, any reply Any word from Dale? He should have called us by now.

as luck would have it

as luck is sometimes good and sometimes bad By the time we arrived, as luck would have it, the fight was over.

at a loss for words

unable to think of a reply or something to say When he asked why I wanted the vase, I was at a loss for words.

AWOL

Absent Without Leave - often used in the military The military police were searching the area for the soldier who had gone AWOL.

babe in the woods

(See a babe in the woods)

bark is worse than his bite

"he sounds angry but he is not; do not be afraid of him" Baxter sounds mad, but his bark is worse than his bite.

bark is worse than one

someone isn

best of both worlds

(See the best of both worlds)

bird in the hand is worth two in the bush

one shouldn

blowout

(See a blowout)

blue-collar worker

someone who works at a trade, e.g., a plumber The blue-collar workers will vote for Ed. He's a tradesman.

book worm

one who reads a lot, geek Sarah is quite a book worm. She loves to read history books.

butter wouldn't melt in his mouth

he is very calm and clear, he is a smooth talker When he's talking to voters, butter wouldn't melt in his mouth.

buzz word

new word or expression, the latest jargon Internet, Zero Tolerance - these are buzz words of the 1990s.

by word of mouth

by one person speaking to another, person to person, through the grapevine News of his birth traveled by word of mouth. Soon everyone knew that Mary had a baby boy.

can of worms

complex problem or complicated situation It opened up a large can of worms when the company decided to talk about the union contract.

cry wolf

give a false alarm, warn of a danger that is not there He is crying wolf. There is no real danger or worry about the electrical system causing a fire.

cut both/two ways

be capable of having two opposite effects My decision to complain to our boss could cut two ways and cause him to be pleased as well as angry at me.

dead to the world

fast asleep The little boy was dead to the world when his father took him out of the car.

died in the wool

confirmed, certain of his beliefs, card-carrying ... A died-in-the-wool democrat - that's me. I believe in democracy.

dirty work

unpleasant tasks, difficult work I do the dirty work - fight for the puck - and he scores the goals.

do unto others as you would have them do unto you

treat people the way you would like to be treated "This is The Golden Rule: ""Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."""

do wonders

produce excellent results If you begin to do some exercise it will do wonders for your health.

doesn't mince words

does not say nice words when complaining, call a spade a spade When Greta is angry she doesn't mince words. She tells you what is bothering her.

double-edged sword

(See a double-edged sword)

early bird catches the worm

a person who gets up early in the morning has the best chance of success Let

eat your words

regret what you said, admit you were wrong He told me the answer, and I had to eat my words. I was wrong.

F-word

(See the F-word)

fall on your sword

quit, resign, pull the pin I know I caused the problem, but I won't fall on my sword. They'll have to fire me.

fallen woman

prostitute, hooker The priest was trying to save the fallen women in his parish.

famous last words

a prediction that is false - the opposite happens, twist of fate """We don't need a spare tire. We never have flat tires on this car."" ""Sure. Famous last words!"""

fancy footwork

neat maneuvers, clever moves You did some fancy footwork to answer their questions. Bravo!

feel on top of the world

feel very healthy I have been feeling on top of the world since I quit my job.

for all one is worth

as hard as one can I will try for all I am worth to help you get the job at the supermarket.