Meaning:
10-membered 
adj.
of a chemical compound having a ring with ten members
re Idiom, Proverb
a ball-park figure
"a number that is near the total; approximate figure" Fifty is a ball-park figure. It's close to our class size.
a bare-faced lie
a deliberate lie, a planned lie His statement to the police was false - a bare-faced lie.
a barrel of laughs
a lot of fun, a person who makes you laugh Let's invite Chang to our party. He's a barrel of laughs.
a breath of fresh air
a nice change, a new presence Having Lan around the house is a breath of fresh air - she's so nice.
a breath of wind
a breeze, a light wind In the evening, the lake was calm. There wasn't a breath of wind.
a common thread
an idea or theme that is similar to others There's a common thread in most of Berton's stories.
a different kettle of fish
different, not the same A cult is not a religion. A cult is a different kettle of fish entirely.
a dog's breakfast
a mixture of many things, a hodgepodge This book is a dog's breakfast. It contains a bit of everything.
a dressing down
a scolding, a lecture, a piece of my mind Mother gave me a dressing down when I said bad words.
a fool and his money are soon parted
"a fool will spend all his money quickly; easy come, easy go" After he had spent his fortune, he remembered this saying: A fool and his money are soon parted.
a foregone conclusion
a certain conclusion, a predictable result That he'll graduate is a foregone conclusion. He is a good student.
a free-for-all
a fight without rules, Donnybrook There was a free-for-all after the dance, and Brendan got hurt.
a free hand
complete authority, freedom to control The President gave Ms. Drake a free hand in choosing the colors.
a freeze on
"a stoppage; a decision to stop spending, hiring etc." Right now there's a freeze on hiring at the plant - no hiring.
a fresh pair of eyes
a different reader, one who has not seen the writing A fresh pair of eyes may find many errors in this report.
a fresh start
starting again, a new life In Canada, you will have a fresh start. You can begin a new life.
a horse of a different color
a different matter, a separate issue If he wants to buy the land, that's a horse of a different color.
a losing streak
losing several times in succession The Leafs are on a losing streak. They've lost seven games!
a lucky break
good luck, good fortune, stroke of good luck Finding that money was a lucky break. It was our good fortune.
a lucky streak
winning several times in succession Whenever I wear this ring, I have a lucky streak. I win every game!
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 pocket of resistance
a small group resisting, a few people not on side There's a pocket of resistance in one district. A few disagree.
a pretty penny
a lot of money, a high price I bet she paid a pretty penny for that coat. It looks expensive.
a real go-getter
a (very) ambitious, hard-working person.
a red-letter day
a special day, a memorable day This is going to be a red-letter day. I found my lost keys!
a redneck
a person who is intolerant of other opinions and cultures, a bigot "If you ask a redneck he'll say, ""Find a job or starve - and if you don't like it, too bad."""
a regular guy
an average man, a good guy David? Well, he's honest and easy to live with - a regular guy.
a score to settle
an argument to finish, a bone to pick I have a score to settle with him. He owes me a month's rent.
a screw loose
a little bit crazy, one brick short... Sometimes I think he has a screw loose - like when he eats paper.
a sight for sore eyes
something or someone you are happy to see Well, my friend, you are a sight for sore eyes. Good to see you!
a sure bet
certain to win, a good choice to bet on The Lions are a sure bet in the final game. They'll win easily.
a sure thing
a predictable result, sure to happen For them, success is a sure thing. They plan for success.
a three-bagger
a person who needs three bags over his head because he looks so scary """What did he look like?"" ""He was at least a three-bagger. He also needed a bath."""
a three-bagger (baseball)
a hit that allows the batter to run to third base Molitor hit a three-bagger in the sixth game of the World Series.
a token gesture
a small sign of thanks or recognition To thank us, they put our names in the paper - a token gesture.
a tower of strength
a person who helps you during a crisis, a brick When my parents were killed in an accident, Harry was a tower of strength to me.
add fuel to the fire
cause more anger, aggravate a problem He's angry. Telling him bad news will add fuel to the fire.
age before beauty
the older person should be allowed to enter first """Age before beauty,"" she said as she opened the door for me."
all fired up
eager, enthused, gung ho Ian gets all fired up when he sees Kari. There's love in his eyes.
all over hell's half acre
all over the place, everywhere I left the gate open, and the cows are all over hell's half acre.
an offer I couldn't refuse
an offer that contains a threat or force, a request that is a command The border guards invited me to stay for further questioning - it was an offer I couldn't refuse.
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.
anal retentive
too concerned with detail, pedantic Amy is anal retentive. She writes down everything the teacher says.
angels fear to tread
(See where angels fear to tread)
at rest
stopped, not moving Tie these ropes while the boat is at rest - before it moves.
back teeth are floating
have to urinate, need to pee Please watch for a rest room. My back teeth are floating.
back to square one
back to where one started We were forced to go back to square one in our efforts to change the name of the company.
bad breath
unpleasant smell from the mouth, jungle mouth I've been eating garlic, so I may have bad breath.
ball-park figure
(See a ball-park figure)
ball park figure/estimate
a rough estimate or figure The contractor gave us a ball park figure for the cost of repairing the new building.