stA bird in the hand is worth two in the bush

Meaning
It's better to have a small actual advantage than the chance of a greater one.

A bunch of fives

Meaning
A fist. The fives are the five fingers

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link

Meaning
The proverb has a literal meaning, although the 'weakest link' referred to is figurative and

usually applies to a person or technical feature rather than the link of an actual chain.

A countenance more in sorrow than in anger

Meaning
Literal meaning - a person or thing that is viewed more with sadness than with anger.

A Daniel come to judgement

Meaning
Someone who makes a wise judgment about something that has previously proven difficult

to resolve.

A diamond in the rough

Meaning
Someone who is basically good hearted but lacking social graces and respect for the law.

A diamond is forever

Meaning
Advertising slogan for De Beers' diamonds.

A dish fit for the gods

Meaning
An offering of high quality.
A drop in the bucket

Meaning
A very small proportion of the whole.

A fate worse than death

Meaning
Any misfortune that would make life unlivable, especially rape or loss of virginity. The

phrase was formally a euphemism for rape.

A feather in one's cap

Meaning
A symbol of honour and achievement.

A fish out of water

Meaning
Someone in a situation they are unsuited to.

A fly in the ointment

Meaning
A small but irritating flaw that spoils the whole thing.

A fool's paradise

Meaning
A state of happiness based on false hope.

Foot in the door

Meaning
An introduction or way in to something, made in order that progress may be made later.

A foregone conclusion

Meaning
A decision made before the evidence for it is known. An inevitable conclusion.
A friend in need is a friend indeed

Meaning
It is sometimes suggested that this phrase means 'someone who needs your help becomes

friendly in order to obtain it'. That isn't supported by the derivation (below). Most people

understand it to mean, 'someone who helps you when you are in need is a true friend'.

A good man is hard to find

Meaning
A modern-day proverb, espousing the difficulty of finding a suitable male partner.

A hard man is good to find

Meaning

A risqué comic play on words on a good man is hard to find.

On a hiding to nothing

Meaning
To be faced with a situation which is pointless, as a successful outcome is impossible. This

is usually expressed in terms of a sporting contest in which one of two outcomes is

foreseen, either a hiding or nothing. The 'to' in the phrase indicates alternative outcomes,

as in terms like '6 to 1' or 'dollars to doughnuts'.

A house divided against itself cannot stand

Meaning
Literal meaning (house meaning household).

A knight in shining armour

Meaning
A person, usually a man, who comes to the aid of another, usually a woman, in a gallant

and courteous manner.

À la carte

Meaning
On the menu, with each dish priced.
À la mode

Meaning
Fashionable. Also, in the USA, a form of dessert - with ice cream.

A legend in one's own lifetime

Meaning
Literal meaning, i.e. a living person of considerable fame.

A leopard cannot change its spots

Meaning
The notion that things cannot change their innate nature.

A little bird told me

Meaning
I was told by a private or secret source.

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing

Meaning
A small amount of knowledge can cause people to think they are more expert than they

really are.

A load of cobblers

Meaning
Nonsense, rubbish.

A load of codswallop

Meaning
Nonsense.

A man after my own heart

Meaning
A kindred spirit - someone I can agree with.

A ministering angel shall my sister be

Meaning
To minister is to serve, or act as a subordinate agent. So, a ministering angel is a kind-

hearted person, providing help and comfort.

A nation of shopkeepers

Meaning
The English.

A no-brainer

Meaning
Something that requires little mental effort or intelligence to perform or understand. The

term is often applied to decisions which are straightforward or sometimes to people who

appear to lack intelligence.

A picture is worth a thousand words

Meaning
A picture tells a story as well as a large amount of descriptive text.

A piece of the action

Meaning
A share in an activity, or in its profits.

A place for everything and everything in its place

Meaning
The notion that everything should have a place to be stored in and that it should be tidily

returned there when not in use.

A plague on both your houses

Meaning
A frustrated curse on both sides of an argument.

A priori

Meaning
From the previous.
A riddle wrapped up in an enigma

Meaning
A puzzle - difficult to solve.

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet

Meaning
What matters is what something is, not what it is called.

A rose is a rose is a rose

Meaning
The meaning most often attributed to this is the notion that when all is said and done, a

thing is what it is. This is in similar vein to Shakespeare's 'a rose by any other name would

smell as sweet'. That's not the interpretation given by the author of the phrase - see below.

A safe pair of hands

Meaning
A reliable, if somewhat dull, person who can be entrusted not to make a mistake with a

task.

A sea change

Meaning
A radical, and apparently mystical, change.

A sledgehammer to crack a nut

Meaning
'Using a sledge-hammer to crack a nut' is using disproportionate force or expense to

overcome a minor problem.

A shot in the arm

Meaning
A stimulus.

A sight for sore eyes

Meaning
A welcome visitor - someone you are glad to see.

A sorry sight

Meaning
A regrettable and unwelcome aspect or feature. Now also used to mean something or

someone of untidy appearance.

A stitch in time saves nine

Meaning
A little timely effort will prevent more work later.

A thing of beauty is a joy forever

Meaning
Literal meaning.

A tinker's damn

Meaning
Something that is insignificant or worthless.

A wolf in sheep's clothing

Meaning
Someone who hides malicious intent under the guise of kindliness.

A WOMAN NEEDS A MAN LIKE A FISH NEEDS A BICYCLE

Meaning

A feminist slogan, suggesting that men are superfluous to women's needs.

A word in your shell-like

Meaning
I would like to talk to you.

A1 at Lloyd's

Meaning
The highest quality.
Abandon hope all ye who enter here

Meaning
The supposed inscription at the entrance to Hell.

Origin

Abide with me

Meaning
The name of the well-known Christian hymn, written by Henry Francis Lyte in 1847. A plea

for God to be present in one's life.

About face

Meaning
Change direction.

About turn

Meaning
Change direction.

Above board

Meaning
Openly - without any trickery.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder

Meaning
The lack of something increases the desire for it.

Absent without leave

Meaning
Absent without permission

Absolute power corrupts absolutely

Meaning
Literal meaning.

Accidentally on purpose
Meaning
Deliberately, but feigning accident.

According to Hoyle

Meaning
In accord with the highest authority; in accord with a strict set of rules.

Ace in the hole

Meaning
Something that can supply a sure victory when revealed.

Achilles' heel

Meaning
A weak or vulnerable factor.

Acid test

Meaning
A sure test, giving an incontestable result.

Acronyms

Meaning
Words which are formed from the initial letters of other words.

This definition requires clarification. By 'initial letters', the definition doesn't limit itself just

to the single first letter of a word, but to the letters that begin the word. So, 'quango',

which is formed from ' quasi non-governmental organization', is an acronym. Conversely,

words like 'laser', which is formed from 'light amplification by the stimulated emission of

radiation', isn't strictly an acronym as the 'b', 't' and 'o' of 'by', 'the' and 'of' are ignored. In

general usage, although not in the piece below, these restrictions are frequently ignored.

Across the board

Meaning
Embracing all classes or categories without exception.

Act of God
Meaning
An act which is accepted legally as being outside human control.