Pairs #66

mess with the bull (and you) get the horns. If you anger, irritate, or provoke someone enough, you will induce some hostile retaliation or emotional reaction.

nice and cozy. Very cozy.

one and the same. Identical; the very same.

by and large. In general; overall.

one step forward and two steps back. With or marked by a small amount progress that is then eradicated by a larger amount of setbacks, problems, or difficulties.

lost and gone forever. Lost forever; having no chance of ever being recovered.

on for young and old (primarily Australia). Underway and characterized by sincere or earnest efforts.

off-and-on relationship. A turbulent romantic relationship that ends and then resumes again in a frequently or continually repeating cycle.

go through fire and water. To face many challenges in the process of doing or accomplishing something.

to strain at a gnat and swallow a camel. To resist, criticize, or bemoan something minor or inconsequential while ignoring or overlooking something much more serious or important. The expression originated in the Bible, in Matthew 23:24.

all vine and no taters. All display with no real value.

pickin' and grinnin'. Energetically and enthusiastically playing music on a guitar or banjo.

ridden hard and put away wet (primarily US). 1. Of a horse, ridden until a lather of sweat has formed, then put into the stable without having been dried.

all present and correct (primarily UK). All people or things being tallied are present, or their location or status is known or has been considered.

peek and shriek (medical slang). An incident in which a surgeon cuts open the patient's body, then discovers that the patient's health is much worse than anticipated. As a result, the surgeon closes the incision without performing the planned procedure.

to swear up and down. To make a very serious, solemn pledge, especially that one is telling the truth.

that and fifty cents will buy you a cup of coffee (primarily US, obsolete). Used to express that something is utterly worthless. (Fifty cents used to be enough money to buy a cup of coffee. This expression was already inflated from the earlier expression “that and a nickel will buy you a cup of coffee.” Somehow, “that and $2.50 will buy you a cup of coffee” just doesn’t have the same effect.)

between you and me. What is going to be or has been said should not be told to anyone else. This phrase is usually said along with information that needs to be kept secret.

out and out. Absolute; total.

have hung up and salted (rural). To know everything about something. Often used ironically.

pick-and-shovel work. Any tedious, monotonous work (not necessarily involving physical labor).

up one side and down the other. To an extreme, severe, or thorough degree.

spit and sawdust (primarily UK). Describing a basic, old-fashioned pub that is perhaps not as clean as more modernized establishments. In the past, many pubs had sawdust on the floor.

stuff and nonsense. Foolishness; absurd behavior or talk.