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At face value
The idiom at face value means accepting something as it appears, without looking deeper. It can be a warning to think more carefully. This phrase originated from the financial markets, where the face value of something monetary is the value printed on that item. For example, a one hundred dollar bill has a face value of one hundred dollars.Don’t take his promise at face value.
At the drop of a hat
The idiom at the drop of a hat means someone is ready to start immediately, without hesitation. This came from the old American tradition of dropping a hat to signal the start of a race or fight.He would leave town at the drop of a hat.
At your wits’ end
The phrase at your wits’ end means feeling completely frustrated, and you do not know what to do next.It originated in the 1300s to describe scholars who were at the edge of their understanding.
I'm at my wits' end trying to get this computer program to do what I want!
Back to square one
The phrase back to square one means returning to the beginning after a plan or attempt has failed. It suggests that progress has been lost and everything must start again. It is a reference to board games where you can be made to go back to the first square. People often use this idiom when a solution does not work as expected.When the computer crashed, they were back to square one.
Back to the drawing board
The phrase back to the drawing board means that a plan has failed and must be started again from the beginning. It suggests that the original idea did not work and needs to be rethought or redesigned. The saying comes from engineering and design, where plans are drawn before something is built. When a design fails, the designer returns to the drawing board to create a new plan.When the experiment failed, the team went back to the drawing board.
Bark up the wrong tree
To bark up the wrong tree means to make a wrong guess or to blame the wrong person. The phrase comes from hunting dogs that bark at the base of the wrong tree, thinking the bird they are hunting is in this tree when it is in another one. It is used to explain a misunderstanding or mistaken belief.If you think I broke it, you are barking up the wrong tree.
Birds of a feather
The idiom birds of a feather flock together is from the observation that birds of the same species keep together and don't mix with other kinds of birds.It means that people with similar interests or personalities tend to collect together.
Everyone at this conference are birds of a feather.
Bite off more than you can chew
To bite off more than you can chew means to take on a task that is too difficult or too large to handle. It suggests trying to do more than one is able. This idiom is often used as a warning to be realistic about limits.She bit off more than she could chew by accepting three jobs at once.
Bite the bullet
To bite the bullet means to face a difficult or unpleasant situation with courage, even if you don't want to. People often use this phrase when there is no easy way to avoid a problem.It originated from war time medicine, where an injured soldier would bite on a bullet to help deal with the pain while they were being treated.
He decided to bite the bullet and pay the fine.