26-letter words containing a, n, e, s, t, h

take steps to do something — to undertake measures with a view to the attainment of some end
take the bull by the horns — the male of a bovine animal, especially of the genus Bos, with sexual organs intact and capable of reproduction.
tennessee valley authority — TVA.
the battle lines are drawn — If you say that the battle lines are drawn between opposing groups or people, you mean that they are ready to start fighting or arguing, and that it has become clear what the main points of conflict or disagreement will be.
the consumers' association — a British organization which assesses and reports on new products and defends consumers' rights
the entertainment industry — the businesses connected with music, films, TV etc
the inland revenue service — (in the US) a government board that administers and collects major direct taxes
the single european market — the free trade policy that operates between members of the European Union
the writing is on the wall — If you say that the writing is on the wall, you mean that there are clear signs that a situation is going to become very difficult or unpleasant.
thematic apperception test — a projective technique in which stories told by a subject about each of a series of pictures are assumed to reveal dominant needs or motivations. Abbreviation: TAT.
three-dimensional printing — the creation of solid objects by building up multiple layers, each layer corresponding to a plan held in a digital file
to batten down the hatches — If someone battens down the hatches, they prepare themselves so that they will be able to survive a coming difficulty or crisis.
to be in raptures over sth — be highly delighted with
to be in the driver's seat — to be in a position of control
to bring something to bear — If you bring something to bear on a situation, you use it to deal with that situation.
to call something your own — If you have something you can call your own, it belongs only to you, rather than being controlled by or shared with someone else.
to catch hold of something — Hold is used in expressions such as grab hold of, catch hold of, and get hold of, to indicate that you close your hand tightly around something, for example to stop something moving or falling.
to hold someone for ransom — If a kidnapper is holding a person for ransom, they keep that person prisoner until they are given what they want.
to laugh in someone's face — If someone laughs in your face, they are openly disrespectful towards you.
to lay oneself open to sth — If you lay yourself open to criticism or attack, or if something lays you open to it, something you do makes it possible or likely that other people will criticize or attack you.
to pip someone at the post — If someone is pipped at the post or pipped to the post they are just beaten in a competition or in a race to achieve something.
to rub salt into the wound — If someone or something rubs salt into the wound, they make the unpleasant situation that you are in even worse, often by reminding you of your failures or faults.
to see the back of someone — If you say that you will be glad to see the back of someone, you mean that you want them to leave.
to spare someone's blushes — If you spare someone's blushes or save someone's blushes, you avoid doing or saying something that will embarrass them.
to steal someone's thunder — If you steal someone's thunder, you get the attention or praise that they thought they would get, usually by saying or doing what they had intended to say or do.
to take sb to the cleaners — If someone takes you to the cleaners, they unfairly take most of your money, for example in a business deal or in gambling.
turn something on its head — to treat or present something in a completely new and different way
turn the tables on someone — to cause a complete reversal of circumstances, esp to defeat or get the better of someone who was previously in a stronger position
two sides of the same coin — opposite but connected ideas
what someone is driving at — If you ask someone what they are driving at, you are asking what they are trying to say or what they are saying indirectly.
when the shit hits the fan — at the time that a crisis point is reached or disaster takes place
wilcoxon mann-whitney test — a statistical test of the difference between the distributions of data collected in two experimental conditions applied to unmatched groups of subjects but comparing the distributions of the ranks of the scores
with one's nose in the air — haughtily
won't/wouldn't hear of sth — If you say that you won't hear of someone doing something, you mean that you refuse to let them do it.
zermelo fränkel set theory — (mathematics) A set theory with the axioms of Zermelo set theory (Extensionality, Union, Pair-set, Foundation, Restriction, Infinity, Power-set) plus the Replacement axiom schema: If F(x,y) is a formula such that for any x, there is a unique y making F true, and X is a set, then {F x : x in X} is a set. In other words, if you do something to each element of a set, the result is a set. An important but controversial axiom which is NOT part of ZF theory is the Axiom of Choice.

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