22-letter words containing f, a, i
- sb can whistle for sth — If you say that someone can whistle for a particular thing, you mean that you are not willing or able to give it to them.
- school medical officer — a doctor who is based in a school and is responsible for the health of schoolchildren
- scientific creationism — the belief that the account of creation in the early chapters of Genesis is scientifically as well as religiously valid and that it can be supported by scientific evidence apart from scriptural authority.
- search the fucking web — (web, jargon) (Always abbreviated STFW) A response implying that an inquirer could have easily found an answer to his question using Google or some other web search engine. It is now often quicker and more productive to search the World-Wide Web than to RTFM.
- second consonant shift — the consonant shift by which High German became differentiated from other Germanic languages.
- see the light (of day) — to come into existence
- self-sustaining growth — economic growth that maintains itself without intervention
- set one's face against — impudence; boldness: to have the face to ask such a rude question.
- show the white feather — a symbol of cowardice.
- social differentiation — the distinction made between social groups and persons on the basis of biological, physiological, and sociocultural factors, as sex, age, or ethnicity, resulting in the assignment of roles and status within a society.
- softening of the brain — a softening of the cerebrum, caused by impairment of the blood supply; encephalomalacia.
- solid dose formulation — A solid dose formation is a hard tablet made by compressing medicine in a powder form.
- south african republic — former name of Transvaal.
- specific heat capacity — the heat required to raise unit mass of a substance by unit temperature interval under specified conditions, such as constant pressure: usually measured in joules per kelvin per kilogram
- stand the test of time — last, endure
- statute of limitations — a statute defining the period within which legal action may be taken.
- statute of westminster — the act of Parliament (1931) that formally recognized the independence of the dominions within the Empire
- strait of juan de fuca — a strait between Vancouver Island (Canada) and NW Washington (US). Length: about 129 km (80 miles). Width: about 24 km (15 miles)
- stratford de redcliffe — 1st Viscount (Stratford Canning) 1786–1880, English diplomat.
- stuffing and stripping — (in marine transport) the packing and unpacking of containers
- subornation of perjury — the offense of bribing or otherwise persuading another to commit perjury.
- suffice it to say that — let us say no more than that; I shall just say that
- surface effect vehicle — ACV (def 2).
- sweet william catchfly — a southern European plant, Silene armeria, of the pink family, having a flat-topped cluster of pink flowers.
- tactile user interface — (interface) (TUI) Hardware and software to provide access to computer-based graphical[?] information using touch, often intended for blind people. See also haptics.
- take cognizance of sth — If you take cognizance of something, you take notice of it or acknowledge it.
- take the mickey out of — to deflate (a person)
- take/tickle sb's fancy — If something takes your fancy or tickles your fancy, you like it a lot when you see it or think of it.
- tear sb limb from limb — If someone threatens to tear you limb from limb, they mean that they are extremely angry with you, and may use violence against you.
- temporary life annuity — an annuity that ceases upon the death of the annuitant or upon the expiration of a period of time, whichever occurs first.
- textual user interface — (interface) (TUI) Either a text-based version of a GUI, or a full-screen version of a CLI.
- the caring professions — professions such as nursing and social work that are involved with looking after people who are ill or who need help in coping with their lives
- the edinburgh festival — an arts festival held in Edinburgh in August
- the end of the rainbow — If you say that something is at the end of the rainbow, you mean that people want it but it is almost impossible to obtain or achieve.
- the fat is in the fire — an irrevocable action has been taken, esp one from which dire consequences are expected
- the marriage of figaro — Italian Le nozze di Figaro. an opera (1786) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
- the medical profession — the occupation of working as a doctor of medicine
- the merchant of venice — a comedy (1596?) by Shakespeare.
- the straits of florida — a sea passage between the Florida Keys and Cuba, linking the Atlantic with the Gulf of Mexico
- to be on the safe side — If you say you are doing something to be on the safe side, you mean that you are doing it in case something undesirable happens, even though this may be unnecessary.
- to be taken for a ride — If you say that someone has been taken for a ride, you mean that they have been deceived or cheated.
- to draw someone's fire — If you draw fire from someone, you cause them to shoot at you, for example because they think that you are threatening them.
- to fall by the wayside — If a person or plan falls by the wayside, they fail or stop before they complete what they set out to do.
- to fall to bits/pieces — To fall to pieces, or in British English to fall to bits, means the same as to fall apart.
- to make a pig's ear of — If you make a pig's ear of something you are doing, you do it very badly.
- to play happy families — to spend time with your family or partner and to outwardly give the impression of being happy (although this may not be the case)
- transformational rules — rules that specify in purely syntactic terms a method by which theorems may be derived from the axioms of a formal system
- trichlorofluoromethane — chlorotrifluoromethane.
- trifluorochloromethane — chlorotrifluoromethane.
- twenty-fifth amendment — an amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1967, establishing the succession to the presidency in the event of the president's death, resignation, or incapacity.