26-letter words containing o, n, s, e

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 a dead ringer for sb — a person who is very similar in appearance to someone else
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 be on a starvation diet — to be on a strict diet
to be pressed into service — To press someone or something into service means to use them temporarily for a particular purpose.
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 cock a snook at someone — If you cock a snook at someone in authority or at an organization, you do something that they cannot punish you for, but which insults them or expresses your contempt.
to dance to someone's tune — If you say that someone is dancing to someone else's tune, you mean that they are allowing themselves to be controlled by the other person.
to get down to brass tacks — If you get down to brass tacks, you discuss the basic, most important facts of a situation.
to get your fingers burned — If you get your fingers burned or burn your fingers, you suffer because something you did or were involved in was a failure or a mistake.
to get your house in order — If someone gets their house in order, puts their house in order, or sets their house in order, they arrange their affairs and solve their problems.
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 hold something in check — If something or someone is held in check or is kept in check, they are controlled and prevented from becoming too great or powerful.
to laugh in someone's face — If someone laughs in your face, they are openly disrespectful towards you.
to lay a finger on someone — If you say that someone did not lay a finger on a particular person or thing, you are emphasizing that they did not touch or harm them at all.
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 look on the bright side — If you look on the bright side, you try to be cheerful about a bad situation by thinking of some advantages that could result from it, or thinking that it is not as bad as it could have been.
to look someone in the eye — If you look someone in the eye or look them in the face, you look straight at their eyes in a bold and open way, for example in order to make them realize that you are telling the truth.
to pick holes in something — If you pick holes in an argument or theory, you find weak points in it so that it is no longer valid.
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 pour scorn on something — If you pour scorn on someone or something or heap scorn on them, you say that you think they are stupid and worthless.
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 set alarm bells ringing — to make someone feel worried or concerned about something
to shed light on something — To shed light on, throw light on, or cast light on something means to make it easier to understand, because more information is known about it.
to sign on the dotted line — If you sign on the dotted line, you formally agree to something by signing an official document.
to soften/cushion the blow — Something that softens the blow or cushions the blow makes an unpleasant change or piece of news easier to accept.
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 stand up and be counted — If you say that someone should stand up and be counted, you mean that they should say publicly what they think, and not hide it or be ashamed of it.
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.
to tread on someone's toes — If you tread on someone's toes, you offend them by criticizing the way that they do something or by interfering in their affairs.
to treat someone like dirt — If you say that someone treats you like dirt, you are angry with them because you think that they treat you unfairly and with no respect.
too big for one's breeches — Also called knee breeches. knee-length trousers, often having ornamental buckles or elaborate decoration at or near the bottoms, commonly worn by men and boys in the 17th, 18th, and early 19th centuries.
tourist information office — an office that supplies information to people who are visiting an area for pleasure or interest, for example advice on things to see, accommodation, etc
transformational component — a set of transformational rules that convert the deep structure of sentences into their surface structures
transport driver interface — (networking) (TDI) Developed by SUN, IBM, and Microsoft (and others?), the TDI is a software interface between the protocols and application programing interface layers of the Windows NT network model.
traveling salesman problem — any mathematical problem that involves determination of the shortest path through several points.
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
udmurt autonomous republic — an autonomous republic in the Russian Federation in Europe. 16,250 sq. mi. (42,088 sq. km). Capital: Izhevsk.
ulster defence association — (in Northern Ireland) a Loyalist paramilitary organization

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