24-letter words containing o, s, t, e

the least i could/can do — You use expressions like 'that's the least that I can do' to mean that you are very willing to do it, or to acknowledge someone's thanks.
the occupied territories — the areas of the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and the Golan Heights occupied by Israel after the 1967 Six-Day War
the official secrets act — an act of Parliament that covers the protection of information relating to state security
the ravages of something — the destructive effects of something
the realm of possibility — If you say that something is not beyond the realms of possibility, you mean that it is possible.
the second international — an international association of socialist parties and trade unions that began in Paris in 1889 and collapsed during World War I. The right-wing elements reassembled at Berne in 1919
the suffragette movement — a movement advocating of the extension of the franchise to women, as in Britain at the beginning of the 20th century
the wars of the diadochi — a series of conflicts between 321 and 281 bc, fought by six Macedonian generals who, after the death of Alexander the Great, desired control of his empire
the way things are going — You can use the way things are going to indicate that you expect something to happen because of the way the present situation is developing.
the whole shooting match — everything; the whole lot
the world is your oyster — If you say that the world is someone's oyster, you mean that they can do anything or go anywhere that they want to.
thompson sub-machine-gun — a .45 calibre sub-machine-gun
thorn in your side/flesh — If you describe someone or something as a thorn in your side or a thorn in your flesh, you mean that they are a continuous problem to you or annoy you.
thousand island dressing — a seasoned mayonnaise, often containing chopped pickles, pimientos, sweet peppers, hard-boiled eggs, etc.
three sheets to the wind — Nautical. a rope or chain for extending the clews of a square sail along a yard. a rope for trimming a fore-and-aft sail. a rope or chain for extending the lee clew of a course.
throw one's weight about — to act in an authoritarian or aggressive manner
to blow away the cobwebs — If something blows or clears away the cobwebs, it makes you feel more mentally alert and lively when you had previously been feeling tired.
to break someone's heart — If someone breaks your heart, they make you very sad and unhappy, usually because they end a love affair or close relationship with you.
to break the back of sth — If you break the back of a task or problem, you do the most difficult part of what is necessary to complete the task or solve the problem.
to carry sth to extremes — to overdo something
to cramp someone's style — If someone or something cramps your style, their presence or existence restricts your behaviour in some way.
to fight a losing battle — If you are fighting a losing battle, you are trying to achieve something but are not going to be successful.
to get on the scoresheet — (of a player In football, rugby, and some other sports) to score one or more goals, tries, or points.
to get your just deserts — If you say that someone has got their just deserts, you mean that they deserved the unpleasant things that have happened to them, because they did something bad.
to go for the brass ring — to try to succeed in an area where there is a lot of competition
to have seen better days — If you say that something has seen better days, you mean that it is old and in poor condition.
to have to hand it to sb — You say things such as 'You have to hand it to her' or 'You've got to hand it to them' when you admire someone for their skills or achievements and you think they deserve a lot of praise.
to join the retired list — to retire
to keep something at bay — If you keep something or someone at bay, or hold them at bay, you prevent them from reaching, attacking, or affecting you.
to keep your eyes peeled — If you tell someone to keep their eyes peeled for something, you are telling them to watch very carefully for it.
to lay something to rest — If you lay something such as fears or rumours to rest or if you put them to rest, you succeed in proving that they are not true.
to let sleeping dogs lie — If someone tells you to let sleeping dogs lie, they are warning you not to disturb or interfere with a situation, because you are likely to cause trouble and problems.
to make boundary changes — to change the boundaries of parliamentary constituencies, because of population shifts
to make up for lost time — If someone is making up for lost time, they are doing something actively and with enthusiasm because they have not had the opportunity to do it before or when they were younger.
to one's heart's content — Anatomy. a hollow, pumplike organ of blood circulation, composed mainly of rhythmically contractile smooth muscle, located in the chest between the lungs and slightly to the left and consisting of four chambers: a right atrium that receives blood returning from the body via the superior and inferior vena cavae, a right ventricle that pumps the blood through the pulmonary artery to the lungs for oxygenation, a left atrium that receives the oxygenated blood via the pulmonary veins and passes it through the mitral valve, and a left ventricle that pumps the oxygenated blood, via the aorta, throughout the body.
to pick someone's brains — If you pick someone's brains, you ask them to help you with a problem because they know more about the subject than you.
to pick someone's pocket — If someone picks your pocket, they steal something from your pocket, usually without you noticing.
to rise to the challenge — If someone rises to the challenge, they act in response to a difficult situation which is new to them and are successful.
to set fire to something — If you set fire to something or if you set it on fire, you start it burning in order to damage or destroy it.
to show someone the door — If someone shows you the door, they ask you to leave because they are angry with you.
to speak well of someone — If you speak well of someone or speak highly of someone, you say good things about them. If you speak ill of someone, you criticize them.
to strike a blow for sth — If you strike a blow for a particular cause or principle, you do something that supports it or makes it more likely to succeed.
to tie yourself in knots — If you tie yourself in knots, you get very confused and anxious.
tools of one's/the trade — The tools of your trade or the tools of the trade are the skills, instruments, and other equipment that you need in order to do your job properly.
trading standards office — an office of the local authority department that deals with trading standards
transpersonal psychology — a branch of psychology or psychotherapy that recognizes altered states of consciousness and transcendent experiences as a means to understand the human mind and treat psychological disordrs.
tread on someone's corns — to offend or hurt someone by touching on a sensitive subject or encroaching on his privileges
trisodium orthophosphate — a sodium salt of orthophosphoric acid having the formula Na3PO4
trotskyist international — Fourth International.
tug/touch one's forelock — If you say that a person tugs their forelock to another person, you are criticizing them for showing too much respect to the second person or being unnecessarily worried about their opinions.

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