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23-letter words containing t, o

  • the taming of the shrew — a comedy (1594?) by Shakespeare.
  • the teaching profession — the profession of a teacher
  • the thrill of the chase — If you talk about the thrill of the chase, you are referring to the excitement that people feel when they are trying hard to get something.
  • the whys and wherefores — The whys and wherefores of something are the reasons for it.
  • there is no holding him — he is so spirited or resolute that he cannot be restrained
  • there is nothing for it — If you say that there is nothing for it but to take a particular action, you mean that it is the only possible course of action that you can take, even though it might be unpleasant.
  • there'll be hell to pay — If you say there'll be hell to pay, you are emphasizing that there will be serious trouble.
  • there's no need/no need — You can tell someone that there's no need for them to do something as a way of telling them not to do it or of telling them to stop doing it, for example because it is unnecessary.
  • thompson submachine gun — a portable, .45-caliber, automatic weapon designed to be fired from the shoulder or hip.
  • thousand and one nights — a collection of Eastern folk tales derived in part from Indian and Persian sources and dating from the 10th century a.d.
  • throttle-body injection — a fuel-injection system in which an injector (throttle-body injector) delivers fuel to a central location within the intake manifold of the engine. Abbreviation: TBI.
  • throw down the gauntlet — a medieval glove, as of mail or plate, worn by a knight in armor to protect the hand.
  • till the cows come home — the mature female of a bovine animal, especially of the genus Bos.
  • to add insult to injury — You say to add insult to injury when mentioning an action or fact that makes an unfair or unacceptable situation even worse.
  • to be at your wit's end — If you say that you are at your wits' end, you are emphasizing that you are so worried and exhausted by problems or difficulties that you do not know what to do next.
  • to be in short trousers — to be a little boy
  • to blow someone's cover — To blow someone's cover means to cause their true identity or the true nature of their work to be revealed.
  • to bring the house down — If a person or their performance or speech brings the house down, the audience claps, laughs, or shouts loudly because the performance or speech is very impressive or amusing.
  • to call a spade a spade — If you say that someone calls a spade a spade, you mean that they speak clearly and directly about things, even embarrassing or unpleasant things.
  • to call someone's bluff — If you call someone's bluff, you tell them to do what they have been threatening to do, because you are sure that they will not really do it.
  • to carry all before you — If a person or team carries all before them, they succeed very easily.
  • to change for the worse — If a situation changes for the worse, it becomes more unpleasant or more difficult.
  • to clap eyes on someone — To clap eyes on someone or something, or set or lay eyes on them, means to see them.
  • to clip someone's wings — If you say that something or someone clips your wings, you mean that they restrict your freedom to do what you want.
  • to come off second best — to be defeated
  • to come to a sticky end — If someone comes to a sticky end or meets a sticky end, they suffer very badly or die in an unpleasant way.
  • to count your blessings — If you tell someone to count their blessings, you are saying that they should think about how lucky they are instead of complaining.
  • to do intelligence work — to serve in the Intelligence Corps; to collect and analyze military information
  • to draw the short straw — If you draw the short straw, you are chosen from a number of people to perform a job or duty that you will not enjoy.
  • to drive a hard bargain — If people drive a hard bargain, they argue with determination in order to achieve a deal which is favourable to themselves.
  • to fight fire with fire — If you fight fire with fire, you deal with people attacking or threatening you by using similar methods to the ones that they are using.
  • to fight tooth and nail — If you fight tooth and nail to do something, you do everything you can in order to achieve it. If you fight something tooth and nail, you do everything you can in order to prevent it.
  • to force someone's hand — If you force someone's hand, you force them to act sooner than they want to, or to act in public when they would prefer to keep their actions secret.
  • to get ahold of oneself — to force oneself to become calm and sensible after a shock or in a difficult situation
  • to get the better of sb — If a feeling such as jealousy, curiosity, or anger gets the better of you, it becomes too strong for you to hide or control.
  • to get/put sb's back up — If someone or something puts your back up or gets your back up, they annoy you.
  • to go from bad to worse — If a situation goes from bad to worse, it becomes even more unpleasant or unsatisfactory.
  • to have a police record — If you say that somebody has a police record, you mean that they have committed a crime or crimes and the police have a record of this.
  • to have an axe to grind — If someone has an axe to grind, they are doing something for selfish reasons.
  • to have feelings for sb — to be emotionally or sexually attracted to
  • to have your hands full — If you have your hands full with something, you are very busy because of it.
  • to hell in a handbasket — to one's doom
  • to jump to a conclusion — If you say that someone jumps to a conclusion, you are critical of them because they decide too quickly that something is true, when they do not know all the facts.
  • to keep a straight face — If you manage to keep a straight face, you manage to look serious, although you want to laugh.
  • to keep a tight rein on — If you keep a tight rein on someone, you control them firmly.
  • to keep someone company — If you keep someone company, you spend time with them and stop them feeling lonely or bored.
  • to keep sth to yourself — If you keep something to yourself, you do not tell anyone else about it.
  • to keep your nose clean — If you keep your nose clean, you behave well and stay out of trouble.
  • to make the best of sth — If you make the best of something, you accept an unsatisfactory situation cheerfully and try to manage as well as you can. In British English, you can also say that you make the best of a bad job.
  • to make your skin crawl — If something makes your skin crawl or makes your flesh crawl, it makes you feel shocked or disgusted.
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