20-letter words containing the

officer of the watch — the officer primarily responsible for the navigation of a ship, in the absence of the captain, during a certain watch.
old man of the woods — an edible, mild-tasting mushroom, Strobilomyces floccopus, occurring in coniferous woodlands of eastern North America.
olfactory anesthesia — absence or loss of the sense of smell.
on (or off) the air — that is (or is not) broadcasting or being broadcast
on the drawing board — in the planning stage
on the factory floor — in a factory; as a factory worker
on the shady side of — beyond (a given age); older than
on the starboard bow — within 45 degrees to the starboard of straight ahead
on the sunny side of — younger than (a specified age)
order of the thistle — an ancient Scottish order of knighthood revived by James VII of Scotland in 1687. It consists of the sovereign, 16 knights brethren, and extra members created by statute. It is the equivalent of the Order of the Garter, and is usually conferred on Scots
outside (of) the box — in a fresh, inventive, unconventional way
overseer of the poor — a minor official of a parish attached to the workhouse or poorhouse
paint the town (red) — to go on a boisterous spree; carouse
pass the time of day — to exchange casual greetings (with an acquaintance)
paternal grandfather — the father of someone's father
paternal grandmother — the mother of someone's father
pave the way for sth — If one thing paves the way for another, it creates a situation in which it is possible or more likely that the other thing will happen.
pay through the nose — the part of the face or facial region in humans and certain animals that contains the nostrils and the organs of smell and functions as the usual passageway for air in respiration: in humans it is a prominence in the center of the face formed of bone and cartilage, serving also to modify or modulate the voice.
play pass-the-parcel — to try to avoid a responsibility, or blame, by passing it on to someone else
pride of the morning — light mist or precipitation observed at sea in the morning and regarded as indicating a fine day.
prime number theorem — the theorem that the number of prime numbers less than or equal to a given number is approximately equal to the given number divided by its natural logarithm.
proof of the pudding — the true value or quality of something, as seen when it is experienced, tried, or put to use: The proof of the pudding for a business is what customers say about it.
prosthetic dentistry — prosthodontics.
put the hard word on — to ask or demand something from
pythagoras's theorem — (mathematics) The theorem of geometry, named after Pythagoras, of Samos, Ionia, stating that, for a right-angled triangle, the square of the length of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the lengths of the other two sides. I.e. if the longest side has length A and the other sides have lengths B and C (in any units), A^2 = B^2 + C^2 (2004-02-12)
quantum field theory — any theory in which fields are treated by the methods of quantum mechanics; each field can then be regarded as consisting of particles of a particular kind, which may be created and annihilated.
queen of the prairie — a tall plant, Filipendula rubra, of the rose family, having branching clusters of pink flowers, growing in meadows and prairies.
quick on the trigger — quick to fire a gun
read the riot act to — to command to stop doing something regarded as wrong, under threat of punishment
recreational therapy — therapy by means of recreational activities engaged in by the patient
return from the dead — (jargon) To regain access to the net after a long absence. Compare person of no account.
return of the native — a novel (1878) by Thomas Hardy.
ring of the nibelung — Richard Wagner's tetralogy of music dramas: Das Rheingold (completed 1869), Die Walküre (completed 1870), Siegfried (completed 1876), and Götterdämmerung (completed 1876): the cycle was first performed at Bayreuth, 1876.
ringing off the hook — If your phone is ringing off the hook, so many people are trying to telephone you that it is ringing constantly.
rise to the occasion — to have the courage, wit, etc, to meet the special demands of a situation
rub up the wrong way — to arouse anger (in); annoy
run off at the mouth — Anatomy, Zoology. the opening through which an animal or human takes in food. the cavity containing the structures used in mastication. the structures enclosing or being within this cavity, considered as a whole.
see the light of day — come into being
set the ball rolling — to open or initiate (an action, discussion, movement, etc)
seven against thebes — (used with a plural verb) Classical Mythology. seven heroes, Amphiaraus, Capaneus, Eteoclus, Hippomedon, Parthenopaeus, Polynices, and Tydeus, who led an expedition against Thebes to depose Eteocles in favor of his brother Polynices: the expedition failed, but the Epigoni, the sons of the Seven against Thebes, conquered the city ten years later.
shank of the evening — the latter part of the afternoon
slip through the net — If criminals slip through the net, they avoid being caught by the system or trap that was meant to catch them.
snow-on-the-mountain — a North American euphorbiaceous plant, Euphorbia marginata, having white-edged leaves and showy white bracts surrounding small flowers
southern oscillation — a low-latitude fluctuation of atmospheric pressure closely linked with El Niño events, specifically the periods of El Niño warming and La Niña cooling.
splice the mainbrace — to issue and partake of an extra allocation of alcoholic spirits
split the difference — the state or relation of being different; dissimilarity: There is a great difference between the two.
stare sb in the face — If a situation or the answer to a problem is staring you in the face, it is very obvious, although you may not be immediately aware of it.
states of the church — Papal States
step into the breach — If you step into the breach, you do a job or task which someone else was supposed to do or has done in the past, because they are suddenly unable to do it.
step up to the plate — to move into batting position

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