pie in the sky

pie in the sky

phase. something that seems good but is not likely to be achieved; unrealistic 

"Hillary Clinton casts Bernie Sanders as an overly-idealistic, pie-in-the-sky lawmaker who won't be able to achieve many of the things he is proposing."

"Those plans to set up his own business are just pie in the sky."

"Those are not pie-in-the-sky and dreaming of those numbers, those are really attainable benchmarks."

salvo

salvo    [sal-voh] 

noun. 1) rapid simultaneous discharge of firearms  2) a verbal barrage or attack

"His direct, almost rude questions were seen as the opening salvo in the battle between the two political candidates."

"Trump's tweets about Heidi Cruz are the latest and perhaps most provocative salvo in a string of messy dust-ups between Trump and prominent women."

"Hillary Clinton has launched her opening salvo against Mr. Trump."

ammunition

ammunition    [am-yuh-Nish-uh n] 

noun.  1) supply (e. g. shells or bullets) used for a gun. 2) information that can be used to attack or defend a claim or argument or viewpoint

"Weapons and ammunition have been seized in raids by security forces."

"Those poll numbers could offer ammunition to both Sanders and Kasich, who have argued that they are their parties' most electable candidates."

"The evidence provided ammunition for competing views."

canopy

canopy    [KAN-uh-pee]

noun. a roof-like covering (usually of fabric)

verb. cover

"No photo can capture the full beauty of the cherry blossoms that canopy the Tidal Basin in clouds of pink and white each year, inspiring the US capital's largest festival."

resurrection

resurrection    [rez-uh-REK-shuh n]

noun. revival 

"Happy Easter! Today Christians around the world celebrate the resurrection of Jesus after his crucifixion."

"Today is the celebration of our hope," Pope Francis said, the Easter message recalling Christ's resurrection, "awakens and resurrects hope in hearts burdened by sadness."

"A zombie resurrection occurred in that scary movie."

couch potato

couch potato

phase.  someone who spends a lot of time sitting and watching television

epitomize

epitomize    [ih-PIT-uh-mahyz]

verb.  be a perfect example of

"These presidential candidates epitomize what's gone wrong with our country."

"The poisoning of Flint epitomizes a larger crisis of black people being physically endangered and politically ostracized by their own government."

"The Golden State Warriors epitomize the best of team sports."

ostracize

ostracize    [Os-truh-sahyz]

verb. exclude from a group or society

"Immigrants and their children feel that they are ostracized and find it more difficult to get jobs."

"Lionesses with worn and missing teeth are not ostracized from their pride, but live out their old age. They are supported by the hunting of younger healthy lionesses."

“Could you imagine being ostracized or judged or shunned just for being who you are?”

pique

pique    [peek]

verb.  stimulate (interest or curiosity)

"The planets in our solar system have piqued the interest of many scientists."

"Her curiosity was piqued, and she began a nearly decade-long research on the subject."

"You have piqued my curiosity about this man."

spill the beans

spill the beans

phase.  reveal a secret

"Ted Cruz is saying that Donald Trump's tweet that threatened to 'spill the beans' on his wife was gutter politics and reached a new low."

"President Ronald Reagan, for instance, never admitted to dying his jet-black hair, and his barber never spilled the beans, either."

"It happens sooner or later for every kid: Someone spills the beans about Santa Claus."

make no bones about

make no bones about

phrase. act or speak frankly about something, without hesitation

"He made no bones about his unhappiness with the restaurant's food."

"Frank made no bones about wanting to be promoted."

"New York Giants co-owner Steve Tisch admitted that the team still has a lot of work to do, but he made no bones about how much fun it was to play big in free agency."

Origin:  The expression comes from fifteenth century England. If someone wanted to show that they were dissatisfied with something, they would find bones in it. 

boondoggle

boondoggle    [Boon-dog-uh l]

noun. work that has little or no value, totally waste of time and money 

"The public will get the chance to see whether Hyperloop is indeed the transportation of the future, or just another financial boondoggle."

"Hawaii struggles to keep rail project from becoming a boondoggle."

"Aside from these nice side benefits, the whole thing is a boondoggle."

embargo

embargo    [em-Bahr-goh]

noun. an official ban on trade or other commercial activity with a particular country

"The end of the embargo and resumption of diplomatic relations with Cuba could transform U.S. Major League Baseball."

"We cannot obtain the goods because it is subject to the embargo."

"Many countries refuse to sell arms to a particular country because an arms embargo is in place."

sleeper

sleeper

noun.  a person or thing that achieves unexpected success 

"Apple Watch isn't a smash hit, but it could be a sleeper."

"That movie stared by unknown actors and actresses was the sleeper of the summer."

"We almost gave up on this line of merchandise, but it's a real sleeper – it keeps  selling."

cerebrum

cerebrum    [suh-REE-bruh m]

noun.  the largest part of brain, responsible for thought, reason, emotion, and memory

eschew

eschew [es-CHOO]

verb. avoid and stay away from deliberately

"Apple's late founder, Steve Jobs, long eschewed getting the company mixed up in Washington politics."

"A Buddhist nun eschews cellphones, T.V. and the Internet, preferring to spend her time in quiet meditation."

"A dieter might eschew a chocolate sundae, because he’s afraid of what it will do to his waistline."

fend

fend [fend]

verb. look after and provide for oneself, without any help from others; defend

“The youngsters had to fend for themselves after their parents died."

"Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton will hope to fend off a challenge from her resurgent rival, Bernie Sanders."

"A woman cashier fended off an armed robber, grabbing his weapon before he fled."

alveoli

alveoli    [al-VEE-uh-lahy]

noun.  tiny air sacs within the lungs where the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide takes place

singular.  alveolus    [al-VEE-uh-luh s]

watershed

watershed 

noun.  1) a turning point 2) a ridge of land that separates water flowing into two rivers, basins, or seas

"Google AlphaGo's victory is a watershed moment in artificial intelligence research."

“The agreement was a watershed in the history of both nations."

"The Chicago meeting was the watershed moment in the atomic bomb project.“

avenge

avenge    [uh-Venj] 

verb.  revenge, retaliate

"This win avenged the Blackbirds’ two regular-season losses to Sacred Heart."

"At the end of the story, the murderer is killed by his victim's avenging girlfriend."

"The coach said this year’s game is not about avenging last year's loss."

fluke

fluke    [flook] 

noun. an unexpected stroke of good luck; a flatfish 

"Google's Artificial Intelligence software proves the first Go victory was no fluke -- it just won a second game."

"The formation of the sun, Earth and all the species on it, especially intelligent life, required a parade of flukes."

"The pitcher wanted to prove the first year wasn’t a fluke and would go out there and pitch well in his second year."

wallop

wallop    [wol-uh p] 

verb. hit or strike very hard 

"The 18-time world champion of Go board game is walloped by Google's AI machine."

"After two strikes, the star baseball player walloped the ball out of the park."

"Another snowstorm is expected to wallop Iowa late Monday night."

catapult

catapult    [Kat-uh-puhlt] 

noun. a device that can throw objects at a high speed; slingshot

tangram

tangram     [Tang-gruh m] 

The tangram is a Chinese puzzle game, consisting of seven flat shapes, which are put together to form shapes. The objective of the puzzle is to form a specific shape using all seven pieces, which may not overlap.

mire

mire    [mahyuh r]

verb. involve someone or something in (a difficulti situation); stuck in mud

"Voters deserve a choice between two candidates who will not mire the nation in legal and political turmoil."

"The economy is mired in its longest recession since World War II."

"She gets mired in a love triangle."

leave someone high and dry

leave someone high and dry

phase. to leave someone in a difficult  situation without any help

"Donald Trump seduces people with his confidence and his promises. People invest time, love and money in him. But in the end he cares only about himself. He betrays those who trust him and leaves them high and dry."

"The stock market crash left us high and dry with debts of over half a million dollars."

"The rest children ran away and left Tom high and dry to take the blame for the broken window."

knead

knead    [need]

verb.  to mix, press, massage  

"Keep kneading the dough and adding water until it reaches an elastic but dry consistency."

"She kneaded the old woman's bony hands."

"His cold hands kneaded my shoulder, his voice fading."

wring

wring    [ring]

verb. to twist or squeeze 

"I wring the cloth out over the sink."

"Rather than wring your hands with worry, set a goal to reduce your debt."

"The company has to find other ways to wring costs of the operations, like using less packaging or electricity."

albatross around one's deck

albatross around one's neck

phase. a heavy burden

The phrase refers to Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem -- The Rime of the Ancient Mariner -- in which a sailor who shoots a friendly albatross is forced to wear its carcass around his neck as punishment.

“My old car is an albatross around my neck.”

"The company that he founded decades ago is now an albatross around his neck, making losses of several hundreds of thousands a year."

albatross

albatross    [al-buh-traws]

noun. 1) a type of very large seabird 2) a source of frustration or guilt

"We can't have a nominee be an albatross around the down-ballot races," Republican Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn talked about Donald Trump winning the GOP race.

"The cost of health insurance can be an albatross around the neck of any employer, large or small."

"The strong dollar has become an earnings albatross for Apple."

credence

credence     [KREED-ns] 

noun. belief in or acceptance of something as true

"Was there any credence to the old advice of giving the lid of your soda can a rinse, or at least a good wipe with a towel or napkin?  It is actually a pretty good idea to do so."

"None of the later historians has given any credence to this theory."

“She gave credence to the gossip."