| Idiom | Meaning | Example |
| a dust-up |
a fight, a skirmish; set-to
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The boys argued and had a little dust-up, but no one got hurt.
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| a fair shake |
a fair deal, a just settlement
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The insurance company gave us a fair shake - paid all our damages.
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| a falling out |
a disagreement, a break in friendship
|
Guy and Jean had a falling out. They argued about religion.
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| a false move |
a wrong move, a threatening action
|
A man with a gun said, "If you make a false move, you're dead."
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| a far cry |
not similar, very different
|
This is good sherry, but it's a far cry from the amontillado.
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| a faraway look |
the eyes show thoughts of a distant place or friend
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When I mention horses, you get a faraway look in your eyes.
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| a fart in a windstorm |
an act that has no effect, an unimportant event
|
A letter to the editor of a paper is like a fart in a windstorm.
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| a fat lip |
a hit on the lip, an injured lip
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Stop bothering her or I'll give you a fat lip. I'll hit you.
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| a feather in your cap |
an honor, a credit to you, chalk one up for you
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Because you are Karen's teacher, her award is a feather in your cap.
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| a few bricks short of a full load |
not sensible or logical, not all there
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When Moe began eating bugs, we knew he was a few bricks short.
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