ounce

12-ounce curls

The act of drinking beer (which is commonly sold in 12-ounce cans), jokingly likened to a weightlifting exercise. The only exercise John seems to do these days is 12-ounce curls. Oh boy, you two were working on your 12-ounce curls at the bar again tonight, huh? A: "I've got to get back to the gym this week for real." B: "What, you mean doing 12-ounce curls every weekend isn't cutting it?"

See also: curl

an ounce of common sense is worth a pound of theory

proverb Sound, practical, common-sense solutions will always be more beneficial than abstract theoretical ones. You can talk and talk about the socioeconomic analyses your department has undertaken to help solve the homelessness crisis, but as ever before, an ounce of common sense is worth a pound of theory—the only thing we need right now is more affordable housing! I know you're looking into some out-of-the-box ways to lose weight, but you should save your time and money. Just eat less, eat healthy, and exercise more—an ounce of common sense is worth a pound of theory. I hated having to read those philosophical texts in college. To me, an ounce of common sense is worth a pound of theory, you know?

See also: an, common, of, ounce, pound, sense, theory, worth

an ounce of discretion is worth a pound of wit

proverb It is much better to know when to refrain from speaking than to have the ability to make jokes or witty remarks, which may come at an inappropriate time or be about an inappropriate subject. Now's not the time for one of your lewd jokes, Frank. Didn't anyone ever teach you that an ounce of discretion is worth a pound of wit? Hey, if the boss is clearly angry, it's not a good time to transform into a stand-up comedian. Geez, an ounce of discretion is worth a pound of wit! I like to use humor to defuse tension, but even I know that an ounce of discretion is worth a pound of wit!

See also: an, discretion, of, ounce, pound, wit, worth

an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure

proverb Working to stop something from happening is easier and more effective than trying to resolve or recover from it later. Unless you want to be violently ill for days, get the flu shot now—an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure, you know. Councilor, I am of the firm belief that an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure, and investing in social and educational programs has been proven to be more effective at reducing crime than simply strengthening the police force to combat it! My husband is sick, so I've increased my vitamin C intake. An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure, or so they say.

See also: an, better, cure, of, ounce, pound, prevention

an ounce of prevention is better than an ounce of cure

proverb Working to stop something from happening is easier and more effective than trying to resolve or recover from it later. Unless you want to be violently ill for days, get the flu shot now—an ounce of prevention is better than an ounce of cure, you know. Councilor, I am of the firm belief that an ounce of prevention is better than a ounce of cure, and investing in social and educational programs has been proven to be more effective at reducing crime than simply strengthening the police force to combat it! My husband is sick, so I've increased my vitamin C intake. An ounce of prevention is better than an ounce of cure, or so they say.

See also: an, better, cure, of, ounce, prevention

an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure

proverb Working to stop something from happening is easier and more effective than trying to resolve or recover from it later. Unless you want to be violently ill for days, get the flu shot now—an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, you know. Councilor, I am of the firm belief that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and investing in social and educational programs has been proven to be more effective at reducing crime than simply strengthening the police force to combat it! My husband is sick, so I've increased my vitamin C intake. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, or so they say.

See also: an, cure, of, ounce, pound, prevention, worth

an ounce of sense

Used primarily in negative constructions.

1. A tiny or fundamental amount of sound, practical judgment, understanding, or intelligence. Used after "have." Jimmy almost crossed the street without looking up from his cell phone. That boy doesn't have an ounce of sense! Does Barry have an ounce of sense? Why would he tell his parents in advance that he's planning on sneaking out to go to the party? Shirley would rather spend a day and a half riding a train there, instead of just taking a three-hour flight? Wow, she doesn't have an ounce of sense, does she?

2. A modicum of meaning or coherency. Used after "make." The movie's action scenes were very exciting, but its plot didn't make an ounce of sense. Can you make an ounce of sense out of these strange markings? Is it some sort of code? Math has never made an ounce of sense to me. It feels like I'm looking at a foreign language!

See also: an, of, ounce, sense

not have an ounce of sense

To not have any sound, practical judgment or intelligence whatsoever. Jimmy almost crossed the street without looking up from his cell phone. That boy doesn't have an ounce of sense! Those fools up in marketing don't have an ounce of sense. How do they think this ad campaign about skiing is going to help us sell underwear?

See also: an, have, not, of, ounce, sense

not make an ounce of sense

1. To be totally incoherent or incomprehensible. The movie's action scenes were very exciting, but its plot didn't make an ounce of sense. Math has never made an ounce of sense to me. It feels like I'm looking at a foreign language!

2. To not seem at all practical or a good idea. You want to spend a day and a half riding a train to get there, instead of just taking a three-hour flight? I'm sorry, but that doesn't make an ounce of sense to me.

See also: an, make, not, of, ounce, sense

with every ounce of (one's) being

With the entirety of one's energy, effort, or conviction. I'm going to fight with every ounce of my being to make this company a success! I hate that no good parasite with every ounce of my being. She believes with every ounce of her being that she has what it takes to be a great artist.

See also: being, every, of, ounce

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

ounce of common sense is worth a pound of theory

Prov. Common sense will help you solve problems more than theory will. The psychologist had many elaborate theories about how to raise her child, but often forgot that an ounce of common sense is worth a pound of theory.

See also: common, of, ounce, pound, sense, theory, worth

ounce of discretion is worth a pound of wit

Prov. Knowing when to refrain from making jokes is better than being able to make jokes all the time. Mabel makes fun of everybody, regardless of whether or not she hurts their feelings. Someone should tell her that an ounce of discretion is worth a pound of wit.

See also: discretion, of, ounce, pound, wit, worth

ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure

Prov. If you put in a little effort to prevent a problem, you will not have to put in a lot of effort to solve the problem. Brush your teeth every day; that way you won't have to go to the dentist to have cavities filled. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. If you get in the habit of being careful with your new stereo, chances are you won't break it and have to have it fixed later. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

See also: cure, of, ounce, pound, prevention, worth

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

more bang for the buck

Also, more bounce for the ounce. More value for one's money, a greater return on an investment. For example, Buying a condominium is better than renting for years and years; more bang for the buck , or We always get the largest packages of dog food-more bounce for the ounce. The first term originated in the late 1960s in the military for expenditures for firepower and soon was extended to mean an increased financial return or better value. The variant originated in the mid-1900s as an advertising slogan for a carbonated soft drink.

See also: bang, buck, for, more

ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, an

It is easier to forestall a disaster than to deal with it. For example, The new law makes all children under twelve wear bicycle helmets-an ounce of prevention. This ancient proverb is first recorded in Latin in Henry de Bracton's De Legibus (c. 1240) and has been repeated ever since, often in shortened form.

See also: an, of, ounce, pound, prevention, worth

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.