The leaders of this war have the blood of many thousands of people on their hands.
2) Bring To Heel-to force someone to obey one's wishes or commands, to make someone act in accordance with one's authority-
The boy had always behaved badly, but the new headmaster managed to bring him to heel.
3) Fit As A Fiddle-to be very healthy and strong-
My grandmother's 89, but she's as fit as a fiddle.
4) Blow Something Out Of Proportion-to make something seem more important or serious than it really is-
It's ridiculous - we have a tiny disagreement and you blow the whole thing out of proportion!
5) Be Out Of The Woods-to no longer be in danger or difficulty-
The project has been given funding for another year, but it's not out of the woods yet.
6) Crack Of Dawn-a time very early in the morning, daybreak-
I've been up since the crack of dawn, working on the assignment.
7) Come To A Head-to reach a point of intensity at which action must be taken-
Tensions in our community came to a head following the mayor's insensitive comments.
8) Lay Out In Lavender-to scold someone severely-
She was really mad. She laid him out in lavender and really put him in his place.
9) Till The Cows Come Home-for an indefinitely long time-
Those two could talk till the cows came home.
10) A Rap On/over The Knuckle-the act of speaking to someone severely or angrily because of something they have done or failed to do-
I got a rap on the knuckles for not finishing my essay on time.
11) To The Gunwales-as full as it can be, to the very top-
You should have seen this old book store. There were books stacked to the gunwales!
12) A Safe Pair Of Hands-someone who you can trust to do an important job well, without making mistakes-
That struggling company really needs a leader who is a safe pair of hands and can make some positive changes.
13) A Piece Of The Action-a part of the profits or advantages that come from an activity-
When it comes to lawsuits, everyone seems to want a piece of the action.
14) Out Of Sorts-to be slightly ill or slightly unhappy-
I think something is bugging John, because he's been rather out of sorts lately.
15) Turn The Tables-to change a situation so that you now have an advantage over someone who previously had an advantage over you-
She turned the tables on her rival with allegations of corruption.
16) Find One's Calling-to discover and pursue one's true and inherent passion, skill, or vocation-
Many students leave college and realize that they still have yet to find their calling.
17) Be On A Hiding To Nothing-to be likely to fail, to be in a futile situation-
You're on a hiding to nothing if you think you're going to get a raise out of the boss.
18) A Foregone Conclusion-a result that can be predicted with certainty, an inevitable result-
Considering the poor performance of the team so far this season, it's a foregone conclusion that they won't make it to the championship.
19) State Of The Art-very modern and using the most recent ideas and methods-
The control panel uses all the newest technology and is considered state-of-the-art.
20) Smell Fishy-to seem suspicious-
Something about the deal smelled fishy - it was too good to be true.
