Memorize these and you could recognize 7.5% of all Phrases clues.
| # | Answer | Appearances | Sample Clue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | = | 15 | = |
| 2 | three sheets to the wind | 6 | Stewed to the gills, nautically speaking |
| 3 | paint the town red | 6 | To go out & celebrate boisterously, particularly by hitting bars & other nightspots |
| 4 | Mork & Mindy | 4 | "Na nu, na nu" |
| 5 | Get Smart | 4 | "Sorry about that, Chief" |
| 6 | fish | 4 | A predicament may be "a fine kettle" of these |
| 7 | Time | 4 | In a traditional story opening, this prepositional phrase follows "once" |
| 8 | the Rubicon | 4 | To make an irrevocable decision, from action taken by Julius Caesar, touching off war in Rome |
| 9 | salad days | 4 | A time of youthful inexperience when, to quote Shakespeare, one is "green in judgment" |
| 10 | cake | 4 | The old saying about having this and eating it, too appeared in a 1546 book of proverbs |
| 11 | Curiosity killed the cat | 4 | This expression is used to caution someone dangerously inquisitive |
| 12 | pink | 4 | It may amuse you to know that this phrase means to be delighted or overjoyed |
| 13 | the nines | 3 | The term "dressed to" these may be a corruption of "dressed to then eyne", meaning "to the eyes" |
| 14 | the mustard | 3 | Someone who's not up to snuff can't cut this condiment |
| 15 | The Honeymooners | 3 | "One of these days, Alice, one of these days... pow! Right in the kisser!" |
| 16 | the fourth estate | 3 | Originating in France, it's a numerical term for the journalistic profession |
| 17 | The Flintstones | 3 | "Yabba dabba do!" |
| 18 | purple | 3 | People of royal birth are said to be "born to" or "in" this color |
| 19 | New Year's Day | 3 | Portuguese banks are closed on o dia de ano novo, which is this holiday |
| 20 | Mudville | 3 | When disappointed, we sometimes say "There's no joy in" this town--just like when Casey struck out |
| 21 | Mission: Impossible | 3 | "Your mission, Jim, should you choose to accept it..." |
| 22 | keep your fingers crossed | 3 | Phrase meaning "wish me luck", from the old superstition of making the sign of the cross to ward off evil |
| 23 | How I Met Your Mother | 3 | "Suit up!" |
| 24 | Gesundheit | 3 | Used to mean "To your health", it's most often said after someone sneezes |
| 25 | alma mater | 3 | Meaning "bountiful mother", it's been used for centuries to refer to the school someone attended |
| 26 | a red herring | 3 | A fishy distraction |
| 27 | a diamond | 3 | Someone who has potential but lacks polishing is said to be like this "in the rough" |
| 28 | salt | 3 | An honored guest at a dinner party is said "to sit above" this seasoning |
| 29 | yellow journalism | 2 | Sensationalistic reporting in a magazine or newspaper |
| 30 | Who Wants to Be a Millionaire | 2 | "Is that your final answer?" |
| 31 | Waterloo | 2 | To suffer a crushing defeat is "to meet your" this, as Napoleon did June 18, 1815 |
| 32 | war | 2 | Postmortem means after death; postbellum is after this |
| 33 | vice versa | 2 | A 1988 body-switching movie comedy, or a 2-word Latin term meaning "conversely" |
| 34 | uncle | 2 | Give up during a fight & you may be forced to "say" or "cry" this relative |
| 35 | two cents | 2 | From 1864 to 1873, if you wanted to put your this "in", you could use a U.S. coin of that amount |
| 36 | The X-Files | 2 | "The truth is out there" |
| 37 | The Waltons | 2 | "Good night, John-Boy" |
| 38 | the sword of Damocles | 2 | A weapon that hung by a thread at King Dionysius' banquet gave us this "cutting" phrase for impending danger |
| 39 | The Simpsons | 2 | "Don't have a cow, man!" |
| 40 | the seventh-inning stretch | 2 | Now synonymous with taking a brief break from a long period of sitting, it may date back to an 1882 baseball game |
| 41 | The Price is Right | 2 | "Come on down" |
| 42 | the limelight | 2 | The center of attention onstage is sometimes in this kind of light |
| 43 | the gills | 2 | A person who looks scared is said to be "white about" these fish features |
| 44 | the beans | 2 | When you give away a secret, you "spill" these |
| 45 | The Bachelor | 2 | "Will you accept this rose?" |
| 46 | the 8 ball | 2 | In the game of Kelly pool it's unlucky to find your cue ball behind this one |
| 47 | the 12th man | 2 | Kyle Field, where the Aggies play football, "is the home of" this numerical symbolic fella |
| 48 | Survivor | 2 | "The tribe has spoken" |
| 49 | Steve Martin | 2 | "Well, excuuuuuse me!" |
| 50 | square | 2 | It's the perfect shape for a fair deal or a satisfying meal |