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spill
don't cry over spilled milk
Don't be upset over something that cannot be fixed, often something minor. Don't cry over spilled milk—we already submitted the report, so we can't fix it now. Oh, honey, you just fell down and ripped your stockings. You'll be fine, don't cry over spilled milk.
spare at the spigot and spill at the bung
To be frugal with trivial matters and reckless with more significant ones. The phrase describes the incongruity of turning off water at the spigot but leaving the bung, or stopper, off the reservoir. A: "Dad never lets us turn the heat up in the winter because it's too expensive, yet he ignores any problem around the house until it becomes a major repair." B: "I know, he always spares at the spigot and spills at the bung." I know you like to spare at the spigot and spill at the bung, but you would save so much money in the long run if you got a new car, instead of repairing all these nagging issues.
spill (one's) seed
slang To ejaculate. Think about something other than spilling your seed for once!
cry over spilled milk
Fig. to be unhappy about what cannot be undone. (See also
It's no use crying over spilled milk.)
He is always crying over spilled milk. He cannot accept reality. It can't be helped. Don't cry over spilled milk. It's no use crying over spilled milk.
and Don't cry over spilled milk.Prov. Do not be upset about making a mistake, since you cannot change that now. I know you don't like your new haircut, but you can't change it now. It's no use crying over spilled milk. OK, so you broke the drill I lent you. Don't cry over spilled milk.
spill one's guts
Sl. to tell all; to confess. I had to spill my guts about the broken window. I didn't want you to take the blame. Mary spilled her guts about the window. She confessed that she was trying to shield Bob.
spill (out) into something
and spill (over) into somethingto be so great in number or volume as to expand into another area. The crowd spilled out into the street. The well-wishers spilled over into the neighbor's yard.
spill out (of something)
to scatter, flow, or drop out of something. All the rice spilled out of the box onto the floor. The rice spilled out on the floor.
spill over
1. [for a container] to overflow. I hope your bucket of water doesn't spill over. The milk glass spilled over because it was filled too full.
2. [for the contents of a container] to overflow. The bucket is too full. I don't know why the water doesn't spill over. The milk spilled over because you overfilled the glass.
spill over on(to) someone or something
[for something] to scatter, flow, or drop (out of something) onto someone or something. The bowl of milk spilled over onto the children when they jarred the table. The bowl spilled over on the floor.
spill the beans
and spill the worksFig. to give away a secret or a surprise. There is a surprise party for Heidi on Wednesday. Please don't spill the beans. Paul spilled the works about Heidi's party.
take a fall
and take a diveto fake being knocked out in a boxing match. Wilbur wouldn't take a fall. He doesn't have it in him. The boxer took a dive in the second round and made everyone suspicious.
take a spill
to have a fall; to tip over. (Also with bad, nasty, quite, etc. Also with have.) Ann tripped on the curb and took a nasty spill. John had quite a spill when he fell off his bicycle.
spill the beans
to let secret information become known My husband was afraid to spill the beans about the cost of his purchases.
spill your guts
to tell secret or personal information She thinks you should share such things only with your family, and not spill your guts to every stranger you see.
spill over
to reach or influence a larger area The fighting may spill over the border and start a wider war. Layoffs in one industry often spill over into other industries.
spill the beans
to tell people secret information It was then that she threatened to spill the beans about her affair with the president.
spill your guts
(American & Australian informal) to tell someone all about yourself, especially your problems Why do people take part in these shows and spill their guts on camera in front of a studio audience?
shed blood
Also, spill blood. Wound or kill someone, especially violently. For example, It was a bitter fight but fortunately no blood was shed, or A great deal of blood has been spilled in this family feud. Both of these terms allude to causing blood to flow and fall on the ground. The first dates from the 1200s. The variant amplifies the verb spill, which from about 1300 to 1600 by itself meant "slay" or "kill"; it was first recorded about 1125.
spill the beans
Disclose a secret or reveal something prematurely, as in You can count on little Carol to spill the beans about the surprise. In this colloquial expression, first recorded in 1919, spill means "divulge," a usage dating from the 1500s.
take a fall
1. Also, take a spill. Suffer a fall, fall down, as in You took quite a fall on the ski slopes, didn't you? or Bill took a spill on the ice.
2. Be arrested or convicted, as in He's taken a fall or two and spent some years in jail. [Slang; 1920s]
spill
in. to confess. (Underworld.) The cops tried to get her to spill, but she just sat there.
spill one’s guts (to someone)
and spill one’s guts on someone tv. to tell all; to confess; to pour one’s heart out to someone. (see also
spew one’s guts (out).)
I had to spill my guts to someone about the broken window. spill one’s guts on someone
verbspill one’s guts
verbspill the beans
and spill the works tv. to give away a secret or a surprise. There is a surprise party for Heidi on Wednesday. Please don’t spill the beans. Sorry, I didn’t mean to spill the works.
spill the works
verbtake a fall
and take a dive1. tv. to fake being knocked out in a boxing match. The boxer took a dive in the second round and made everyone suspicious.
2. tv. to get arrested. (see also
take the fall.)
I didn’t wanna take a fall, but the cop left me no choice. spill the beans
To disclose a secret.
cry over spilled milk
To regret in vain what cannot be undone or rectified.
shed blood
1. To wound or kill in a violent manner.
2. To be wounded or killed: "For he today that sheds his blood with me / Shall be my brother" (Shakespeare).
shed (someone's) blood
To wound someone or take someone's life, especially with violence.
Common Names:
| Name | Gender | Pronounced | Usage |
|---|
| Dido | | - | Roman Mythology |
| Ladislav | | - | Czech, Slovak, Slovene, Croatian |
| Algar | | | |
| Luciana | | loo-CHAH-nah (Italian), loo-THYAH-nah (Spanish), loo-SYAH-nah (Latin American Spanish) | Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Ancient Roman |
| Elle | | EL | English (Modern) |
| Benson | | BEN-sən | English |