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full-court press
1. A strategy in basketball in which the defensive team applies pressure on the offensive team across the entire court. We were down by 15, so we ran a full-court press and started to create some turnovers.
2. By extension, an aggressive or increased effort to win or accomplish something. Congress pulled out a full-court press in an effort to get the bill passed.
out of court
Before trial or without litigation. The phrase is used to describe decisions, especially settlements, that are resolved before a case goes to trial. I have no desire to draw this out in a long trial, so let's offer to settle out of court.
kangaroo court
An unofficial court or a court that disregards current laws and conducts unfair trials. People who live under oppressive regimes are often treated harshly by corrupt kangaroo courts that don't abide by the law.
appear in court
To participate in legal proceedings. My lawyer and I have to appear in court today.
appear in court
to go to a court of law as a participant. She has to appear in court tomorrow. I have to appear in court for my traffic violation.
the ball is in someone's court
Fig. to be someone else's move, play, or turn. (From tennis.) The ball's in your court now. You do something. I can't do anything as long as the ball is in John's court.
have the ball in one's court
1. Lit. to have a ball belonging to a game played on a court on one's side of the court. You have the ball in your court, so hit it back to me!
2. . Fig. to be responsible for the next move in some process; to have to make a response to something that someone else has started. You have the ball in your court now. You have to answer the attorney's questions. There was no way that Liz could avoid responding. She had the ball in her court.
kangaroo court
a bogus or illegal court. Is this a staff meeting or a kangaroo court? You have turned this interview into a kangaroo court.
laugh something out of court
to dismiss something presented in earnest as ridiculous. The committee laughed the suggestion out of court. Bob's request for a large salary increase was laughed out of court.
pay court to someone
Fig. to solicit someone's attention; to woo someone. The lawyer was thought to be paying court to too many politicians. The lobbyist paid court to all the influential members of Congress.
stand up in court
[for a case] to survive a test in a court of law. Do you think that this case will stand up in court? These charges will never stand up in court. They are too vague.
take someone to court
to sue someone; to force someone to appear in court. I will take you to court if you persist in pestering my client. Don was taken to court in a negligence suit.
the ball is in your court
you need to react or answer We made a reasonable offer for the house, and now the ball is in their court.
Etymology: based on the sports meaning of court (the playing area in games like tennis)
hold court
to attract people who want your attention The actress held court with the reporters and photographers who followed her everywhere.
Etymology: based on the idea of a king who holds court (surrounds himself with people of high social rank and people who give advice)
have your day in court
to have the opportunity to make a complaint publicly and to have it judged fairly The attorneys said they were pleased that their clients got their day in court.
the ball is in somebody's court
if the ball is in someone's court, they have to do something before any progress can be made in a situation
Usage notes: In a game of tennis, if the ball is in your court then it is your turn to hit the ball.
I've told him he can have his job back if he apologizes. The ball's in his court now. get/have your day in court
(American & Australian) to get an opportunity to give your opinion on something or to explain your actions after they have been criticized She was fiercely determined to get her day in court and the TV interview would give it to her.
a full-court press
(American) a big effort to achieve something The Mayor has urged a full-court press for civil rights and fair housing in the city.
hold court
(humorous) to get a lot of attention from a group of people by talking in a way that is entertaining, especially on social occasions
Usage notes: In the past, a king or queen held court when they talked to the people who gave them advice.
You'll find Mick holding court in the kitchen. a kangaroo court
a court of law which is not official and which judges someone in an unfair way A kangaroo court was set up by the strikers to deal with people who had refused to stop working.
laugh something/somebody out of court
to refuse to think seriously about an idea, belief or a possibility (usually passive) At the meeting, her proposal was laughed out of court. Anyone who had made such a ludicrous suggestion would have been laughed out of court
ball's in your court, the
It's your responsibility now; it's up to you. For example, I've done all I can; now the ball's in your court. This term comes from tennis, where it means it is the opponent's turn to serve or return the ball, and has been transferred to other activities. [Second half of 1900s]
day in court, have one's
Have an opportunity to be heard, as in By asking Rob for an explanation the professor showed he was willing to let him have his day in court . This expression transfers the idea of a hearing in a court of law to more general use.
friend in court
Also, friends in high places. A person or persons who can help by virtue of their important position. For example, With a friend in court, he has a good chance of getting the contract, or Jim thinks he can get out of paying the fine; he has friends in high places. This expression alludes to the power of a person at the royal court. With the decline of monarchies, high places came into more common use. [c. 1400]
full-court press
An all-out effort to exert pressure. For example, She'd learned over the years how to deliver a full-court press of guilt. The term alludes to a basketball tactic in which the defenders put pressure on the opposing team over the entire court, trying to disrupt their dribbling and passing. [Late 1900s]
hold court
Be surrounded by and command the attention of admirers, subordinates, or hangers-on. For example, After a match Judy generally held court in the locker room. This expression alludes to royalty convening courtiers as well as a judge convening a court of law.
kangaroo court
A self-appointed tribunal that violates established legal procedure; also, a dishonest or incompetent court of law. For example, The rebels set up a kangaroo court and condemned the prisoners to summary execution, or That judge runs a kangaroo court-he tells rape victims they should have been more careful . This expression is thought to liken the jumping ability of kangaroos to a court that jumps to conclusions on an invalid basis. [Mid-1800s]
laugh out of court
Dismiss with ridicule or scorn, as in When he told them the old car could be repaired, they laughed him out of court. This expression, which originally referred to a case so laughable or trivial that a court of law would dismiss it, originated in ancient Roman times but has been used in English, without its former legal significance, since the late 1800s.
pay court to
Solicit the favors or affection of, as in If you want to win the daughter, you'll have to pay court to her mother. [Late 1500s]
the ball is in someone’s court
phr. to be someone else’s move, play, or turn. I can’t do anything as long as the ball is in John’s court.
pay court to
1. To flatter with solicitous overtures in an attempt to obtain something or clear away antagonism.
2. To seek someone's love; woo.