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a rising tide lifts all boats
economics A strong economy benefits businesses and individuals at all levels. The phrase was popularized by US President John F. Kennedy. Thanks to the economy doing so well lately, our business has been booming. I guess it's really true what they say, that a rising tide lifts all boats.
happy as a clam at high tide
Very joyful and content. Clams are dug at low tide, so a clam at high tide would be able to remain uncaught. Look at your sister out there! She's happy as a clam at high tide now that she's back in the starting lineup again. I know I'll be happy as a clam at high tide once I get this stupid cast off my leg.
time and tide tarry for no man
One cannot stop or slow the passage of time. A less common variant of the phrase "time and tide wait for no man." If you're unhappy with your life, make changes as soon as you can because time and tide tarry for no man.
go with the flow
and go with itInf. to cope with adversity; to accept one's lot. No, just relax and go with the flow. Go with it. Don't fight it.
go with the tide
Fig. to move along with the effect of outside forces. I just go with the tide. I never fight fate. She just goes with the tide, never giving a thought to thinking for herself.
swim against the tide
and swim against the current 1. Lit. to swim in a direction opposite to the flow of the water. She became exhausted, swimming against the tide. If you really want strenuous exercise, go out in the stream and swim against the current.
2. Fig. to do something that is in opposition to the general movement of things. Why can't you cooperate? Do you always have to swim against the tide? You always seem to waste your energy swimming against the current.
There is a tide in the affairs of men.
Prov. If you have a favorable opportunity to do something, do it, or you will lose your chance. (From Shakespeare's play, Julius Caesar.) I think that this is the best possible time to start our own business. We shouldn't hesitate. There is a tide in the affairs of men.
tide someone over (until something)
to supply someone until a certain time or until something happens. Will this amount tide us over until next week? There is enough food here to tide over the entire camp until next month. Yes, this will tide us over.
tide turned
1. Lit. the tide changed from high tide to low tide or vice versa. The tide turned before the ship had sailed out of the harbor.
2. Fig. the trend changed from one thing to another. We planned our investments to take advantage of the growth of the stock market. Then the tide turned and we lost buckets of money.
Time and tide wait for no man.
Prov. Things will not wait for you when you are late. Hurry up or we'll miss the bus! Time and tide wait for no man. Ellen: It's time to leave. Aren't you finished dressing yet? Fred: I can't decide which necktie looks best with this shirt. Ellen: Time and tide wait for no man, dear.
turn the tide
Fig. to cause a reversal in the direction of events; to cause a reversal in public opinion. It looked as if the team were going to lose, but near the end of the game, our star player turned the tide. At first, people were opposed to our plan. After a lot of discussion, we were able to turn the tide.
go with the flow
to do what other people are doing or agree with their opinions
In large organizations, there's always a tendency to go with the flow. I never know what to expect when I'm with them, so I've learned that the best thing to do is just go with the flow. Usage notes: the opposite meaning is expressed by go against the flow: Not basing my life on making money has meant having to go against the flow of our culture.
stem the tide
to stop something from increasing This law may stem the tide of pollution of our beautiful river from the factories built along its banks.
tide somebody over
also tide over somebody to supply someone with something they need for a short period We were lucky and got a small loan to tide us over until our customers began to pay us. They're seeking food aid to tide over the starving population until the next harvest.
turn the tide
to completely change the direction of something
The new medicine turned the tide for my father, and he was out of the hospital in a few days. Better rifles for the army helped turn the tide of the war. Usage notes: usually said about a condition, opinion, or process
drift with the tide
to agree with other people without thinking about things for yourself and making your own decisions We are looking for someone with the ability to lead rather than just drift with the tide.
go with the flow
to do what other people are doing or to agree with other people because it is the easiest thing to do I wasn't very keen on the decision but it was easier just to go with the flow.
stem the tide
to stop something bad which is happening a lot (often + of ) We have to stem the tide of emigration if our economy is to recover. Ohio State were losing 24-48 when Jackson stepped in to stem the tide.
go/swim against the tide
to do the opposite of what most other people are doing It's not easy to go against the tide in defence of your principles. (sometimes + of ) He always seemed to be swimming against the tide of public opinion.
See drift with the tide, stem the tide, turn the tideturn the tide
to change a situation or people's opinions to the opposite of what they were before The government had planned cuts in the armed forces, but when war broke out, the military saw a chance to turn the tide.
go with the flow
Also, go with the tide. Move along with the prevailing forces, accept the prevailing trend, as in Rather than striking out in new directions, I tend to go with the flow, or Pat isn't particularly original; she just goes with the tide. The flow in the first and more colloquial term, which dates from the late 1900s, alludes to the ebb and flow of tides and probably gained currency because of its appealing rhyme.
happy as the day is long
Also, happy as a lark; happy as a clam (at high tide). Extremely glad, delighted, very cheerful, as in He was happy as the day is long, or When she heard the news she was happy as a lark, or Once I got the test results I was happy as a clam at high tide. The first of these similes dates from the late 1700s. The second alludes to the lark's beautiful, seemingly very happy, song. The third, from the early 1800s, alludes to the fact that clams can only be dug at low tide and therefore are safe at high tide; it is often shortened to happy as a clam.
stem the tide
Stop the course of a trend or tendency, as in It is not easy to stem the tide of public opinion. This idiom uses stem in the sense of "stop" or "restrain." [Mid-1800s]
swim against the current
Also,
swim against the stream or tide . Go against prevailing opinion or thought, as in
I'm voting for him even if that is swimming against the current. Shakespeare used a similar metaphor in
2 Henry IV (5:2): "You must now speak Sir John Falstaff fair, which swims against your stream." For the antonym, see
swim with the tide.
swim with the tide
Go along with prevailing opinion or thought, as in
Irene doesn't have a mind of her own; she just swims with the tide. In the late 1600s this idiom was also put as
swim down the stream, a usage not much heard today. The present form was first recorded in 1712. For the antonym, see
swim against the current.
tide over
Support through a difficult period, as in I asked my brother for $100 to tide me over until payday. This expression alludes to the way the tide carries something. [Early 1800s]
time and tide wait for no man
One must not procrastinate or delay, as in Let's get on with the voting; time and tide won't wait, you know. This proverbial phrase, alluding to the fact that human events or concerns cannot stop the passage of time or the movement of the tides, first appeared about 1395 in Chaucer's Prologue to the Clerk's Tale. The alliterative beginning, time and tide, was repeated in various contexts over the years but today survives only in the proverb, which is often shortened (as above).
turn of the tide
A reversal of fortune, as in This last poll marked the turn of the tide, with our candidate gaining a sizable majority. Similarly, to turn the tide means "reverse a situation," as in The arrival of reinforcements turned the tide in the battle. This idiom transfers the ebb and flow of the ocean's tides to human affairs. Although the idea is much older, the precise idiom dates from the first half of the 1800s.
tide over
v. To sustain or support someone or something through a period of deficiency or absence: A $100 loan would tide me over till payday.
go with the flow
and go with it in. to cope with adversity; to accept one’s lot. No, just relax and go with the flow.
red tide
n. a menstrual period. (Punning on the name of a tidal phenomenon where the water appears reddish owing to the presence of certain kinds of microscopic creatures.) Sorry, she’s down with the red tide and really prefers to stay home.