Arts idioms
Arts idioms referred to the terminology and idioms originating in arts and music.
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Dance[]
Dance around ____[]
Dance at the end of one's chain[]
Dance on the edge[]
Dance to ____'s tune[]
Last dance[]
Same dance, different tune[]
See if you can dance[]
Song and dance[]
Drama[]
"Break a leg" []
Telling someone to break a leg was a counter-curse said to performers before they went onstage.
In 2369, Deanna Troi told William T. Riker to break a leg the day before his big performance in Frame of Mind. He then replied that he'd "try not to take you literally." (TNG: "Frame of Mind")
In 2375, just prior to The Doctor's taking on the role of President of Earth in The Adventures of Captain Proton to acquire the aid of photonic lifeforms who believed the events of the program were real, B'Elanna Torres told him to break a leg. (VOY: "Bride of Chaotica!")
"Bury yourself in the part"[]
To bury oneself in a part was to become overly immersed in the role one was playing.
In 1986, when "Professor Scott" referred to Leonard McCoy as his assistant while visiting Plexicorp, McCoy warned the engineer not to bury himself in the part. (Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home)
"Get this show on the road"[]
Meant to get something underway.
(ENT: "Azati Prime")
(VOY: "Bride of Chaotica!")
"On cue"/"Our cue"/"Take a cue from" []
To do something on cue was to perform an action upon command or prompt. One's cue was the prompt in question, while to take a cue from someone was to do something that they would do.
In 2369, George Primmin explained his strategy against Rao Vantika by saying he took a cue from Odo's earlier actions against him. (DS9: "The Passenger")
In 2372, Quark guessed (wrongly) that Lenara Kahn performed a sleight of hand trick involving an egg by swallowing it prior to entering Quark's and then regurgitating it on cue. Jadzia Dax informed him he was incorrect yet again. (DS9: "Rejoined")
Later, Joseph Sisko suggested that a smart Shapeshifter would absorb the blood of a poor victim and release it on cue when a blood sample was called for. (DS9: "Homefront")
"Stage is set" []
The stage is set meant that the correct scenario/setting was in place for an event to occur.
In 3074, a copy of The Doctor left behind on the Kyrian and Vaskan homeworld acknowledged that their simulation of USS Voyager's encounter with them was at least founded on reality, if not true to it, saying, "Well, the stage is certainly set, but I'll have to rewrite the characters and revise the plot a little." (VOY: "Living Witness")
"Stars of the show"[]
"Two-bit player"[]
Upstage ______[]
"Waiting in the wings"[]
Something waiting in the wings is not currently active or realized, but will soon be.
In 2373, Rear Admiral Bennett justified the Federation position on Genetic engineering, saying, "For every Julian Bashir that can be created, there's a Khan Noonien Singh waiting in the wings." (DS9: "Doctor Bashir, I Presume")
Film[]
That's a wrap[]
Meant that an action had concluded successfully.
Literature[]
In one's book[]
Something that was in one's book was a practice that one supported the usage of and/or intended to employ again should the situation call for it.
In 2267, after Leonard McCoy got a pregnant Eleen to submit to his ministrations by means of a right cross, James T. Kirk noted that he had never seen that technique in a medical book. McCoy then replied, "It's in mine from now on." (TOS: "Friday's Child")
"Read someone like a book" []
To read someone like a book was to be able to immediately know what they were thinking.
In 2376, after a newly resurrected Lyndsay Ballard felt she'd crossed a line by referring to herself as dead in front of Harry Kim, he dismissed her belief that she'd misspoke. She then reasserted her belief, saying, "Just because I've been gone for three years doesn't mean I can't still read you like a book." (VOY: "Ashes to Ashes")
"Take a page from one's book" []
To take a page from one's book was to do something that the other person would do.
In, when informing a version of Kathryn Janeway from another timeframe about Seska, Chakotay recommended that when dealing with her, they ought to take a page from Janeway's rulebook, by attempting diplomacy. Janeway added to the metaphor by saying that the next page of the book necessitated a backup plan should diplomacy fail. (VOY: "Shattered")
In 2404 of a reality where Voyager returned to the Alpha Quadrant in 2394, Lana and the Doctor (aka "Joe") eloped, an action which "Joe" described as being taken from fellow romantic Tom Paris's book. (VOY: "Endgame")
Music[]
"Fit as a fiddle"[]
To be as fit as a fiddle was to be healthy.
In 2369, Rao Vantika, while inhabiting the body of Doctor Julian Bashir, assured Miles O'Brien that Bashir was still fit as a fiddle, despite his being unconscious so that Vantika could use his body. (DS9: "The Passenger")
"Music to my ears" []
Something which was music to (one's) ears was an occurrence or sound that one found pleasing.
In 2372, Quark described the 72 decibel ambiance of Quark's to be music to his ears. (DS9: "The Way of the Warrior")
In 2375, Kasidy Yates found Benjamin Sisko's welcome home greeting to be music to her ears. (DS9: "Take Me Out to the Holosuite")
Later, Vic Fontaine called the popping of a champagne cork music to his ears. (DS9: "Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang")
"Number one with a bullet"[]
Something that was number one with a bullet was the best.
Andy Billups described Sam Rutherford as his number-one-with-a-bullet systems guy. (LD: "Envoys")
External link[]
"Play it by ear" []
To play (something) by ear meant to rely on one's sense of hearing to learn how to play a piece of music, rather than sheet music. Metaphorically, it meant to improvise based on the way a situation was proceeding, rather than follow a pre-determined plan.
In 2152, Jonathan Archer told T'Pol that after he had secured Shran's trust, he would play it by ear from then on. (ENT: "Cease Fire")
"Same dance, different tune"[]
The same dance, different tune meant that one's situation was still essentially the same, even if it looked different.
Sonny Clemonds attributed his ability to adjust to life in the 24th century to it being the "same dance", but with a "different tune". (TNG: "The Neutral Zone")
"Same (old) song"[]
To be "same (old) song" meant that something hadn't changed.
In 2266, Eve McHuron lamented Ben Childress's excuses, saying, "Oh, the sound of male ego. You travel halfway across the galaxy, and it's still the same song." (TOS: "Mudd's Women")
In 2365, Davies described the results of his scan on the Selcundi Drema system as the same old song. (TNG: "Pen Pals")
In 2373, Kol dismissed a Takarian sandal maker reasons why he needed a loan ("My sandal shop is failing. I can no longer feed my family.") as being the same old song. (VOY: "False Profits")
"Singing a different tune"[]
To sing a different tune was to have a different opinion about something than one had previously expressed.
In 2267, when Korob asked to learn something of James T. Kirk's science, Kirk was surprised by his newly conciliatory attitude, and noted that the man seemed to be singing a different tune. (TOS: "Catspaw")
"Strike a chord with"[]
"Take it from the top"[]
Meant to start from the beginning.
In 1986, Pavel Chekov's interrogator told the Russian to take it from the top; a confused Chekov asked him, "the top of what"? (Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home)
In 2256, annoyed at having to tell Gabriel Lorca again and again why he was on USS Discovery, Harry Mudd retorted, "I really can't take it from the top for you all over again, Lorca." (DIS: "Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad")
"Tickle the ivories"[]
Meant to play (ivory keys of) the piano.
In 2381, while Twaining with Sam Rutherford, both dressed as Mozart, Brad Boimler said, "Then let us tickle the ivories." (LD: "Something Borrowed, Something Green")
Visual arts[]
"Connect the dots"[]
To connect the dots meant to draw a conclusion from several data points, much as one created a picture of an object by drawing lines to reveal the outline.
"Carved in marble"[]
To have one's face carved in marble was to be immovable and emotionless.
In 1893, a gambler described a poker face as being carved in marble. (TNG: "Time's Arrow")
"Paint someone" []
To be painted a particular way was to be portrayed, as if in a painting.
In 2269, James T. Kirk found an Excalbian recreation of Colonel Phillip Green to be different than history painted him; namely, wishing to avoid conflict and leave without further incident. "Green" noted that "History tends to exaggerate." (TOS: "The Savage Curtain")
"Veneer of _____"[]
To have a veneer of something was to present oneself on the surface as being one way, while underneath, they were the opposite.
According to Spock, pon farr "brings a madness which rips away our veneer of civilization." (TOS: "Amok Time")
In 2372, Quark reminded his nephew Nog that "Under that placid Federation veneer, Humans are still a bunch of violent savages." (DS9: "Little Green Men")
In 2373, after Julian Bashir described the reaction of his fellow doctors to his research paper as uncivilized, Jake Sisko replied that they seemed polite to him, but Bashir assured Jake that it was just a veneer. (DS9: "Nor the Battle to the Strong")
In 3190, Jet Reno assured an insecure Adira Tal that "I think it's pretty safe to assume that everyone, no matter what calm veneer they present, is kind of a mess. " (DIS: "Rosetta")
| Figures of speech |
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