Perhaps Kick someone when they are down Cause further misfortune to someone who is already in a difficult situation. From Oxford. "Don't kick a man when he's down."

If someone is sacrificing the employee in order to satisfy the other tyrant bosses, then perhaps Throw someone to the wolves Fig. to sacrifice someone to save the rest; to abandon someone to harm. ...

Not a single word, but one could call this a rookie mistake. An example is "Trump's Trade Chief Makes a Rookie Mistake". The Cato Institute’s Dan Ikenson recently took Navarro to task for ...

While they are similar, "Fish in a barrel" tends more towards the mindset of the predator: many opportunities for easy gain. "Sitting ducks" tends more towards mindset of the prey: they are unaware ...

Bite the hand that feeds you This idiom is used by an observer to say that a party being helped attacks the helper. (The observer has a sense of unfairness about the transaction. But there is probably ...

The French proverb implies that the expression of love indicates the sole reality of love. The proof is in the pudding implies that the real worth, success, or effectiveness of something can only be ...

Never give a sucker an even break. The Phrase Finder This phrase means that one should take advantage of those who are gullible or not well informed, if given the chance.

This would be an awkward silence. An awkward silence is an uncomfortable pause in a conversation or presentation. The unpleasant nature of such silences is associated with feelings of anxiety as ...

When a writer or speaker prevaricates, he chooses misleading words. Part of the M-W usage notes: Prevaricate and its synonyms "lie" and "equivocate" all refer to playing fast and loose with the ...

Flash has several dictionary entries, including: to break forth in or like a sudden flame or flare 4a. to break forth or out so as to make a sudden display to have sudden insight —often used with ...

Dictionary.com defines paragon as a model or pattern of excellence or of a particular excellence: a paragon of virtue. EDIT: Current usage of paragon in the context of films: Casablanca: ......

These everyday verbs have another feature: they have been in the English language for a long time. The oldest verbs were ones that were borrowed from other languages, or have come into English from ...

Let's put some actors on a stage to help us think about the shades of meaning between these words. Scene: Julie and Robert are discussing the difficulties of a life together. Julie's suitcase is ...

If this a debit card that is linked to an existing account, you might say you were "adding funds to my account" or "making a deposit." If this is a Stored Value card (perhaps bought from the store ...

In American English, a chocolate bar for baking is called Baking chocolate and "also referred to as bitter chocolate, cooking chocolate and unsweetened chocolate." (Wikipedia) If you called ...

Consider reconsider. to consider again, especially with a view to change of decision or action: ex., to reconsider a refusal. Parliamentary Procedure. to take up for consideration a second ...

The literary term is a tragic flaw. Tragic flaw is a literary device that can be defined as a trait in a character leading to his downfall and the character is often the hero of the literary piece. ...

I asked an online thesaurus for synonyms of clamor. Perhaps one of these would suit for the murmuring crowd: buzz brouhaha hubbub There was a [buzz/brouhaha/hubbub] as the CEO's resignation was ...

Pronouncing the hexadecimal letters A through F The default pronunciation for the letters are simply their English names, "ay, bee, see, dee, ee, eff." When reading off a hex MAC address, I ...

When native speakers see "Rite Company," said Company would like the patron to think "Right," as in "correct" or "accurate," or maybe even "righteous." There are no solemn ceremonies at Rite Aid or ...

While acknowledging the excellent answer from @Andrew Leach, one man's jargon is another man's specialized terminology. To the non-mathematician, this is jargon. To the logician, this is an ...

Perhaps you are satisficed with the gadget. Satisficing is a decision-making strategy or cognitive heuristic that entails searching through the available alternatives until an acceptability ...

In Strunk & White, E.B. White's answer was: Do not write nite for night, thru for through, pleez for please, unless you plan to introduce a complete system of simplified spelling and are ...

Quoth the talking horse from a 1960s American sitcom: A horse is a horse, of course, of course, And no one can talk to a horse, of course. That is, of course, unless the horse is the famous Mr....

I found a noble page with many rhetorical devices described. Included is the paradoxical Inclusion by Omission: There are two words that may apply. aposiopesis An unfinished thought or ...

To not "sit well with" as an idiom meaning that a situation is difficult to agree with or to accept. See not sit well at the Free Dictionary. Their example: The idea of declaring war does ...

Your Kung Fu reference is spot on. Here's a quote from Wikipedia concerning the sobriquet Grasshopper. One of his first instructors was the blind master named Po. Po considered Caine his ...

Contract The wood contracted. See the second definition. v.intr. 1. To enter into or make an agreement: contract for garbage collection. 2. To become reduced in size by or as if by being ...

When an author is writing a book, she or he may receive an Advance When a publisher is interested in acquiring a book manuscript, it usually offers the writer an advance against royalties, or advance ...

Your mileage may vary fits your first definition, "Mileage as a measure of fuel efficiency." In the US, the EPA has a procedure for how to estimate a car's mileage in the city and on the ...