let (the) perfect be the enemy of (the) good
To allow the demand, desire, or insistence for perfection decrease the chances of obtaining a good or favorable result in the end. (Usually used in the negative as an imperative.) I know you want your research paper to be great, but don't let perfect be the enemy of good, or you won't even finish it in time! As a manager, you have to realize both the potential and the limits of your employees, so be sure not to let the perfect be the enemy of the good.
sworn enemy
A person, group, or organization for whom one holds a particularly intense, deep-seated hatred. Our environmentalist lobby group is heading out to protest against Big Oil, our sworn enemy.
enemy combatant
A term, popularized during the post-9/11 War on Terror, applied to a captured fighter who was allowed fewer rights than those laid out in the Geneva Convention. Many of the enemy combatants captured in Afghanistan were taken to be held at special military sites.
keep your friends close and your enemies closer
Be very aware of your enemies' behavior in order to detect and avoid any malicious actions. A: "Why were you talking to Katie? I thought you hated her." B: "I'm trying to see if she has any dirt on me for the student council debate. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer, right?"
my enemy's enemy is my friend
A phrase highlighting how a common enemy can be a unifying force for otherwise disparate groups or people. I didn't want to work with that organization until I realized that we all wanted to keep the same candidate out of the White House. That's when I realized that my enemy's enemy is my friend.
no plan survives contact with the enemy
Military plans always need to be changed once they are enacted in real-life military situations. The saying emphasizes the need for flexibility, as opposed to strict adherence to strategy. It is attributed to Helmuth von Moltke the Elder, a 19th-century Prussian field marshal. Men, be ready to make changes on the battlefield—we all know that no plan survives contact with the enemy.
the enemy of my enemy is my friend
A phrase highlighting how a common enemy can be a unifying force for otherwise disparate groups or people. I didn't want to work with that organization until I realized that we all wanted to keep the same candidate out of office. That's when I realized that the enemy of my enemy is my friend.
be (one's) own worst enemy
To do things that complicate one's life and/or keep one from success; to be self-destructive or self-sabotaging. Of course Tommy started skipping school again—he's his own worst enemy. She always sabotages a relationship when it's going really well because she's her own worst enemy.
best is the enemy of the good
Prov. If you are too ambitious and try to make something better than you are capable of, you may ruin it. Bob: After I revise it a few more times, my novel will be the best ever written. Alan: I don't think you should revise it any more. Remember, the best is the enemy of the good. In fundraising as in other areas, the best is the enemy of the good. If you ask someone for a larger contribution than he can possibly give, he may give you nothing at all.
The good is the enemy of the best.
Prov. Instead of making things the best that they can, people often settle for making them merely good. Mother: Aren't you going to rewrite your paper? Child: Why? It's good enough. Mother: The good is the enemy of the best.
I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy.
and I wouldn't wish that on a dog.Fig. I would not wish that to happen to even the worst or lowliest person. A skunk sprayed him! I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy. What a hideous disease! I wouldn't wish that on a dog.
*one's own worst enemy
Fig. consistently causing oneself to fail; more harmful to oneself than other people are. (*Typically: be ~; become ~.) Ellen: My boss is my enemy. She never says anything good about me. Jane: Ellen, you're your own worst enemy. If you did your job responsibly, your boss would be nicer.
With friends like that, who needs enemies?
(humorous) something that you say when someone you thought was your friend treats you in an unpleasant way He told my girlfriend I was boring. With friends like that, who needs enemies!
be your own worst enemy
if you are your own worst enemy, you do or believe things that prevent you from becoming successful Unless he learns to be more confident, he'll never get a decent job. He's his own worst enemy.
public enemy number one
someone or something that many people do not like or approve of Inflation has been public enemy number one for this government.
I/You wouldn't wish something on my/your worst enemy.
something that you say in order to emphasize that something is extremely unpleasant The effects of this disease are horrible. You wouldn't wish them on your worst enemy.