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3. were

were

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• (as) mad as a wet hen
• (as) mad as hops
• (one's) nerves are shot
• (someone's) hands are full
• are your ears burning?
• as if that were not enough
• as if there was/were no tomorrow
• as it were
• be (a bit) on the expensive side
• be (a bit) on the heavy side
• be (a bit) on the large side
• be (all) of a piece
• be (all) part of life's rich pageant
• be (all) part of life's rich tapestry
• be (as) blind as a bat
• be (as) busy as a bee
• be (as) clean as a whistle
• be (as) cold as ice
• be (as) dead as a doornail
• be (as) easy as one-two-three
• be (as) easy as rolling off (of) a log
• be (as) flat as a pancake
• be (as) fresh as a daisy
• be (as) hard as nails
• be (as) mad as a hatter
• be (as) nutty as a fruitcake
• be (as) old as the hills
• be (as) pleased as punch
• be (as) pure as the driven snow
• be (as) quiet as a mouse
• be (as) right as rain
• be (as) sick as a dog
• be (as) silent as the grave
• be (as) snug as a bug in a rug
• be (as) sober as a judge
• be (as) solid as a rock
• be (as) sound as a dollar
• be (as) stiff as a board
• be (as) strong as an ox
• be (as) stubborn as a mule
• be (as) thick as a brick
• be (as) thick as a shit
• be (as) thick as a short plank
• be (as) thick as thieves
• be (as) thin as a rail
• be (as) tough as old boots
• be (as) ugly as sin
• be (as) white as snow
• be (batting) on a losing wicket
• be (down) on (one's) uppers
• be (living) on another planet
• be (not) backward in coming forward
• be (not) big on (something)
• be (not) comme il faut
• be (not) on speaking terms
• be (not) out of the woods
• be (of) no use to man or beast
• be (one's) last resort
• be (out) on the piss
• be (out) on the razzle
• be (really) something
• be (right) on the money
• be (sitting) in the catbird seat
• be (sitting) on top of the world
• be (someone's) huckleberry
• be (strictly) for the birds
• be (stuck) in a rut
• be (the) bomb
• be (walking) on thin ice
• be a barrel of laughs
• be a bundle of laughs
• be a bundle of nerves
• be a card-carrying member (of something)
• be a chapter of accidents
• be a closed book
• be a cut above
• be a different kettle of fish
• be a howling success
• be a huckleberry above a persimmon
• be a license to print money
• be a loud mouth
• be a roaring success
• be a rough trot
• be a sight for sore eyes
• be a slave to (something)
• be a whole other kettle of fish
• be all eyes
• be all fingers and thumbs
• be all heart
• be all mouth
• be all smiles
• be all sweetness and light
• be all talk (and no action)
• be all the rage
• be all things to all men
• be all very well
• be all wet
• be along the lines of (something)
• be an apology for
• be an easy touch
• be an open book
• be another of life's great mysteries
• be anybody's guess
• be armed to the teeth
• be around
• be as (something) as they come
• be as American as apple pie
• be as bald as a coot
• be as bright as a button
• be as brown as a berry
• be as clear as crystal
• be as clear as day
• be as clear as mud
• be as cute as a button
• be as daft as a brush
• be as dead as a dodo
• be as deaf as a post
• be as dry as a bone
• be as dull as dishwater
• be as fit as a fiddle
• be as full as a boot
• be as gentle as a lamb
• be as good as gold
• be as good as gone
• be as good as new
• be as happy as a sandboy
• be as happy as Larry
• be as high as a kite
• be as honest as the day is long
• be as keen as mustard
• be as light as a feather
• be as mad as a hornet
• be as mad as a March hare
• be as nice as pie
• be as old as Methuselah
• be as poor as church mice
• be as regular as clockwork
• be as safe as houses
• be as scarce as hen's teeth
• be as sharp as a tack
• be as slippery as an eel
• be as sound as a bell
• be as stiff as a ramrod
• be as straight as a die
• be as white as a sheet
• be as/like oil and water
• be asleep at the wheel
• be at a crossroads
• be at a loose end
• be at a loss
• be at daggers drawn
• be at death's door
• be at each other's throats
• be at half-mast
• be at home
• be at it hammer and tongs
• be at loggerheads
• be at odds (with)
• be at pains
• be at peace with the world
• be at sea
• be at sixes and sevens
• be at the bottom of (something)
• be at the end of (one's) rope
• be at the mercy of (something)
• be at the wheel
• be au fait with
• be away with the fairies
• be back in harness
• be back on the rails
• be bad news
• be bang on
• be barking mad
• be beat
• be behind the eight ball
• be behind the times
• be below the belt
• be beside (oneself)
• be beside the point
• be beyond the pale
• be bitter and twisted
• be blasted to smithereens
• be blown to smithereens
• be bone dry
• be bone idle
• be bored to death
• be bound and determined
• be brain dead
• be bright and breezy
• be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed
• be broad in the beam
• be brought down a notch (or two)
• be brought down a peg (or two)
• be brought in from the cold
• be brought to account
• be built like a brick shithouse
• be built on sand
• be bulging at the seams
• be burnt to a crisp
• be carried out feet first
• be carved in stone
• be cast in cement
• be cast in concrete
• be cast in the same mould
• be caught in a time warp
• be caught in the crossfire
• be caught in the middle
• be caught off (one's) guard
• be caught short
• be caught with (one's) pants down
• be center stage
• be chalk and cheese
• be child's play
• be cleaned out
• be close to home
• be close to the bone
• be close to the mark
• be cold comfort
• be compos mentis
• be cooked
• be cooking on gas
• be dead and buried
• be dead from the neck up
• be dead from the waist down
• be dead in the water
• be dead meat
• be dead to the world
• be done in
• be done like a (dog's) dinner
• be done to a turn
• be done to death
• be doped to the gills
• be down in the dumps
• be down in the mouth
• be dragged kicking and screaming
• be dressed (up) to the nines
• be dressed to kill
• be duck soup
• be duty bound
• be easy meat
• be easy on the ear
• be easy on the eye(s)
• be economical with the truth
• be even (with someone)
• be every inch (something)
• be fair game
• be far and away
• be fed up to the back teeth
• be few and far between
• be fighting fit
• be fighting mad
• be first among equals
• be first past the post
• be fit to be tied
• be flat broke
• be floating on air
• be flying high
• be footloose and fancy-free
• be for the best
• be for the high jump
• be fresh from
• be fresh out of
• be full of beans
• be full of crap
• be full of holes
• be full of the joys of spring
• be game
• be given no quarter
• be going great guns
• be going spare
• be gone on
• be green with envy
• be gunning for
• be had
• be had up (for something)
• be half the battle (won)
• be half-cut
• be half-dead
• be hard put
• be hard up
• be hard-pressed
• be head over heels (in love)
• be heavy going
• be held in high esteem
• be held in high regard
• be hell on wheels
• be hell-bent on
• be higher than a kite
• be hit for six
• be home and hosed
• be home free
• be honor-bound to do (something)
• be hopping mad
• be hot and cold
• be hot off the press
• be hounded (by someone or something)
• be hunky-dory
• be ill at ease
• be in (a bit of) a jam
• be in (one's) dotage
• be in a (blue) funk
• be in a bad way
• be in a dream world
• be in a fix
• be in a groove
• be in a hole
• be in a lather
• be in a pickle
• be in a sorry state
• be in a spin
• be in a stew
• be in a sticky situation
• be in a tight spot
• be in a tough spot
• be in a transport of delight
• be in aid of
• be in another world
• be in apple-pie order
• be in bad odor with
• be in bad with (someone)
• be in bed with
• be in business
• be in cahoots
• be in clover
• be in deep shit
• be in deep water
• be in dire straits
• be in eclipse
• be in fighting trim
• be in fine fettle
• be in for a shock
• be in for a surprise
• be in for a treat
• be in full cry
• be in full flow
• be in full swing
• be in good company
• be in hand
• be in hot water
• be in line
• be in line for
• be in luck
• be in mint condition
• be in pole position
• be in Queer Street
• be in safe hands
• be in seventh heaven
• be in the air
• be in the balance
• be in the black
• be in the chips
• be in the clear
• be in the club
• be in the dark
• be in the doghouse
• be in the doldrums
• be in the driving seat
• be in the eye of the storm
• be in the firing line
• be in the first flush of
• be in the frame
• be in the front line
• be in the grip of
• be in the groove
• be in the hole
• be in the know
• be in the Land of Nod
• be in the land of the living
• be in the lap of the gods
• be in the limelight
• be in the loop
• be in the market for
• be in the money
• be in the pink
• be in the pipeline
• be in the pocket
• be in the public eye
• be in the pudding club
• be in the red
• be in the right place at the right time
• be in the right spot at the right time
• be in the saddle
• be in the same ballpark
• be in the same boat
• be in the short strokes
• be in the soup
• be in the spotlight
• be in the swim (of things)
• be in the thick of it
• be in the thick of things
• be in the throes of
• be in the wind
• be in the wrong
• be in too deep
• be in touch
• be in two minds
• be in with (someone)
• be in with a chance
• be in your face
• be joined at the hip
• be jolly hockey sticks
• be just a pretty face
• be just another pretty face
• be just the job
• be just what the doctor ordered
• be keen about
• be keen on
• be kept in the dark (about something)
• be kept on a short leash
• be kept on a tight leash
• be kicked to the curb
• be kicked upstairs
• be knee-deep in
• be knee-high to a grasshopper
• be knocked down a notch (or two)
• be knocked down a peg (or two)
• be knocked out cold
• be knocked out of the box
• be knocking on heaven's door
• be laid to rest
• be larger than life
• be left (out) in the cold
• be left hanging (in the air/in midair)
• be left holding the bag
• be left in the dark (about something)
• be left in the lurch
• be level pegging
• be light years away
• be light years away from
• be light-headed
• be like a bear with a sore head
• be like a bull in a china shop
• be like a cat on a hot tin roof
• be like a child in a sweetshop
• be like a deer caught in the headlights
• be like a dog with a bone
• be like a dog with two tails
• be like a fish out of water
• be like a kid in a candy store
• be like a spare prick at a wedding
• be like Fort Knox
• be like looking for a needle in a haystack
• be like oil and water
• be like painting the Forth Bridge
• be like rearranging (the) deckchairs on the Titanic
• be like ships in the night
• be like taking candy from a baby
• be like talking to a brick wall
• be like two peas in a pod
• be like watching grass grow
• be like watching paint dry
• be locked in a time warp
• be long in the tooth
• be looking for trouble
• be losing it
• be lost for words
• be lost in translation
• be lost on (someone)
• be made for
• be made of sterner stuff
• be man enough
• be meat and drink to (someone)
• be miles away
• be money for jam
• be more Catholic than the Pope (himself)
• be more fun than a barrel of monkeys
• be much of a muchness
• be near to impossible
• be neither fish nor fowl
• be neither one thing nor the other
• be new to the game
• be nip and tuck
• be no ball of fire
• be no bed of roses
• be no fool
• be no great shakes
• be no joke
• be no laughing matter
• be no match for
• be no oil painting
• be no picnic
• be no screaming hell
• be no slouch
• be no spring chicken
• be none the wiser
• be not a bed of roses
• be not for the faint-hearted
• be not half bad
• be not in Kansas anymore
• be not long for this world
• be not much cop
• be not much to look at
• be nothing (much) to write home about
• be nothing short of (something)
• be nothing to shout about
• be of like mind
• be of no account
• be of sound mind
• be of two minds
• be of unsound mind