Anatomical idioms

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A list of anatomical idioms by body part.

Arm

At arm's length

To keep something "at arm's length" is to keep it from influencing oneself or to not allow a relationship to become friendly.

When Chakotay sought advice from Tuvok regarding Captain Janeway's behavior in 2375, he admitted that they'd kept one another "at arm's length." (VOY: "Night")

Sisko kept Kira at arm's length due to his being uncomfortable with her seeing him as a religious icon. (DS9: "Starship Down")

A hallucination of Harry Kim in Gre'thor tells B'Elanna Torres that she's kept the USS Voyager crew "at arm's length." (VOY: "Barge of the Dead")

Run into the arms of

Welcome with open arms

To welcome someone with open arms was to welcome them in a friendly and hospitable way.

Alixus stated that she and her people welcomed Sisko and O'Brien with open arms. (DS9: "Paradise")

Rom described Ishka as always being there for Quark with open arms. (DS9: "Ferengi Love Songs")

Within (arm's) reach

For something to be "within arm's reach," or simply to be "within reach," meant for it to be very close or achievable. (ENT: "Terra Nova", "These Are The Voyages..."; VOY: "Spirit Folk") Contrarily, for something to be "(just) out of reach," meant for it to be very close, but unattainable. (TOS: "Balance of Terror"; DS9: "Change of Heart"; VOY: "Non Sequitur", "One Small Step")

Jean-Luc Picard told Gul Macet that he knew that the Cardassian research station, located within arm's reach of three Federation sectors, was indeed a weapons depot, and that while recent events could have made things much worse than they already were, and that they should consider themselves warned. (TNG: "The Wounded")

Following USS Voyager's discovery of the extremely dangerous, but deuterium-rich, Planet Hell, Ensign Harry Kim reminded the senior staff of the meek alternatives to the ship's low deuterium crisis, offering the idiom rich, "What's the alternative? Resume course? Creep along at quarter impulse hoping we find fuel before we end up dead in the water? We've got deuterium within arm's reach. We can't let the opportunity slip away without at least trying." (VOY: "Demon")

Back

Back to the wall

If one's back was to the wall, one was in a bad position.

Miles O'Brien once warned Captain Picard that if Captain Maxwell felt his back was to the wall, he would strike. (TNG: "The Wounded")

Behind one's back

To do something behind one's back is to act without their knowledge.

Kira once stated to an alternate universe's parallel to Quark that her universe's Quark often succeeded at doing things behind the backs of security personnel. (DS9: "Crossover")

Captain Janeway told Tuvok not to act on his logic behind her back. (VOY: "Prime Factors")

Keep/get someone off one's back

To keep/get someone off one's back was to prevent them from pursuing the speaker.

Kira asked Odo to keep the Dominion patrols off their backs. (DS9: "Sacrifice of the Angels")

Quark realised that Morn had scammed him to keep his (Morn's) enemies off his back. (DS9: "Who Mourns for Morn?")

Pat on the back

A pat on the back referred to praise.

When Janeway praised Paris for seemingly putting Voyager in a planet's orbit, he responded that she was "patting the wrong guy on the back" since the ship had stopped on its own. (VOY: "Blink of an Eye")

Stab in the back

Stand on the backs of someone

Turn one's back on someone

To turn one's back on someone meant to abandon them.

Boyce stated that one either faced up to life, or turned one's back on it, the latter of which was detrimental. (TOS: "The Cage")

Garak was surprised that Odo saw his homeworld as "home", since he had turned his back on his fellow Changelings. (DS9: "The Die is Cast")

Weyoun referred to some rogue Jem'Hadar as having turned their backs on their oath of allegiance to the Domnion. Later, Worf told Sisko not to turn his back on Omet'iklan. (DS9: "To the Death")

Worf said that after being arrested, the Klingon empire would turn its back on Darvin, and he would become an outcast. (DS9: "Trials and Tribble-ations")

The Romulans apparently had a saying, which was not to turn one's back on a Breen. (DS9: "By Inferno's Light")

Loews warned Bashir not to turn his back on Jack. (DS9: "Statistical Probabilities")

Kira warned Quark not to turn his back on Keevan. (DS9: "The Magnificent Ferengi")

Watch one's back

To watch one's back was to be alert.

When Bashir wanted to know what the dangerous situation Kira was alerting him to was, she replied, "I don't have time to explain. Just watch your back; you're in danger.", which confused him even more. (DS9: "Crossover")

Sisko warned Dax that they both had to watch their backs during a Jem'Hadar attack. (DS9: "The Ship")

When O'Brien, Nog, Garak, Boq'ta, Pechetti, Amaro, and Stolzoff went on a salvage mission to Empok Nor, they were instructed to watch one another's backs. (DS9: "Empok Nor")

O'Brien warned Bashir to watch his back after Sloan had questioned O'Brien about Bashir. (DS9: "Inquisition")

Blood

Bad blood

If two people or groups had bad blood, they had animosity.

When Jake Sisko suggested setting the Cardassians and Jem'Hadar against each other, he said that the two species had bad blood. (DS9: "Behind the Lines")

Blood brother

Somebody's blood brother was their very close friend and honorary sibling.

Kor considered Dax his blood brother. (DS9: "The Sword of Kahless")

(Smell) blood in the water

Blood in the water was anything that attracted the attention of the enemy.

Jack Crusher surmised that the Shrike was following blood in the water, i.e. a leak of some kind. Seven of Nine suggested it might be verterium, which proved true. (PIC: "Seventeen Seconds")

According to Laira Rillak, the other five primarchs smelled blood in the water after Moll killed Ruhn. (DIS: "Lagrange Point")

Blood is thicker than water

Meant that familial bonds outweighed bonds between non-family members.

Janeway defined this idiom to Seven of Nine when explaining why she might have a strong urge to help three former members of her unimatrix. (VOY: "Survival Instinct")

Blood oath

A blood oath was a very solemn oath.

A blood oath between Klingons was considered unbreakable. Dax once took a blood oath with Kor to kill the man who had killed Dax's godson, who was also Kor's son. (DS9: "Blood Oath")

Blood on one's hands

To have blood on one's hands was to be guilty of a serious, and usually lethal, infraction.

Kodos made many reference to his previous killing of numerous people as causing him to have blood on his hands. (TOS: "The Conscience of the King")

Blood runs

Cold-blooded

The term cold-blooded, in addition to its informal scientific meaning, was also applied to an individual who lacked emotion or was deliberately callous.

When Captain Picard sheepishly approached Doctor Beverly Crusher following her arrival onboard the USS Enterprise-D to apologize for his conduct on the bridge when welcoming her aboard, he emphasized that "I didn't want you thinking me harsh. Cold-blooded." When asked why she would ever think that, he explained that, "I didn't welcome you aboard personally, professionally. I made you come to me on the bridge. I yelled at your son. Who, as you pointed out, was quite correct." (TNG: "Encounter at Farpoint")

When the USS Enterprise-D struck a quantum filament in 2368, and the ship was under the threat of a containment breach, Ensign Ro Laren suggested that should separate the saucer and get as far as they could from the drive section. Chief Miles O'Brien, however, felt that her suggestion was "damn cold-blooded," leaving all of those people in that section behind. Ro argued that ""there's no evidence that anyone is still alive in the drive section," but O'Brien argued back that, there was "no evidence they're dead, either. If you were trapped down there, would you like us to just cut you loose and leave?" (TNG: "Disaster")

The unnamed albino Klingon rhetorically asked Dax if her blood oath required her to kill him in cold blood. (DS9: "Blood Oath")

O'Brien once noted that it was cold-blooded of the Founders to establish dominance over the Jem'Hadar by forcing an addiction upon them, to which Odo replied that Changelings did not have blood. (DS9: "The Abandoned")

Gul Dukat called Garak a heartless, cold-blooded killer. (DS9: "In Purgatory's Shadow")

During Gul Dukat's questioning of Captain Benjamin Sisko if he was among those that supported the post-Bajoran Occupation vilification, Sisko diplomatically replied, "I wasn't there during the occupation. I didn't see all the things you had to struggle with day after day. I don't think I can pass judgement." However, a hallucination of Kira Nerys told Dukat that, "he's just doesn't want to anger you. He really thinks you're a vicious, cold-blooded killer, Dukat, and so do I." (DS9: "Waltz")

In one's blood

Something that was in one's blood was a quality they possessed naturally.

Salia was told she had the ability to lead in her blood. (TNG: "The Dauphin")

Spill blood

To spill blood was to kill, or be otherwise violent.

Damar stated that he was willing to spill Klingon blood to "get the job done". (DS9: "Apocalypse Rising")

Bone

Bone up

Bone of contention

Bred in the bone

Chilled to the bone

Flesh and bone

In one's bones

Not have the backbone

To not have the backbone to do something was to not be brave enough to do it.

Kirk accused the Organians of lacking the backbone to fight and protect their loved ones. (TOS: "Errand of Mercy")

Sticks and stones breaking bones

Meant that insults were trivial compared to physical injuries.

Quark told Grilka, "Sticks and stones" when she accused Ferengi of being dishonest, larcenous, cowardly, disloyal, and dishonorable. (DS9: "The House of Quark")

Voyager's EMH once riffed on the expression by saying that "sticks and stones won't break my bones, so you can imagine how I feel about being called names." (VOY: "Basics, Part II")

Throw someone a bone

Brain

Brain someone

Meant to hit them on the head.

In 2267, Kirk reported that some Denevans tried to brain him and the landing party with clubs. (TOS: "Operation -- Annihilate!")

Brain teaser

Brainwashing

Cross brains

Meant to match wits or outsmart.

In 2266, after Spock parried Dave Bailey's comments about his adrenaline gland, Hikaru Sulu noted, "You try to cross brains with Spock, he'll cut you to pieces every time." (TOS: "The Corbomite Maneuver")

Fuzz in one's brain

Knock one's brains out

Pick one's brain

Scramble one's brains

Start one's brains

(The) brains

The smart person in the group, as opposed to "brawn" (strong person).

Twisted brain

Brow

Lowbrow

Weigh heavy on one's brow

Buttocks

Haul one's butt

Kick in the/kicking one's butt

To kick someone's butt was to defeat them.

When Keiko O'Brien was supporting her husband Miles for his upcoming racquetball match with Julian Bashir, she said to him, "Kick his butt". (DS9: "Rivals")

Harry Kim referenced the idiom when Janeway asked him and Tom Paris if they won a drunken game against some aliens, and Harry responded, "Yes, ma'am; we kicked their... racquets." (VOY: "Survival Instinct")

When Sisko advised Nog to confront the Klingons when they bothered him, since that was what a Klingon would have done and would thus earn him their respect, Jake joked, "Or get your butt kicked. One or the other." (DS9: "Blaze of Glory")

Pain in the backside/ass

Save one's butt

To save someone's butt was to rescue them.

When Chakotay pointed out that if Paris tried to save him by getting onto some collapsing stairs, that would run the risk of killing them both, Paris responded, "Yeah? But on the other hand, if I save your butt, your life belongs to me." (VOY: "Caretaker")

Sit on one's butt

Chest

Bosom buddies

Mean very close friends.

According to Madeline, the last time Dixon Hill had a new case, Hitler and Stalin were bosom buddies. (TNG: "Manhunt")

Getting something off one's chest

Ears

All ears

To be all ears was to be willing to listen.

In 2374, Nilva stated he was all ears when he wanted to hear Lumba's advertising ideas for Slug-o-Cola. (DS9: "Profit and Lace")

Admiral Paris once stated that he was all ears when offering to hear Reg Barclay out, regarding his newest idea about Voyager. (VOY: "Pathfinder")

An ear for languages

Be one's ears

To be somebody's ears was to hear things for them that they could not.

Odo described the Obsidian Order as the ears (and eyes) of the Cardassian empire. (DS9: "The Wire")

When a Malon admitted he had been spying on the EMH, he noted that the EMH was meant to be the Malon's eyes and ears. (VOY: "Tinker Tenor Doctor Spy")

Believe one's ears

Bend someone's ear

To bend someone's ear meant to excessively talk to them.

When Francis Sullivan told Janeway that she hoped Michael Sullivan wasn't bending Janeway's ear, she responded, "My ear, my elbow" since she and Michael had been arm wrestling. (VOY: "Fair Haven")

Bring the room down around one's ears

Ears are burning

Falling on deaf ears

"Falling on deaf ears" meant something that some believe should be heeded was not.

In 2369, Captain Picard told Dr. Crusher that the discovery made from Professor Galen's research would have been more fitting to Galen's legacy if only it "had not fallen on such deaf ears." (TNG: "The Chase")

Weyoun once told Major Kira that her pleas to have Rom not executed for terrorism would fall on deaf ears. (DS9: "Favor the Bold")

In 2372, Neelix believed diplomatic negotiation with the Botha might fall on deaf ears. (VOY: "Persistence of Vision")

In 2374, The Doctor complained that his requests for a larger sickbay were falling on deaf ears. (VOY: "Waking Moments")

From your mouth to someone's ears

Get an earful

Have ears everywhere

To have ears everywhere meant to have a lot of surveillance.

Grimp used this idiom to refer to the FCA. (DS9: "Bar Association")

Having someone's ear

Keep one's ears open

To keep one's ears open meant to listen out and be alert.

When Odo instructed Quark to keep his ears open, he responded that this was the seventh Rule of Acquisition. (DS9: "In the Hands of the Prophets")

Sisko said that the key to field study was to keep one's eyes and ears open. (DS9: "The Ascent")

Kira told Tekeny Ghemor that she had kept her ears open for news about him. (DS9: "Ties of Blood and Water")

Music to one's ears

If a sound or phrase was music to one's ears, the speaker enjoyed hearing it.

Quark once claimed that his bar being loud was music to his ears. (DS9: "The Way of the Warrior")

Not for one's ears

If something was not for one's ears, they weren't allowed to hear it.

The female Founder told a Jem'Hadar that the conversation she and Odo were about to have were not for his ears. (DS9: "Broken Link")

Open one's ears

Play it by ear

Sympathetic ear

A sympathetic ear was a willingness to listen to people's problems and offer sympathy.

Ambassador Troi once offered Odo a sympathetic ear in relation to his finding out that his species were in charge of the Dominion. (DS9: "Fascination")

Martus Mazur claimed that he enjoyed offering a sympathetic ear to people. (DS9: "Rivals")

Talk one's ears off

To talk somebody's ears off meant to talk a lot, to their annoyance.

In an alternate future, Jake Sisko speculated that Morn, who was now running the bar owned by Quark in the prime timeline, was "talking his customers' ears off and drinking himself out of business". (DS9: "The Visitor")

Tin ear

Toss someone out on their ear

Turn a deaf ear

Up to one's ears

To be up to one's ears in something meant to have an undesirably high amount of it.

Quark once played with the expression by saying he was up to his lobes in debt. (DS9: "Business as Usual")

Wet behind the ears

To be wet behind the ears meant to be young and immature.

According to Bashir, 22 year old Hector Ilario was metaphorically wet behind the ears. (DS9: "Field of Fire")

Whisper poison in one's ear

To whisper poison in somebody's ear meant to say harmful things to them.

Gul Dukat once stated that Garak whispered poison into Ziyal's ear. (DS9: "In Purgatory's Shadow")

Elbow

Elbow grease

Up to one's elbows in something

To be up to one's elbows in something meant to be very busy with it.

O'Brien promised to have Jake, who he was making his apprentice, up to his elbows in thorium grease. (DS9: "Paradise"))

Eyes

An eye for

To have an eye for something meant to be good at noticing it.

Harry Mudd claimed to have an eye for beauty. (TOS: "I, Mudd")

Curzon Dax admitted to having an eye for women. (DS9: "Facets")

An eye for an eye

An affront to the eye

Another set of eyes

As far as the eye can see

A sight for sore eyes

Meaning: Something that was pleasing to look at.

• In 2376, Harry Kim remarked that he would not want to bunk with the great explorers of the past. Tom Paris remarked that that would be a sight for sore eyes. (VOY: "Memorial")
• Shortly thereafter, after making contact with Voyager again, Lyndsay Ballard remarked that Captain Janeway was a sight for sore eyes. (VOY: "Ashes to Ashes")
• Later that year, the con artist Dala used the expression sarcastically upon seeing Tuvok. (VOY: "Live Fast and Prosper")

Bedroom eyes

Bedroom eyes were eyes that either possessed a flirtatious expression, were sexually attractive, or both.

Arissa made a pass at Odo by telling him he had bedroom eyes, which confused him, as nobody had referred to his eyes thusly before. (DS9: "A Simple Investigation")

Before one's eyes

If something was before one's eyes, the person could see it.

Kirk referred to seeing past images of Captain Pike before his eyes. (TOS: "The Menagerie, Part 2")

Believe one's eyes

To believe one's eyes was to accept what one was seeing as true.

Garak once claimed that "Elim" couldn't believe his eyes when he saw him give latinum away to some homeless children. (DS9: "The Wire")

Be one's eyes

To be somebody's eyes was to see things on their behalf.

Akuta described himself as the eyes of Vaal. (TOS: "The Apple")

Odo described the Obsidian Order as the eyes (and ears) of the Cardassian empire. (DS9: "The Wire")

The Borg Queen once asked Seven of Nine to be the Borg collective's eyes, i.e. to give them the Human perspective, in assisting the collective in assimilating Humanity. (VOY: "Dark Frontier")

When a Malon admitted that he had been spying on the EMH, he said, "You were supposed to be our eyes and ears on Voyager."

Be unable to take one's eyes off of something

Bring a tear to one's eye

If something brought a tear to one's eye, it made them cry out of sadness.

Quark once asked if it brought a tear to Miles O'Brien's eye when he said goodbye to his brothers when leaving for Starfleet Academy. (DS9: "Invasive Procedures")

Bring out one's eyes

Catch one's eye

To catch someone's eye was to get their attention, usually in a positive way.

When Gul Dukat developed feelings for Kira Meru, a legate noted that she had caught Dukat's eye. (DS9: "Wrongs Darker than Death or Night")

Evil eye

Eye of the storm

Eye on the ball

Eye opener

An eye opener was an enlightening situation.

Zephram Cochrane told a non-corporeal alien that was inhabiting Nancy's body that everything from then on would be an eye opener for her. (TOS: "Metamorphosis")

Eyes glazing over

If someone's eyes glazed over, they became distracted due to lack of interest.

When Nilani would tell Torias about wanting to study theoretical quantum physics, his eyes glazed over. (DS9: "Rejoined")

Eyes in the back of one's head

Eyes say

If someone's eyes said something, they saw the thing.

When Garak was having a shared comatose hallucination of the past, in which everyone saw him as a Bajoran, he claimed that he could prove he was Cardassian even if the people's eyes said otherwise. (DS9: "Things Past")

Eyes tricking someone

If someone's eyes tricked them, they saw something that was not actually true.

When McCoy thought that Nancy Crater, who unbeknownst to him, was actually an alien impersonating her, did not look any older since he had last seen her, he commented that his eyes may be tricking him. (TOS: "The Man Trap")

Fire in one's eyes

Follow someone with one's eyes

To follow someone with one's eyes was to stare after them.

Eve accused Kirk's men of following her with their eyes. (TOS: "Mudd's Women")

For one's eyes alone/only

If something was for someone's eyes alone or for their eyes only, only they were permitted to see it.

Kira said that Starfleet Command sent about a thousand messages for Benjamin Sisko's eyes only. (DS9: "You Are Cordially Invited")

Tolar commented that the personal mission Sisko had offered to work with him on was for Sisko's eyes only. (DS9: "In the Pale Moonlight")

Nog was delivering a diplomatic message for the Grand Nagus's eyes only. (DS9: "Valiant")

Good eye

Have eyes

In a pig's eye

Meant that the previous statement was not true.

When Spock claimed that his uncharacteristically joyful response to Kirk having survived the fight between them both was logical, in that he was allegedly expressing relief that a skilled captain had not been lost, McCoy replied, "Your reaction was quite logical... in a pig's eye." (TOS: "Amok Time")

In the eyes of someone

In the eyes of someone meant in that person's perspective.

Spock told Kirk that the latter had no right to appear vulnerable in the eyes of his crew. (TOS: "The Enemy Within")

Spock told Kirk that it was perhaps unwise admitting to Nomad that he was a biological unit, since that would make Kirk appear imperfect in its eyes. (TOS: "The Changeling")

Worf claimed to have disgraced himself in the eyes of his people. However, Gowron said that Worf could redeem himself in the eyes of his people. (DS9: "The Way of the Warrior")

In the eye of the beholder

Keep an eye on

To keep an eye on someone or something was to watch them or it carefully.

When Worf, Kor, and Dax were trying to decide who should sleep and who should guard the Sword of Kahless, Kor told Dax to sleep, offering to keep an eye on Worf. (DS9: "The Sword of Kahless")

Worf told Sisko to keep a close eye on Garak during an away mission. (DS9: "In Purgatory's Shadow")

When Quark was flirting with Arissa, she advised him to keep an eye on his business instead. He retorted that he could keep his eyes on more than one thing at once, but then she pointed out a man cheating at the dabo wheel. (DS9: "A Simple Investigation")

Tekeny Ghemor admitted to having kept an eye on Kira Nerys. (DS9: "Ties of Blood and Water")

Brunt told Quark that if the latter went back into business, he could keep his eye on him. (DS9: "Ferengi Love Songs")

Quark asked the female Founder if she was there to keep an eye on the war effort. (DS9: "Behind the Lines")

Odo told security to keep an eye on Tolar. (DS9: "In the Pale Moonlight")

Watters promised to keep an eye on Jake Sisko due to not trusting him. (DS9: "Valiant")

Keep an eye out

To keep an eye out for something meant to search for it.

Sisko told Worf to keep an eye out for Klingon ships. (DS9: "The Way of the Warrior")

Keep/have one's eye(s) on

Keep one's eyes open

Meant that something could keep one awake or alert.

A Klingon told Kirk, who had failed to notice him, to keep his eyes open, or he would "shut them permanently". (TOS: "Errand of Mercy")

Neelix promised that a firenut blend would keep eyes open. (VOY: "Mortal Coil")

Look one in the eye

Melting eyes

Misty eyed

Meant overwhelmed by sentimentality, to the point of being close to tears.

According to Jadzia Dax, Worf sometimes got misty-eyed when discussing Klingon rituals. (DS9: "You Are Cordially Invited")

More than meets the eye

My eye

Meant the previous statement was far from accurate. Miles O'Brien referred to rival darts player Julian Bashir sarcastically, saying, "Sector Champion, my eye." (DS9: "Rivals")

Herbert Rossoff dismissed stale donuts as "delicious, my eye." (DS9: "Far Beyond the Stars")

Naked eye

New eyes

Open one's eyes

To open one's eyes was to take the time to observe one's surroundings.

In an alternate timeline, Sisko advised his son Jake to take breaks to open his eyes when writing, and then Jake passed that advice onto Melanie. (DS9: "The Visitor")

Eddington referred to abandoning his worldview to one that was unlike Sisko's as opening his eyes, and told Sisko to open his own eyes. (DS9: "For the Cause")

A preacher hallucinated by Benjamin Sisko (who believed he was Benny Russell) used this idiom when preaching about the Prophets. (DS9: "Far Beyond the Stars")

Private eye

Pull the wool over one's eyes

To pull the wool over someone's eyes was to deceive them by lying.

When Chakotay was worried he was gullible due to Seska having "pulled the wool over [his] eyes", Tuvok assured him that he was not gullible, since Seska had pulled the wool over both of their eyes. (VOY: "State of Flux")

See eye to eye

To see eye to eye was to amicably agree.

Gul Dukat said that despite him and Kira seldom seeing eye to eye, both cared about his daughter Tora Ziyal. (DS9: "Sons and Daughters")

Sisko said that he and Kai Winn often did not see eye to eye, but both believed that the Prophets had a plan for Bajor. (DS9: "The Reckoning")

Set/lay eyes on

To set eyes on or lay eyes on something meant to see it.

Worf recalled the first time he set eyes on the Great Domes of Kronos. (DS9: "The Sword of Kahless")

After scanning a Bajoran artifact, Dax joked, "I had a pretty good idea what this was the minute I laid eyes on it. That confirms it; it's a slab of stone with some writing on it." (DS9: "The Reckoning")

Sharp eye

A sharp eye referred to keen observation skills.

Sulu stated that fencing sharpened the eye. (TOS: "The Naked Time")

Koloth once stated that a sharp knife was useless without a sharp eye, but Kor retorted that it had been forty years since even Kor's "good" eye was sharp. (DS9: "Blood Oath")

Snake eyes

Through the eyes of

To see a situation through the eyes of someone else was to see it from their perspective.

When Sisko called Alixus contemptible, she told him to attempt to see the situation through her people's eyes. (DS9: "Paradise")

Trained eye

Turn a blind eye

To turn a blind eye to something meant to ignore it.

Sisko said that, due to the Romulans' non-aggression pact with the Dominion, they were willing to turn a blind eye to nearly everything in the name of friendship. (DS9: "In the Pale Moonlight")

Undressing someone with one's eyes

When one was a gleam in another's eye

Wink/blink of an eye

The wink of an eye or blink of an eye referred to a very short period of time.

Jake Sisko lied that a baseball card depicting Willie Mays had appeared in the blink of an eye. (DS9: "In the Cards")

When Voyager was trapped in the atmosphere of a planet for whom time moved very fast, Janeway suggested that they find a way to escape "unless we want to live our lives in the blink of an eye". (VOY: "Blink of an Eye")

With one's eyes closed/open

To do something with one's eyes closed was to do it without much knowledge of it. Conversely, to do it with one's eyes open was to do it with plenty of knowledge.

Nilani married Torias with her eyes wide open, since she knew the risks of marrying a pilot. (DS9: "Rejoined")

Face

Blow up in one's face

If something blew up in one's face, it failed spectacularly, to the person's detriment.

Sisko said that his plan to fake Dominion plans against Romulus blew up in his face when Vreenak realised the data rod was a fake. (DS9: "IN the Pale Moonlight")

Long face

A long face was a gloomy disposition.

Vic Fontaine asked Odo why he had a long face, and he replied that Vic had not instructed him on what to do regarding Kira and Shakaar. (DS9: "His Way")

Face-to-face

Meant in person.

McCoy noted that he and his crew had never met Romulans face-to-face. (TOS: "Balance of Terror")

Eddington was surprised that, after an eight-month pursuit, all Sisko had to say to him now that the two were face-to-face was that Eddington knew a lot about betrayal. (DS9: "For the Uniform")

O'Brien once noted that he and Garak were face-to-face. (DS9: "Empok Nor")

Sisko said that he didn't know why he failed to pay attention to his instinct not to trust Tolar, but that he soon came face-to-face with the idea that he had made a mistake. (DS9: "In the Pale Moonlight")

Inner face

Somebody's inner face was their internal emotional state.

When Spock was under the effects of some psychotropic spores, Leila told him that he had no need to hide his inner face. (TOS: "This Side of Paradise")

Save face

Meant to keep from embarrassing oneself.

(TNG: "The High Ground")

Feet

A foot in two worlds

At one's feet

Cold feet

Cold feet was an idiom for jitters, i.e. anxiety associated with an impending event that was considered greatly important.

When Keiko decided to call off the wedding between her and Miles O'Brien, Geordi posited that she did not really want to end their relationship; she just did it due to cold feet. Data defined the term "cold feet" and asked if that meant the cancellation was temporary, and Geordi affirmed. (TNG: "Data's Day")

When Kasidy Yates-Sisko was explaining that she wasn't going to turn down a job for the sole reason of Benjamin Sisko's nervousness at the prospect of her moving closer to him, she said, "Do you think I'd give up a great opportunity just because you got cold feet?" (DS9: "Indiscretion")

When Worf brought up his and Dax's wedding, she asked if he was getting cold feet. (DS9: "A Time to Stand")

When Chakotay in an alternate timeline was afraid of changing the timeline for fear of losing his girlfriend Tessa, he wasn't sure what to call the feeling, suggesting the terms "last minute jitters" and "cold feet". (VOY: "Timeless")

Find one's footing

Flat-footed

Flat-footed meant to be in an awkward situation.

Bashir once did a lot of medical research, noting that he did not want Elizabeth Lense to catch him flat-footed. (DS9: "Explorers")

Follow in someone's footsteps

To "follow in someone's footsteps" meant to emulate them.

When Noonien Soong admitted to Data that he would have preferred it if Data had become a scientist instead of a Starfleet officer, Data responded, "To follow in your footsteps, as it were." (TNG: "Brothers")

When Julian Bashir, Odo, and Benjamin Sisko discovered that Ibudan had murdered his clone, and that another clone of his had just been created, Odo hoped the second clone would not "follow in his donor's footsteps." (DS9: "A Man Alone")

Watters observed that Jake Sisko was not following in his father Benjamin's footsteps. (DS9: "Valiant")

Foot in the door

Get off on the wrong foot

My foot

Off/(back) on one's feet

On foot

One foot in the grave

To have one foot in the grave meant to be close to death.

In a comatose hallucination experienced by Dr. Bashir, Miles O'Brien told an artificially-aged Bashir that he appeared to have one foot in the grave. (DS9: "Distant Voices")

Quick on one's feet

Put one's best foot forward

To put one's best foot forward was to behave to the best of one's ability.

The EMH once said that he would be representing Voyager to put the crew's best foot forward, then joked that hexapods would be likely to recognise a best foot. (VOY: "Flesh and Blood")

Put one's feet where they don't belong

Set/step foot on

To set foot or step foot in or on a place meant to go there.

O'Brien once claimed Worf barely set foot in Quark's Bar. (DS9: "Bar Association")

Winn asked Sisko if he could promise not to let any Jem'Hadar soldiers set foot on Bajor. (DS9: "In the Cards")

Nog swore to make the Dominion sorry that they ever set foot in the Alpha Quadrant. (DS9: "Call to Arms")

Sisko bet Martok a barrel of bloodwine that he would set foot on Deep Space Nine before Martok. (DS9: "Sons and Daughters")

Quark said that if his accomplice, who was a wanted man, even set foot on Deep Space Nine while Odo was on duty, they would both be rapidly arrested. (DS9: "The Sound of Her Voice")

Wait on someone hand and foot

Stand on one's own two feet

To stand on one's own two feet was to be independent.

Initially, Kira did not want Bajor to join the Federation so soon after the Occupation, since she wanted the planet to stand on its own two feet. (DS9: "Rapture")

Sweep someone off their feet

To sweep someone off their feet was to impress them romantically.

Odo once observed that Bashir had swept a holographic woman off her feet. (DS9: "A Simple Investigation")

Kira once rhetorically asked Gul Dukat if he seriously expected her to be swept off her feet by his insincere smile. (DS9: "A Time to Stand")

Thinking on one's feet

Fingers/thumbs

All thumbs

To be all thumbs was to be clumsy.

Enrique Muniz once teasingly referred to Miles O'Brien as being all thumbs. (DS9: "The Ship")

Black thumb

To have a black thumb meant to be bad at gardening.

O'Brien once stated that he was known as "the Black Thumb" due to his lack of gardening skills. (DS9: "Paradise")

Cross your fingers

Finger off/on the trigger

Green thumb

Lift a finger

Pointing fingers

To point fingers was to make accusations.

When Kira was in a self-deprecating mood for not fighting back when the Cardassians were oppressing Deep Space Nine, and Odo said that he was having a difficult time as well, she clarified that she was not pointing the finger at him. (DS9: "Rocks and Shoals")

Put your finger on something

Slip through one's fingers

Stick one's fingers in something

String around one's finger

Under one's thumb

Gland

Think with one's glands

To think with one's glands was to have one's rational judgment clouded by sexual desire.

When McCoy was worried about who he thought was his ex, Nancy Crater, Kirk told him to stop thinking with his glands. (TOS: "The Man Trap")

Gut

Gut feeling

A gut feeling was an idiom for an intuition.

When Data was debating whether to trust T'Pel, he concluded that he probably should, since Vulcans were honest, but that he wished he was capable of intuition, since he felt having a "gut feeling" to back his insight up would be useful. (TNG: "Data's Day")

Captain Janeway once noted that, while she did not speak the language of an alien species, she had a gut feeling that they wanted to avoid an armed conflict as much as the Voyager crew did. (VOY: "Nothing Human")

Ripping the guts out of something

• See: Disembowelment

Hair

Curl one's hair

Harm a hair on one's head

In/out of one's hair

To be out of someone's hair meant to be no longer bothering them.

When O'Brien was preparing for his vacation and briefing the rest of the crew on the maintenance jobs, Kira said, "Would you please go on vacation and get out of our hair?" (DS9: "Tribunal")

BC told Webb to keep the hostages out of his hair. (DS9: "Past Tense, part 1")

Bashir promised Worf that he and Leeta would keep out of his hair on a vacation to Risa. (DS9: "Let He Who is Without Sin")

The EMH once told a holographic Reg Barclay to keep out of his hair and vice versa. (VOY: "Inside Man")

Let one's hair down

Make one's hair stand on end

Splitting hairs

Hand

At hand

If a situation was at hand, it was nearby or close in time.

A Vorta asked Raimus and Bilby to discuss the matter at hand. (DS9: "Honor Among Thieves")

Sisko told Garak to stop making small talk and focus on the issue at hand. Later, a holographic Weyoun said, "Now, shall we get back to the business at hand?" (DS9: "In the Pale Moonlight").

An ancient Bajoran inscription read, "The time of the Reckoning is at hand." Later, Winn told Sisko that the Prophets' victory was at hand.(DS9: "The Reckoning")

At somebody's hands

At somebody's hands meant performed by that person.

Kirk noted that he must escape the alternate universe within four hours, lest he face a death sentence at the hands of the alternate Spock. (TOS: "Mirror, Mirror")

By one's own hand

By one's own hand meant as a result of one's own actions.

When Childress did not like Eve's cooking, he claimed to have tasted better by his own hand. (TOS: "Mudd's Women")

Clenched fist

A clenched fist was a threat of violence.

A hallucination of Damar experienced by Dukat claimed that Bajorans only understood clenched fists. (DS9: "Waltz")

Empty-handed

To be empty-handed was to not possess the person or thing that one wanted to possess.

Jeyal, wanting to take Ambassador Troi back so that he could get custody of their unborn son, said that he would not be leaving empty-handed. (DS9: "The Muse")

Quark told Bashir that if he saw anyone empty-handed, to sell them a bottle of Yridian ale. (DS9: "Who Mourns for Morn?")

Force someone's hand

To force someone's hand was to make them do something against their will.

When Kira said that Sisko did not have a choice, Winn replied, "I suppose you think I enjoyed forcing his hand. I assure you I did not." (DS9: "The Reckoning")

Get one's hands on

To get one's hands on something meant to acquire it.

When Captain Pike was giving an alien who had him captive death threats, he said, "All I want to do is get my hands on you." (TOS: "The Cage")

Bashir once stated that he was reading just about everything he could get his hands on. (DS9: "Explorers")

Razka Karn told Kira Nerys that the Maquis would have paid handsomely to get their hands on Gul Dukat, to which Dukat responded that his own government would have paid handsomely to get their hands on Razka. (DS9: "Indiscretion")

During a heated argument with Dr. Mora, Odo accused him of wanting to get his hands on the infant Changeling. (DS9: "The Begotten")

Garak, due to not liking Earl Gray tea, wanted to get his hands on the original Earl Gray and tell him about tea leaves. (DS9: "In Purgatory's Shadow")

Hagath was bemused by the idea that Quark could not get his hands on a mutagenic virus. (DS9: "Business as Usual")

Kira told Tekeny Ghemor that she would not let Dukat get his hands on him. (DS9: "Ties of Blood and Water")

Zek claimed to have insisted he and his underlings buy up every bit of jevonite they could get their hands on. (DS9: "Ferengi Love Songs")

Sisko asked Nog where he got his hands on Saurian brandy. (DS9: "Behind the Lines")

Hain told Quark that his adversaries were trying to get their hands on Morn's latinum. Later, Quark realised that Morn knew he (Quark) would do whatever he could to get his hands on the latinum. (DS9: "Who Mourns for Morn?")

O'Brien stated that if the Klingons got their hands on Bilby and his underlings, the Klingons would kill them. (DS9: "Honor Among Thieves")

Getting out of hand

Out of hand meant out of control.

When an argument between Worf, Miles O'Brien, and Julian Bashir escalated to violence, it was described as having gotten out of hand. (Template:DS0)

When Sisko told off a traumatised O'Brien for being violent, O'Brien stated that he may have let things get out of hand, but that it would not happen again. (DS9: "Hard Time")

Dukat berated Damar for letting a situation get out of hand. (DS9: "Behind the Lines")

Hand-picked

Hand-picked meant chosen specifically by the speaker.

Gaila referred to Quark as his hand-picked successor. (DS9: "Business as Usual")

Hands full

Having one's hands full meant being unavailable due to being busy.

When the shuttlecraft Galileo was stranded, Scott told the rest of the away team that they had their hands full. (TOS: "Galileo Seven")

A changeling impersonating Dr. Bashir told O'Brien that the reason he was doing repairs O'Brien was meant to be doing was because O'Brien had his hands full. (DS9: "The Adversary")

When Kira was not allowed to leave Deep Space Nine due to needing to protect Yoshi O'Brien, with whom she was pregnant, she said, "I guess I have my hands full." (DS9: "The Darkness and the Light")

When Sisko noted that the Cardassians, Romulans, and Starfleet were in no condition to fend off a Dominion invasion of the Alpha Quadrant, Kira said that they would have their hands full. (DS9: "In Purgatory's Shadow")

When Sisko was too busy playing with a baby to help Dax, she commented, "It sounds like you have your hands full." (DS9: "Children of Time")

Dukat said that he had his hands full trying to keep himself and Sisko in one piece during a crash. (DS9: "Waltz")

In a story told by Neelix, he noted that the EMH had his hands full. (VOY: "The Haunting of Deck Twelve")

Hands-on

Hands-on meant involving direct involvement.

Gul Dukat preferred being a Gul to a Legate, since the former was more hands-on. (DS9: "Ties of Blood and Water")

In good hands

If somebody or something was in good hands, it or they were being well cared for.

When Harry Mudd and his three women boarded the Enterprise, Harry todl the women that the four of them were in good hands. (TOS: "Mudd's Women")

When Data left Reg Barclay in charge of a pregnant Spot, he noted that she was in good hands.(TNG: "Genesis")

Tekeny Ghemor claimed to know things about the Cardassian government that would be good in the right hands. (DS9: "Ties of Blood and Water")

In hand

If something was in hand, it was in control.

When Sisko offered O'Brien shore leave due to the latter's baby son Yoshi being in a fussy phase, O'Brien countered that he had the situation in hand. (DS9: "Business as Usual")

In the hands of

To be in the hands of someone was to be in their grasp.

Kirk, when offering to have Charlie play chess against Spock, claimed to be putting Charlie in the hands of the Enterprise's chess master. Later, he described himself and his crew as being in the hands of an adolescent, namely Charlie. (TOS: "Charlie X")

Childress stated that he and his people now had the good lives in their hands. (TOS: "Mudd's Women")

Kirk was not sure what would happen if he told Earth that he was in the hands of Roger Korby. (TOS: "What Are Little Girls Made Of?")

Trelane told Kirk and several of his crew members that their fate was in his hands. (TOS: "The Squire of Gothos")

Odo stated that he would rather see Quark in jail than in the hands of the Dominion. (DS9: "The Jem'Hadar")

Gul Dukat did not like the idea of one of the quadrant's most heavily-armed warships being in the hands of Maquis terrorists. (DS9: "Defiant")

Dukat later stated that he would leave the details of a mission in Kira Nerys's hands. (DS9: "Indiscretion")

Jaresh-Inyo told the Siskos that Earth was in their hands regarding the Changeling invasion. (DS9: "Homefront")

An alternate version of Miles O'Brien described Terok Nor as being in rebel hands. (DS9: "Shattered Mirror")

Sisko told Kilana that if she believed he would deliver his people into her hands without a fight, then the mission was clearly her first. (DS9: "The Ship")

Winn told Sisko that she and the other Bajorans put themselves in his hands when he was willing to help protect Bajor from the Dominion. (DS9: "In the Cards")

Rom told Quark that the fate of the Alpha Quadrant rested in the latter's hands. (DS9: "Favor the Bold")

Jack said that he and the other genetically-engineered people had to take matters into their own hands when attempting to convince Starfleet to surrender to the Dominion. (DS9: "Statistical Probabilities")

O'Brien was feeling guilty for putting Bilby in a life-threatening situation despite the latter putting his life into O'Brien's hands. (DS9: "Honor Among Thieves")

Kira described Betazed as being in the hands of the Jem'Hadar. (DS9: "In the Pale Moonlight")

Winn wanted Sisko to leave an artifact in the hands of those who had expertise in Bajoran history, rather than keeping it for himself. (DS9: "The Reckoning")

In the palm of one's hand

In the wrong hands

If something or somebody was in the wrong hands, it or they were in the possession or at the mercy of someone who could do wrong with the thing or person.

Bashir noted that in the wrong hands, bio-mimetic gel could be used to make explosives. (DS9: "In the Pale Moonlight")

Lend a hand

To lend a hand was to offer assistance.

Bashir jokingly offered Worf to lend a hand in delivering Keiko's second baby upon hearing he delivered Molly. (DS9: "Accession")

Like the back of one's hand

On someone's hands

If a situation was on someone's hands, they had to deal with it.

When a captain from 20th century Earth saw the Enterprise, he said to his coworkers that they may have a UFO on their hands. (TOS: "Tomorrow is Yesterday")

Sisko and Dukat once feared that there would be a war on their hands if the situation with the Maquis escalated. (DS9: "Defiant")

Garak once claimed to have a lot of time on his hands, which Bashir reiterated. When there was an explosion at Garak's shop, Odo said that Garak would have a lot of time on his hands now that his shop was out of business. Later, Tain declared that Central Command would have a war on its hands. (DS9: "Improbable Cause")

Leyton said that while Jaresh-Inyo would have made a good president in peacetime, they currently had a war on their hands. (DS9: "Homefront")

Bashir told Sarina that she did not want the deaths of a lot of people on her hands. (DS9: "Statistical Probabilites")

On the other hand

Used when presenting an opposing point.

Pike said that the Magistrate was too intelligent to kill for no reason, but on the other hand, he had a reason. (TOS: "The Cage")

Kirk used this expression when he initially decided not to stay on the shore leave planet, but changed his mind upon seeing a robot of Ruth. (TOS: "Shore Leave")

Kirk stated that Trelane was unusual for a young boy, but on the other hand, was probably no more of a troublemaker than Spock was in his own childhood. (TOS: "The Squire of Gothos")

Scotty stated that he waws not sure Carolyn loved Scotty back, but that "on the other hand, she's a woman". (TOS: "Who Mourns for Adonais?")

When Keiko seemed unhappy at the prospect of attending the Gratitude Festival, Miles said, "On the other hand, we could spend the rest of the day locked away in our quarters." (DS9: "Fascination")

Quark stated that Zek liked him, so Quark could not afford to get on his bad side, but on the other hand, Zek barely noticed Rom. Later, he said that if the Prophets brainwashed him, that would make the other Ferengi visit them, but on the other hand, if they left Quark alone and reversed their brainwashing on Zek, they would never have to deal with another Ferengi again. (DS9: "Prophet Motive")

When Tain told Garak to kill Odo, Garak responded, "On the other hand, he is a member of the Bajoran militia and an officer on Deep Space Nine. We may not wish to provoke the Federation by killing him." (DS9: "The Die is Cast")

Weyoun noted that Vorta had bad eyesight, but Jem'Hadar, on the other hand, had good eyesight. (DS9: "Favor the Bold")

A Vorta stated that the Klingon ambassador wanted to break the Klingon-Federation alliance, but that Gowron, on the other hand, did not. (DS9: "Honor Among Thieves")

Open hand

An open hand was being welcoming.

Dukat said that he would occasionally reach out to the Bajorans with "the open hand of friendship" but got turned down every time, then hallucinated Damar telling him that Bajorans did not understand open hands. (DS9: "Waltz")

Play into someone's hands

To play into someone's hands was to make a foolish mistake which caused one person to gain an advantage over the other.

[Ixtana'Rax]] told Kudak'Etan that he was playing into the hands of his Second. (DS9: "One Little Ship")

Short-handed

To be short-handed meant to be undermanned.

When two Bajorans did not show up to work at ops, claiming to be unwell, Sisko commented that he and his coworkers were short-handed. (DS9: "In the Hands of the Prophets")

Alixus described her and her people as short-handed. (DS9: "Paradise")

Upper hand

To have the upper hand was to have the advantage.

Quark advised never to let a woman in a romantic relationship have the upper hand. (DS9: "Indiscretion")

Wash my hands of it

Meaning: to avert a wrong decision, claiming that the person could not be held responsible for it.

• In 2266, Doctor Simon Van Gelder accused Captain Kirk of escaping responsibility by taking him back to the Tantalus Colony, and told him, "You smart, button-pushing brass hat. Wash your hands of it. Is that your system? You're both quite sure of yourselves, aren't you?" (TOS: "Dagger of the Mind")
• When the crew of the Enterprise-D accidentally killed a pregnant alien lifeform, Jean-luc Picard noted that it was their moral obligation to help deliver the infant lifeform, since they were responsible for its mother's death (albeit unintentionally) and it would be immoral for them to "wash their hands" of that fact. (TNG: "Galaxy's Child")

With a soft/gentle hand

To do something with a soft hand or gentle hand meant to do it leniently.

Dukat claimed to have wanted to lead the Occupation of Bajor with a softer or gentler hand than he did, but that he was under orders. (DS9: "Waltz")

Head

Clear-headed

To be clear-headed meant to be able to think clearly.

When Bashir told Garak that he was experiencing side effects of the deactivation of a brain implant, Garak countered that he had never felt more clear-headed in the past two years. (DS9: "The Wire")

When Jeyal thought that Ambassador Troi's pregnancy had made her hormonal and confused, Odo countered that she was remarkably clear-headed. (DS9: "The Muse")

Come to a head

If a situation came to a head, it approached a crisis.

An alternate version of Jake Sisko commented that a conflict with the Klingons came to a head. (DS9: "The Visitor")

Could never find one's head with both hands

Used to mean someone was bad at finding people or things.

A robot of Finnegan used this expression to taunt Kirk. (TOS: "Shore Leave")

Go to one's head

If something went to someone's head, it made them arrogant.

When Nog was promoted to ensign, O'Brien told him, "Don't let that uniform go to your head." (DS9: "Favor the Bold")

When Worf and Dax called off their wedding, Sisko convinced Dax to change her mind by noting that the wedding had gone to Worf's head, but he was "just a kid" compared to her (DS9: "You Are Cordially Invited").

Weyoun told Damar not to let being the leader of the Cardassian empire go to his head. (DS9: "Statistical Probabilities")

When a holographic Leonardo Da Vinci was euphoric over his and Janeway's flight on a gliding apparatus, she commented that the ride had gone to his head. He responded, "And my heart." (VOY: "Concerning Flight")

Have one's head

To have someone's head meant to punish them severely.

An alternate universe's version of Sisko told Kira that if he helped her, then alternate Kira would have his head. (DS9: "Crossover")

A head for

To have a head for something meant to understand it.

Gilora Rejal once claimed that men did not have a head for engineering. (DS9: "Destiny")

Head held high

If someone had their head held high, they were brave and shameless.

Rom said that if he and Quark had to die, they would do so side by side, heads held high, knowing that they did their best. (DS9: "Favor the Bold")

Head-on

Head-on meant in a direct manner.

Boyce stated that any man who did not meet life head-on would start to "wither away". (TOS: "The Cage")

In over one's head

To be in over one's head meant to be involved in a situation that was too difficult to deal with.

Joran Dax believed Jadzia was in over her head by being joined. (DS9: "Facets")

Jake said that he, Nog, and Red Squad were in over their heads trying to run the Valiant on their own with no older, more experienced people to guide them. (DS9: "Valiant")

The EMH was in over his head when he had to deceive the Malon into thinking his daydreams were reality. (VOY: "Tinker Tenor Doctor Spy")

Keep one's head

To keep one's head was to avoid letting emotions cloud one's judgment.

Chakotay once advised Paris and Neelix to keep their heads when the three of them were stranded on a Borg cube. (VOY: "Collective")

Keep one's head down

To keep one's head down was to avoid trouble.

O'Brien advised himself to keep his head down during the Dominion war. (DS9: "The Sound of Her Voice")

Lose one's head

To lose one's head was to be irrational due to high emotion.

When Bailey apprehensively asked what Baloc and his crew wanted from the Enterprise crew, Kirk replied, "They want us to lose our heads." (TOS: "The Corbomite Maneuver")

When Harry Mudd kidnapped the Enterprise crew and imprisoned them on his own planet, Kirk told McCoy not to lose his head. (TOS: "I, Mudd")

Make heads or tails of

To make heads or tails of meant to understand something.

On October 23 2032, John Kelly couldn't make heads or tails of a spacecraft he encountered within a graviton ellipse. (VOY: "One Small Step")

In 2151, Trip Tucker couldn't make heads or tails of most of a transmission that had been intercepted aboard Enterprise. (ENT: "Cold Front")

In November that year, Malcolm Reed couldn't see head nor tails of Enterprise in an asteroid field the ship was supposed to be mapping. (ENT: "Shuttlepod One")

In March 2153, Reed had trouble making heads or tails of biometric data gathered by the A-6 excavation team. (ENT: "Regeneration")

While back in 2268, Miles O'Brien couldn't make heads nor tails of the USS Enterprise's systems. (DS9: "Trials and Tribble-ations")

O'Brien said that he could not make head or tail of the power relay systems on a bird of prey. (DS9: "By Inferno's Light")

In 2364, Picard asked Geordi La Forge how he could make head or tail of the jumble of images picked up by his VISOR. (TNG: "Heart of Glory")

In 2369, the USS Enterprise-D crew couldn't make heads or tails of Professor Galen's data. (TNG: "The Chase")

Later that year, Thomas Riker believed as a result of reconfiguring the computer on Nervala IV several times, the Enterprise crew wouldn't be able to make heads or tails of it. (TNG: "Second Chances")

In 2371, the computer aboard Deep Space 9 couldn't make heads or tails of a ketracel-white repository. (DS9: "The Abandoned")

Also that year, The Doctor couldn't make heads or tails of an injured Kazon's injuries. (VOY: "State of Flux")

In 2373, O'Brien couldn't make head nor tail of the power relay systems on Japar's Bird-of-Prey. (DS9: "By Inferno's Light")

In 2375, a medical tricorder couldn't make heads or tails of a cytoplasmic lifeform's unusual physiology. (VOY: "Nothing Human")

Later that year, Harry Kim couldn't make heads or tails of raw data from chaotic space due to the shifting readings. (VOY: "The Fight")

Also that year, B'Elanna Torres couldn't make heads or tails of the USS Equinox's injector manifold. (VOY: "Equinox")

Put heads together

If multiple people put their heads together, they collaborated.

Intendant Kira tried to flirt with a guard by commenting that they were both bored, but that if they put their heads together, they could think of something to do. (DS9: "Shattered Mirror")

Two heads are better than one

Meant that multiple people collaborating was more productive than a single person working alone.

Julian Bashir stated this expression as a joke after Miles O'Brien jokingly said that if Bashir did not remove his cyst, O'Brien would have to pretend it was a second head. (DS9: "Bar Association")

When Seven of Nine was working on how to prevent the Voyager crew from being digested by a noncorporeal life form, Naomi Wildman wanted to assist her. When Seven turned Naomi down, the latter countered that Samantha Wildman had told her that two heads were better than one, and that this appeared to be the Borg's philosophy as well. (VOY: "Bliss")

Two-faced

To be two-faced meant to be deceptive.

Arjin once referred to Dax as two-faced when she thought he might be unsuited for being joined. (DS9: "Playing God")

Heart

After someone's own heart

If somebody was after someone's own heart, the two shared interests.

Dax described Worf as a man after her own heart when he allowed her to pilot a shuttle faster. (DS9: "Change of Heart")

At heart

At heart meant at one's emotional core.

Spock described Sulu as a swashbuckler at heart. (TOS: "The Naked Time")

Kirk claimed to have always suspected Spock to be "a bit of a pirate" at heart. (TOS: "Mirror, Mirror")

Garak considered himself a romantic at heart. (DS9: "Our Man Bashir")

Dax told Worf that, at heart, he wasn't much of a traditional man. (DS9: "Looking for par'Mach in All the Wrong Places")

Dukat said that Damar had his best interests at heart. (DS9: "Waltz")

Big heart

To have a big heart meant to be very kind.

Dax once punned on the expression by commenting that a legendary Klingon whose heart was eaten by a whole group of Klingon warriors had a literal big heart. Later, Kor described Worf as having a stout heart. (DS9: "The Sword of Kahless")

When a hallucination of a past Dukat claimed his heart was too big for his own good, Dax knocked him out and quipped, "And so is your ego." (DS9: "Things Past")

Broken heart

A broken heart meant extreme sadness.

When Kirk told Carolyn to reject Apollo romantically, she retorted that since Apollo was so lonely, rejecting him would break his heart. (TOS: "Who Mourns for Adonais?")

When Arjin referred to Dax as two-faced and was feeling dejected, Quark asked if she had broken Arjin's heart. He claimed that it was not his heart that she had broken, but him. (DS9: "Playing God")

When Jake was brooding about his unrequited crush on Kira, and O'Brien was processing a lovers' quarrel he'd had with Keiko, O'Brien told Jake that he was better off single, since romantic partners inevitably broke one's heart. However, he then decided that sometimes it was worth it. (DS9: "Fascination")

Quark once riffed on the idiom by saying that being deprived of his pet Cardassian voles would break Morn's hearts. (DS9: "Through the Looking Glass")

Quark said that he experienced heartbreak during the Great Monetary Collapse. (DS9: "Homefront")

When Odo revealed to Ambassador Troi that Kira (upon whom he had a crush) and Shakaar were dating, Troi told Odo not to do what she did, which was to "look for someone to fix [his] broken heart, then end up pregnant and on the run." Later, Jeyal accused Odo of having broken Troi's heart. (DS9: "The Muse")

Bashir told Odo that he could not avoid a broken heart for life, or else it would break anyway, out of loneliness, and that not knowing how a prospective romantic partner would respond to you was worse than a broken heart. (DS9: "A Simple Investigation")

Kelis said that the character of Tuvok in his play had "a heart that's breaking silently and in more pain than any of us can possibly understand" despite his not expressing emotion. (VOY: "Muse")

When Brunt surmised that Ishka wasn't smiling due to Quark having ended her and Zek's romance, Quark said that it was hard to smile with a broken heart. (DS9: "Ferengi Love Songs")

Quark called Dax, upon whom he had an unrequited crush, as a heartbreaker, and Bashir, who had the same feelings, agreed. (DS9: "Change of Heart")

Change of heart

A "change of heart" was a change in viewpoint, often relating to morality.

When Tuvok revealed that he once temporarily quit Starfleet due to finding Humanity annoying, Janeway replied, "Well, I'm glad you had a change of heart." While Tuvok agreed, he objected to her use of the term "heart", as he felt that implied his decision was illogical. (VOY: "Flashback")

When Paris was worried that he and B'Elanna only became romantically involved due to alien interference, he noted that she had an abrupt change of heart. (VOY: "Scientific Method")

When Seven of Nine insisted on remaining on the Borg sphere despite the rest of the away team she was part of returning to Voyager, Chakotay asked where she was. Janeway responded, "She had a change of heart."

When Janeway was threatening to sic the aliens the Equinox crew had been killing for fuel on Lessing, she said, "We'll be outside if you have a change of heart." (VOY: "Equinox")

The EMH once referred to Seven of Nine changing her mind about whether to remove the Borg implant that hindered her emotions as a change of heart. (VOY: "Endgame")

Cold heart

To have a cold heart meant to be emotionally detached.

When Quark was attracted to Sakonna, he noted that he wanted to "melt that cold, Vulcan heart of [hers]". (DS9: "The Maquis, Part I")

Drive a stake through someone's heart

To drive a stake through someone's heart was to make them very sad, often by letting them down romantically.

Julian Bashir once claimed this of Dax when she referred to him as a good friend. (DS9: "If Wishes Were Horses")

Empty heart

An empty heart was a lack of emotion or compassion.

Dr. Adams said during a toast, "May we never find space so vast, planets so cold, heart and mind so empty that we cannot fill them with love and warmth." (TOS: "Dagger of the Mind")

Find it in one's heart

To find it in one's heart to do something was to bring oneself to do it.

An alternate version of Miles O'Brien said that Sisko had found it in his heart to help him and alternate Bashir. (DS9: "Shattered Mirror")

Follow one's heart

To follow one's heart was to pursue one's passion.

Alixus once stated that nobody followed her, but rather, they followed their own hearts. Sisko countered that his heart was telling him to return to his ship. (DS9: "Paradise")

From the bottom of one's heart/From the heart

To say something from the bottom of one's heart or from the heart was to say it sincerely, and/or with great emotion.

O'Brien claimed to be stating from the heart that he no longer hated Bashir. (DS9: "Explorers")

When Harry Kim revealed that he did not recycle Lyndsay Ballard's skates, she replied, "My skates and I thank you from the bottom of our hearts." (VOY: "Ashes to Ashes")

Have a heart

To have a heart meant to possess empathy, compassion, emotions, or a moral compass.

When Kirk thought Spock was being too dispassionate about Gary Mitchell, who was suffering anomalous effects due to his high ESP quotient, he told him to "at least act like you've got a heart". (TOS: "Where No Man Has Gone Before")

Bashir said that he was not as arrogant as he appeared, and that he did have a heart and cared about his friends. (DS9: "The Sound of Her Voice")

Heart in the right place

If somebody's heart was in the right place, they had good intentions.

Dax defended Kor from Worf by stating that Kor's heart was in the right place. (DS9: "The Sword of Kahless")

When Odo stated that he thought Garak was let off too lightly for sabotage, assaulting a Federation officer, and attempting to start a war between the Federation and Dominion, Garak replied, "Yes, but my heart was in the right place." (DS9: "Broken Link")

Heart isn't in

If one's heart wasn't in something, they did not feel like doing it.

When O'Brien asked Bashir if he wanted another go in the holosuite, Bashir replied that his heart wasn't in it, because he was unhappy about the Changelings having infiltrated the Federation. (DS9: "Homefront")

Heart of hearts

Someone's heart of hearts was their emotional core.

Quark distracted Bashir during a game of Tongo by rhetorically asking if, in both of their hearts of hearts, they knew that Dax, for whom they both harbored feelings, was unique. (DS9: "Change of Heart")

When Sisko bribed Quark, the latter stated that he'd always suspected in his heart of hearts that Sisko had a Ferengi-like side. (DS9: "In the Pale Moonlight")

Heart singing

If somebody's heart sang, they were extremely happy.

Apollo stated to Kirk and his crew, "Let your hearts prepare to sing." (TOS: "Who Mourns for Adonais?")

Heavy heart

A heavy heart was an idiom for sadness.

Picard once noted in his log, "It is with a heavy heart that I have offered to meet whatever reasonable and necessary terms are demanded by the Ferengi."

Key to someone's heart

The key to someone's heart was the means to win them over romantically.

Quark said to Worf that the latter had the key to Grilka's heart, so he asked him how to unlock it. (DS9: "Looking for par'Mach in All the Wrong Places")

Kindness of one's heart

To do something out of the kindness of one's heart was to do it for no other reason than to be kind.

Arissa asked Odo if he was helping her out of the kindness of his heart, and he replied that he lacked a heart. (DS9: "A Simple Investigation")

Know by heart

To know something by heart was to have memorised it.

Kasidy joked that Sisko was a good father because he knew all the parenting cliches by heart. (DS9: "The Sound of Her Voice")

Know in one's heart

To know something in one's heart was to know something, in spite of disliking or not wanting to acknowledge it.

A hallucination of Damar told Dukat that the latter knew in his heart that Sisko secretly admired him. (DS9: "Waltz")

Sisko said that he knew in his heart that Garak's suggestion of faking plans made sense. (DS9: "In the Pale Moonlight")

Listen to one's heart, not one's head

To listen to one's heart, not one's head meant to allow one's emotions, particularly sentiment, to cloud one's logical judgment.

When Odo thought he could redeem the Jem'Hadar boy, Kira accused Odo of listening to his heart rather than his head. (DS9: "The Abandoned")

Lose one's heart

To lose one's heart was to be lovelorn.

When Odo asked Ambassador Troi, who was infatuated with him, if she had lost anything, she replied, "Only my heart." (DS9: "The Forsaken")

Not have the heart

To not have the heart to do something meant to be unable to bring oneself to do it due to sentiment.

Despite being severely disabled, Captain Pike's superiors did not have the heart to retire him. (TOS: "The Menagerie, Part 1")

When a female Horta described Spock's ears as the most attractive human attribute, Spock did not have the heart to inform her that full-blooded humans lacked them. (TOS: "The Devil in the Dark")

Open one's heart

To open one's heart was to be sincere about one's feelings, or to be generous.

Kahn Singh used this expression when imploring Marla MacGuyvers to assist him. (TOS: "Space Seed")

Apollo claimed to have shown Carolyn his open heart. (TOS: "Who Mourns for Adonais?")

Right in the heart

If something got one right in the heart, it had a heavy emotional impact.

Kirk referred to the experience with Harry Mudd and his three women as "Smack right in the old heart", and then pointed to his heart, then amended it to where Spock's heart would be. (TOS: "Mudd's Women")

When Kirk was joking about Nomad being his "son" because it thought he was its creator, he said that its potential to become a doctor "Kind of gets you right there" and pointed to his heart. (TOS: "Who Mourns for Adonais?")

When teasing Picard about getting his heart stabbed, Q said, "Gets you right here, doesn't it?" and pointed to his heart. (TNG: "Tapestry")

Rip someone's heart from them

To rip someone's heart from them was to cause them to fall in love with the one being referred to.

During a song sung to tease Spock, Uhura claimed his "devil ears", "devil eyes", and "alien love" could rip women's hearts from them. (TOS: "Charlie X")

Take someone's heart with them

If somebody took someone's heart with them, they left, leaving the person who was in love with them sad.

Cassie said that if Benny Russell left, he would take her heart with him. Willie said that was "a waste of a very pretty heart". (DS9: "Far Beyond the Stars")

Weak heart

A weak heart was being fearful or not having much resolve.

Dr. Helen Noel said that she would not recommend her job for weak hearts. (TOS: "Dagger of the Mind")

Warm place in one's heart for

To have a warm place in one's heart for something or someone was to think highly of it.

Makbar asked O'Brien during an interrogation, whether he had a warm place in his heart for Cardassians, or whether he was prejudiced against them. (DS9: "Tribunal")

Worm one's way into someone's heart

To worm one's way into someone's heart was to become romantically involved with them in a sneaky way.

Quark stated that Ishka had wormed her way into the heart of the most influential Ferengi alive as part of his slandering of her. (DS9: "Ferengi Love Songs")

Heel

Achilles heel

Dig one's heels in

Drag someone in by their heels

Hang someone up by their heels

Head over heels

To be head over heels was to experience extreme romantic feelings.

Tom Paris once noted that Harry Kim always had a particular expression before he fell head over heels. (VOY: "Revulsion")

Under one's heel

Hip

Hip deep in something

To be hip deep in something was to have a large number of them.

According to Dr. McCoy, the crew of Enterprise would soon be hip deep in tribbles if they couldn't get rid of them. (TOS: "The Trouble with Tribbles")

Joined at the hip

This term referred to people being so close to one another as to appear inseparable (physically or emotionally)

In 2369, Q described himself and Vash as "A team, joined together at the hip." (DS9: "Q-Less")

After being temporarily telepathically linked with Jean-Luc Picard on Kesprytt III in 2370, Beverly Crusher remarked that she was happy not to be joined to Picard's hip anymore. (TNG: "Attached")

In an alternate 2390, Harry Kim called Chakotay and his girlfriend Tessa Omond as close as to be joined at the hip. (VOY: "Timeless")

Shooting from the hip

Jaw

Glass jaw

Iron jaw

Jawing

Jaws of death

Knee

Bending one's knee

Fall to its knees

Get off one's knees

Knee deep

Live on one's knees

Knuckle

Knuckle down

Meant to work hard.

In an alternate timeline 2390, the EMH told Harry Kim that he would have to "knuckle down and change history" if he wanted to save USS Voyager. (VOY: "Timeless")

Lap

Drop/dump something into someone's lap

In the lap of luxury

Melt in one's lap

Leg

A stack of books with legs

A stack of books with legs was somebody who greatly enjoyed reading and learning.

Gary Mitchell described Kirk as having been a stack of book with legs in the Academy. (TOS: "Where No Man Has Gone Before")

Break a leg

Give one a leg up

Pull one's leg

Space legs

Stretch one's legs

To stretch one's legs was to take a walk after prolonged inactivity.

Garak took a walk around the Defiant to stretch his legs due to his claustrophobia. (DS9: "The Abandoned")

Bashir once took a walk around Ops to stretch his legs. (DS9: "Resurrection")

Tuck one's tail between one's legs

Lip

Bite one's lip

Hard lip

Lips are sealed

If somebody's lips were sealed, they were keeping a secret.

When O'Brien told Rom to keep the project he'd assigned him a secret, Rom replied that his lips were sealed. (DS9: "The Assignment")

Quark said that his lips were sealed when Zek told Quark not to tell anyone that he and Ishka were an item. (DS9: "Ferengi Love Songs")

Name on one's lips

Stiff upper lip

A stiff upper lip was the ability to remain composed despite heavy emotional burden.

Bashir once commented that he and O'Brien had to keep a stiff upper lip regarding Clive's death and the Changelings' infiltration of the Federation. (DS9: "Homefront")

Tight lipped

To be tight lipped meant to be secretive.

McCoy described Spock as "as tight lipped as an Aldebaran Shellmouth". (TOS: "Amok Time")

Martok described Alexander as being as tight lipped as his father. (DS9: "Sons and Daughters")

Lung

At the top of one's lungs

At the top of one's lungs meant at a high volume.

According to Julian Bashir, the title character in The Boy Who Cried Wolf called for help at the top of his lungs when the wolf really came, to no avail. (DS9: "Improbable Cause")

Mouth

Bad taste in (someone's) mouth

Refers to something that seems wrong or offensive, or to a bad impression left on someone. (TOS: "The Naked Time"; DS9: "Field of Fire")

• When the dikironium cloud creature, a cloud creature that fed on iron-based hemoglobin, attacked Spock, whose hemoglobin was copper-based, the result left its victim unscathed. Doctor Leonard McCoy observed that due to this fact, "I'll bet he left a bad taste in the creature's mouth, too." Spock replied that his comment was "Colloquially expressed, but essentially correct." (TOS: "Obsession")

Big mouth

From one's mouth to another's ears

"I hope you don't intend to kiss your baby with that mouth"

Was used to chide somebody for saying something impolite.

The EMH used this idiom when B'Elanna Torres threatened to rip his head off if he told her to relax again. (VOY: "Endgame")

Look a gift horse in the mouth

Motor mouth

Meant the tendency to speak rapidly.

Sonya Gomez described herself as having a motor mouth, especially when she was excited. (TNG: "Q Who")

Mouth off

Put your latinum where your mouth is

Out of the mouths of babes

Referred to something said by a child that was deemed surprisingly precocious.

Kirk once used this expression in response to a young boy offering to help him and Spock on their mission, to which the boy took offense at being called a "babe". (TOS: "A Piece of the Action")

Put words into one's mouth

To put words into somebody's mouth meant to imply they had said something they hadn't.

In an alternate future, Reg Barclay used this idiom when accused of knowing where Admiral Janeway was. (VOY: "Endgame")

Run off at the mouth

An admission by Julian Bashir of something he tended to do that he confessed was "just a nervous habit." (DS9: "The Storyteller")

Shoot off one's mouth

Shut my mouth

Take the words right out of one's mouth

To take the words right out of someone's mouth meant to say something that they intended to say.

When Nog promised to make the Dominion regret entering the Alpha Quadrant, Sisko responded that Nog had taken the words right out of his mouth. (DS9: "Call to Arms")

Watch one's mouth

To watch one's mouth meant to avoid using profanity or making other offensive statements.

O'Brien told Nog to watch his mouth for using the word "damned", despite having previously said it himself. (DS9: "Rocks and Shoals")

(VOY: "Living Witness"

(VOY: "Spirit Folk")

Muscle

Flexing/using one's muscle

More muscle

Muscle car

Neck

Breathe down somebody's neck

To breathe down somebody's neck was to be uncomfortably close or attentive towards them.

Jake once observed that the people on the Promenade seemed to be in a hurry because of the Klingons breathing down their necks. (DS9: "Apocalypse Rising")

When Voyager's EMH told the EMH-Mark 2 to stop breathing down his neck, he retorted that his breathing was only a simulation. Voyager's EMH pointed out that his own neck was as well. (VOY: "Message in a Bottle")

Get off someone's neck

To get off someone's neck was to leave them alone.

Joe Tormolen, while suffering from polywater intoxication, told Sulu and Riley to get off his neck. (TOS: "The Naked Time")

Neck and neck

Neck of the woods

Pain in the neck

Risk one's neck

To risk one's neck was to put themselves in danger.

Dax said that the Romulans had no reason to risk their necks by joining the Dominion War. (DS9: "In the Pale Moonlight")

Save someone's neck

To save someone's neck was to rescue them.

Brunt told his teammates on the rescue mission not to listen to Keevan as the latter was just trying to save his own neck, but Keevan said that he was trying to save all of their necks. (DS9: "The Magnificent Ferengi")

Stiff necked

To be stiff necked was to be foolish.

Kirk called Scotty a "stiff necked thistle head" for confronting Apollo at the risk of his life. (TOS: "Who Mourns for Adonais?")

Up to one's neck

To be up to one's neck in something meant to have to deal with an abundance of it.

Bashir told Garak to work fast, because they would imminently be up to their necks in Jem'Hadar. (DS9: "By Inferno's Light")

Nerve

Frayed/rattled nerves

Frayed nerves or rattled nerves referred to irritability caused by tension.

Dukat once expressed fear that nerves would fray in response to the Starfleet/Maquis conflict, possibly leading to war. (DS9: "Defiant")

Get on another's nerves

Meant to annoy them.

When BC wondered why Benjamin Sisko was threatening to shoot him despite allegedly being on his side, Sisko replied, "We are, but you get on my nerves and I don't like your hat." (DS9: "Past Tense, Part II")

Kira stated that Bareil's serenity and apparent vast knowledge used to get on her nerves until she realised that he was just as confused as everyone else but just accepted it well. (DS9: "Life Support")

In a comatose hallucination experienced by Dr. Bashir, Kira Nerys told Odo that his habit of looking around got on her nerves. (DS9: "Distant Voices")

Dax once commented that a Jem'Hadar who was firing at the shrunken Rubicon, which she was aboard, was getting on her nerves. (DS9: "One Little Ship")

Have (a lot of/some) nerve/The nerve

To have nerve was to be undesirably bold or foolhardy.

Kira commented, "The nerve" when Quark put an advertisement for his bar into a replicator on the Defiant. (DS9: "The Quickening")

Quark stated that Odo had a lot of nerve to be complaining about how cold the planet the two were stranded upon was, when he was the one wearing the emergency jacket. (DS9: "The Ascent")

When Ishka told Quark that Zek had spoken ill of her, Quark, in an attempt to hide that he had actually given the slander to Zek, said, "The nerve." (DS9: "Ferengi Love Songs")

Quark stated that Morn's mother had nerve for expecting him to attend her birthday party despite him not wanting to. (DS9: "Favor the Bold")

Lose one's nerve

Nerves of steel

Soothe/calm one's nerves

To soothe one's nerves or calm one's nerves was to alleviate tension or fear.

Reginald Barclay once played poker with a holographic Voyager crew to calm his nerves due to work-related stress. (VOY: "Pathfinder")

Strike/hit a nerve

Nose

As plain as the nose on one's face

Bloody nose

A bloody nose meant a minor inconvenience or embarrassment.

When an away team was stuck on a planet and dealing with ferocious creatures, one lieutenant suggested they "Give them a bloody nose" to mean fight back. (TOS: "The Galileo Seven")

After Q introduced Borg to Picard and his crew, he said that "If you can't take a little bloody nose, maybe you ought to go back home and crawl under your bed." (TNG: "Q Who")

When Lupaza was feeling nostalgic for her time in the Bajoran resistance, she said that when the Cardassians got "too close", she and the other resistance fighters would "give them a bloody nose". Shakaar responded that, "Sometimes it was our noses that got bloodied." (DS9: "Shakaar")

When Benjamin Sisko was practicing a speech to the Romulans, with Jadzia Dax pretending to be a Romulan, he claimed that the Dominion were violating Romulan territory. She responded, "So, they're crossing my backyard to give the Federation a bloody nose. I can't say that makes me very sad." (DS9: "In the Pale Moonlight")

By a nose

Cutting off one's nose to spite one's face

Keep one's nose clean

To keep one's nose clean was to stay out of trouble.

When Bell was told that Data was from South America, he replied, "Wherever you're from, keep your nose clean." Data did not know the idiom, and rubbed his nose to see if it was clean. (TNG: "The Big Goodbye")

Keep one's nose out of/off of something

Led by the nose

Nose to nose

Nosing around

Pay through the nose

(Right) on the nose

Rub someone's nose in something

Stick one's nose into something

To stick one's nose into something was to involve oneself in the thing, often when one was unwelcome.

While suffering from polywater intoxication, Joe Tormolen claimed that going into space made himself and his crewmates hypocrites, and that they were sticking their noses into something that they had no business. (TOS: "The Naked Time")

Thumb one's nose

To thumb one's nose at something or someone was to express disdain or defiance towards it or them.

Sisko once noted that Odo enjoyed thumbing his nose at authority. (DS9: "The Search, Part 1")

Turn one's nose up at something

Under one's nose

Meaning: unnoticed, despite being very noticeable.

Garak thought it was improbable that Julius Caesar, despite his brilliance and skill with the military, could not see the attempt on his life that was happening under his nose. (DS9: "Improbable Cause")

When Sisko commented that the Bajorans fought their resistance under the Cardassians' noses, Garak replied, "Not under my nose, Captain. Under his." (DS9: "Things Past")

Shell

Shell of a man

A shell of a man was a man who was in very bad shape.

Kirk described Captain Pike, who was severely disabled such that he could not walk, and could not communicate any words besides "yes" and "no", as a shell of a man. (TOS: "The Menagerie, Part 2")

Shoulder

A shoulder to cry on

A shoulder to cry on referred to sympathy for a sad person.

When Guinan pretended she wanted to replace Deanna Troi, whose empathic powers were not functioning, as ship's counsellor in an attempt to make Troi realise she was still intuitive enough to do her job, she noted, "People come here, they want a shoulder to cry on, and usually, it turns out to be mine." Before Troi realised that Guinan wasn't sincere, she replied, "It's not just about letting them cry on your shoulder." (TNG: "The Loss")

When Quark visited Kira, who was leaving Deep Space Nine, he said, "I thought, perhaps, an intimate farewell drink, a sympathetic smile, a shoulder to cry on." He then noted that this was surprisingly successful in impressing women. (DS9: "The Circle")

When Ambassador Troi was expressing sorrow for Odo because he found out his species was running the Dominion, she offered him "A sympathetic ear, a shoulder to cry on, a lap to melt in." (DS9: "Fascination")

Chip on one's shoulder

Looking/standing over one's shoulder

On one's shoulder

Put on someone's shoulders

To put something on someone's shoulders was to give them emotionally taxing information.

When O'Brien was venting his problems about the Dominion war, he apologised for putting the information on Lisa Cusak's shoulders. (DS9: "The Sound of Her Voice")

Shoulder something

Weight of something on one's shoulders

To have the weight of something on one's shoulders was to have the emotional burden caused by the thing.

Joseph Sisko noted that Benjamin Sisko seemed to have the weight of the Alpha Quadrant on his shoulders. (DS9: "Far Beyond the Stars")

Skin

Crawling out of one's skin

Get under one's skin

To get under someone's skin was to put them into a bad mood.

Kirk stated that it took a lot to get under Spock's "thick hide". (TOS: "This Side of Paradise")

When Michael Eddington compared Benjamin Sisko to Javert, Dax said that the two were not actually very similar, and Eddington just wanted to get under Sisko's skin. (DS9: "For the Uniform")

When Nog asked O'Brien why Garak kept bringing up Setlik III, O'Brien replied, "Because he wants to get under my skin." (DS9: "Empok Nor")

Have the hide of

To have the hide of someone was to chastise someone severely.

Kirk threatened to have Professor Crater's skin if he could not seize the alien that was intruding the Enterprise. (TOS: "The Man Trap")

In 2269, according to Dickerson, Captain Kirk promised to have the hide of the first man to smile or otherwise react with amusement to the appearance of President Abraham Lincoln on the Enterprise. (TOS: "The Savage Curtain")

Making one's skin crawl

Save our skins

Spend a day in one's skin

Thick skin

A thick skin was the ability to avoid being offended.

Kirk described Spock as having "thick hide" when noting how hard it was to make him angry. (TOS: "This Side of Paradise")

Sisko told Garak that spending a week with him caused him to develop an extremely thick skin. (DS9: "In the Pale Moonlight")

Under the skin

Meant beneath one's outward appearances.

Trelane claimed he and Carl Jaeger were all military men under the skin. (TOS: "The Squire of Gothos")

Waste of skin

Stomach

Butterflies in one's stomach

Referred to anxiety, or a stirring sensation in the abdomen caused by such.

When Icheb felt out of sorts due to being nervous of meeting his parents, he mistook his sensations for an illness and went to sickbay. The EMH said that he was in perfect health, but simply had butterflies in his stomach. Icheb did not know the idiom, so the EMH explained. (VOY: "Child's Play")

Having the guts/stomach for something

In the bowels of

If something was in the bowels of a place, it was right in the middle of said place.

Sisko noted that if there was evidence of a Dominion plan to attack Romulus, it was probably deep in the bowels of their headquarters on Cardassia Prime. (DS9: "In the Pale Moonlight")

Knot in one's stomach

Turn one's stomach

If something turned one's stomach, it nauseated the speaker.

Spock stated that McCoy's medical treatments, which he referred to derisively as "potions", turned his stomach. (TOS: "The Apple")

Way to one's heart is through one's stomach

Meant that offering a romantic partner food was a good way to impress them.

When Sisko offered Kasidy food, he stated that his father told him that the way to a woman's heart was through her stomach. Kasidy replied, "So it's my heart you're after, is it?" (DS9: "The Way of the Warrior")

Tail

Bushy-tailed

Meaning: eager.

O'Brien once commented on DeCurtis's "bushy-tailed enthusiasm" when the latter started work without the former's say-so. (DS9: "Whispers")

Busting one's tail

Chasing one's own tail

On one's tail

If somebody was on one's tail, they were pursuing the speaker.

O'Brien once observed that the Defiant had two Klingon ships on its tail. (DS9: "The Way of the Warrior")

Eddington accused Sisko of having been on his tail for eight months. Later, when pursuing Eddington, Dax remarked that she and the others were on his tail. (DS9: "For the Uniform")

Janeway once ordered Harry Kim to get some Klingons off her tail. (VOY: "Endgame")

Take some heat off one's tail

Tuck tail between one's legs

To tuck one's tail between one's legs meant to surrender in a cowardly way.

The Circle once claimed that the Federation had tucked their tail between their legs when they noted that they'd evacuated Deep Space Nine. (DS9: "The Siege")

Turning tail

Teeth

Armed to the teeth

To be armed to the teeth meant to possess a lot of weapons, or to possess very effective weaponry.

When Geordi La Forge modified the weapons on a Pakled ship, he told the crew they were armed to the teeth, however, they did not understand and replied in confusion, "Teeth are for chewing." (TNG: "Samaritan Snare")

Give one's eye teeth

Have (sharp) teeth

To have teeth or have sharp teeth was to be dangerous.

Keogh stated that he expected the Dominion to have sharper teeth than the Maquis. (DS9: "The Jem'Hadar")

Sisko said that the Defiant might have flaws, but also had teeth. (DS9: "The Search, Part 1")

Like pulling teeth

If something was like pulling teeth, it was hard.

Odo said that when he was trying to interrogate Rom, even getting him to admit his name was like pulling teeth. (DS9: "The Assignment")

Show one's teeth

Something to sink one's teeth into

Sweet tooth

Throat

At one's throat

To be at someone's throat was to have animosity towards them.

Quark, following the 76th Rule of Acquisition and declaring peace with Odo to confuse him, claimed that the two of them had "been at each other's throats long enough." (DS9: "The Homecoming")

Kelis once described his patron's enemies as "constantly at each other's throats." (VOY: "Muse")

(Jump) down one's throat

Toes

Keep someone on their toes

To keep someone on their toes was to prevent them from letting their guard down.

When Odo said that Quark would become "sloppy" in his absence, Quark said that Odo had kept him on his toes for too long. (DS9: "A Man Alone")

When Keiko jokingly pretended to suspect O'Brien of having an affair with Neela, she claimed that she was keeping him on his toes. (DS9: "In the Hands of the Prophets")

Sisko once stated that Odo was not the first person on Deep Space 9 to keep Quark on his toes. (DS9: "Things Past")

Ch'Targh jokingly told Alexander that mistaking a simulation for a real invasion at least kept him and his crewmates on their toes. (DS9: "Sons and Daughters")

Stay on one's toes

Step on one's toes

To step on somebody's toes was to anger or offend them.

Bashir noted that a paper he had written stepped on a few people's toes. (DS9: "Nor the Battle to the Strong")

Toe the line

Toe to toe

Tongue

Bite your tongue

Carry justice on one's tongue

Loosen one's tongue

Lose one's tongue

On the tip of one's tongue

If something was on the tip of one's tongue, they almost remembered it.

Neelix used the idiom when trying to remember a location during a game of trivia with Tom Paris. (VOY: "11:59")

Rolls off the tongue

If a word or phrase rolled off the tongue, it was pleasing to say.

Ambassador Troi once claimed that Odo's name rolled off the tongue. (DS9: "The Forsaken")

Sharp tongued

Slip of the tongue

Swallow one's tongue

Tongue tied

Tongue turn to fire

Watch/hold one's tongue

To watch one's tongue or hold one's tongue was to avoid saying something.

Mudd told Kirk to hold his tongue when the latter cited the former as a bad representative of humanity. (TOS: "I, Mudd")

Vein

Brine in the veins

Monean saying meaning "someone who has special connection to The Waters". (VOY: "Thirty Days")

Wing

Clip [someone's] wings

To clip [someone's] wings was to prevent or limit them from doing something.

In 2372, Julian Bashir participated in a holosuite program wherein the character Anastasia Komananov, about to shoot the character Falcon, said, "Time to clip this bird's wings." (DS9: "Our Man Bashir")

On the wings of [something]

To be carried on the wings or on wings of something was to be inspired or otherwise metaphorically "carried" by that thing.

Takarian mythology featured rhyming verse called Song of the Sages that foretold the arrival of a pair of demigods called Holy Sages. In the final verse, they were led away by the Holy Pilgrim on "wings of fire." (VOY: "False Profits")

In 2024, Doctor Renée Picard reported to mission control on the way to Europa that they were "away on the wings of those who came before us." (PIC: "Farewell")

Spread one's wings

To spread one's wings is to try new things, gain independence, or to reach one's potential.

In 2373, The Doctor, when he was about to go on his first away mission, said he had been looking forward to spreading his wings with his new mobile emitter. (VOY: "Macrocosm")

Under one's wing

To take someone under one's wing was to help, teach, or protect that person, especially if that person was younger or had less experience.

Curzon Dax met an Ensign Benjamin Sisko in 2355, and took him under his wing to teach him to appreciate life, about art and science and diplomacy. (DS9: "Dax")

Sometime previous to 2368 when Julian Bashir was in college, he met Isam Helewa with whom he studied meditation. Bashir characterized their relationship as Helewa having taken taken Bashir under his wing. (DS9: "Crossover")

In 2381, Commander Jack Ransom told Beckett Mariner to take Ensign Gary under her wing on his first away mission to Narj's Miraculous Menagerarium. (LD: "I Have No Bones Yet I Must Flee")

In 2401, when Raffaela Musiker went to the USS Excelsior with Elnor, Picard asked if she was keeping him under her wing. (PIC: "The Star Gazer")

Wing it

To wing it was to improvise.

In 2365, Kyle Riker said that there were no manuals for being a parent, and it required winging it from day to day. (TNG: "The Icarus Factor")

In 3191, Moll didn't make a plan for the eventuality that the Breen might pursue her, saying she'd "always been partial to winging it." (DIS: "Erigah")

Wrist

Slap on the wrist

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