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By-surprise

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Read Also:

• By-talk

  incidental conversation; small talk; chitchat. Historical Examples The Locusts’ Years Mary Helen Fee

• By-the-balls

  by the balls see: have one by the balls

• By-the-bell

  by the bell

• By-the-board

  Fallen out of use, discarded. This expression usually is put as go by the board, as in With all the crime around here, the practice of leaving the house unlocked has gone by the board. The board here is the board of a ship, and the expression has been used since about 1630 to signify […]

• By-the-day

  Also, by the hour or week or month or year. According to a specific time period, as in I’m renting this car by the day, or He’s being paid by the hour. This usage generally describes some kind of rate. [ 1400s ]

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