[miss the boat] also [miss the bus] {v. phr.}, {informal} To fail through slowness; to put something off until too late; do the wrong thing and lose the chance. * […] A Dictionary of American Idioms

lose out

[lose out] {v.} To fail to win; miss first place in a contest; lose to a rival. * /John lost out in the rivalry for Mary's hand in marriage./ * […] A Dictionary of American Idioms

miss by a mile

[miss by a mile] {v. phr.}, {informal} 1. To shoot at something and be far from hitting it; not hit near. * /Jack's first shot missed the target by a […] A Dictionary of American Idioms

miss is as good as a mile

[miss is as good as a mile] It is the same if one fails or misses something by much or by little. - A proverb. * /We thought Tom had […] A Dictionary of American Idioms

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Chinese proverb

Beat your child once a day. If you don't know why, the child does.

to foul one's own nest

[to foul one's own nest] {v. phr.} To compromise unintentionally one's own interests by sharing private information […]

slap-head

[slap-head] {n.} {adj.} A bald man.

Generica

[Generica] Fast food joints, strip malls, sub-divisions as in "we were so lost in generica that I couldn't remember what city […]

[GJ] "Good job", often sarcastic

from rags to riches

[from rags to riches] {adv. phr.} Suddenly making a fortune; becoming rich overnight. * /The Smiths went from rags to riches […]

off the wall

[off the wall] {adj. phr.} Strange; out of the ordinary; stupid. * /He has been making off-the-wall remarks all day; […]

Derek Bok, president of Harvard University

If you think education is expensive--try ignorance.