square one's shoulders
To stand strong and ready to give battle; be brave.
Jack squared his shoulders and entered the game.
Graduates must square their shoulders and face the world.
square oneself with
To apologize; re-establish friendship with; make amends.
"Mr. Alien is very angry with you for leaving the firm," Bob said. "It will take more than a few words and a drink to square yourself with him."
stack the cards
cards stacked against one
To arrange cards secretly and dishonestly for the purpose of cheating.
The gambler had stacked the cards against Bill.
To arrange things unfairly for or against a person; have things so that a person has an unfair advantage or disadvantage; make sure in an unfair way that things will happen. Usually used in the passive with in one's favor or against one.
A tall basketball player has the cards stacked in his favor.
The cards are stacked against a poor boy who wants to go to college.
stand on one's own feet
stand on one's own two feet
To depend on yourself; do things yourself; earn your own living; be independent.
After his father died, John had to stand on his own feet and earn his own living.
You should learn to stand on your own two feet.
stand one in good stead
To be helpful or useful to.
A boy scout knife will stand you in good stead when you do not have other tools.
Julia knew how to typewrite, and that stood her in good stead when she looked for a job.
stand one's ground
hold one's ground
To stay and fight instead of running away.
The enemy attacked in great numbers but our men stood their ground.
To defend a belief or statement; refuse to weaken when opposed; insist you are right.
John's friends said he was mistaken but he stood his ground.
stars in one's eyes
An appearance or feeling of very great happiness or expectation of happiness.
Mary gets stars in her eyes when she thinks of her boyfriend.
A belief in the possibility of quick and lasting reforms in people and life and an eagerness to make such changes.
Some inexperienced people get stars in their eyes when they think of improving the world.
steal one's thunder
To do or say something, intentionally or not, that another person has planned to say or do.
Fred intended to nominate Bill for president, but John got up first and stole Fred's thunder.
Mary was going to sing "Oh! Susanna," but Ellen did it first and Mary said Ellen had stolen her thunder.
Smith heard that Jones was going to offer a new law which people wanted, so he himself proposed the law first, stealing Jones' thunder.