Straw man

1. Scarecrow which is flimsy and fragile. Therefore, straw man document or straw man proposal means it is a “flimsy” document that is just an initial draft of a subject which is expected to be modified by others

2. A debate technique used to refute an opposing view by misrepresenting the opposing side and then attribute that deliberately misrepresented view to the opponents.

Someone should start to write a straw man document before we can have discussion for all the details.

The opposition party has conjured up a bogus image before proceeding to knock it down. They are using that bogus image or fallacy as a straw man for the false and scurrilous claim

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double down

to engage in risky behavior, especially when one is already in a dangerous situation.

This figurative usage as appearing in the Oxford English Dictionary is a meaningful explanation of “double down” other than the ubiquitous “to double the wager in exchange for only one additional card in Blackjack gambit” in every online dictionary.

Don’t try to double down the exposures of your retirement money in aggressive investments

It is the time to double down on the commitment of solar energy, rather than to scale back

HP is going to double down on Palm’s webOS

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In that vein

Talking/Thinking along the lines. Talking/Thinking about the same or similar topic

In that vein, what do you think about the health reform?
The prime minister was talking about the austerity measures in the recession times. The opposition party also went on in that vein.

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cut my teeth

gain early experience

The legendary German fighter pilot, the Red Baron, cut his teeth when accompanying his father in various hunting trips during his childhood

I cut my teeth on the leadership when I was elected as the president of the classes in middle school

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baked in the cake

1) a situation that is so involved and interwoven which is basically impossible to be fully extricated
2) Something which is so obvious or basically impossible to avoid
3) already reflected in a stock's market price by the expected information such as projected earning or unconfirmed news report

A serious global recession is baked in the cake
The dilemma of long-lasting unemployment rate is baked in the cake
The interest hike at the Fed's next meeting is baked in the cake

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live in a glass house

If you live in a glass house, then, it means your are in a vulnerable position that may be easily attacked or rebuked by your opponents

The congressman may live in a glass house when it comes to the ethics issue

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two-car funeral

utter incompetence or error-prone

The botch of the stimulus plan may stoke anti-government anger about bureaucrats and two-car funerals
He fouled up a two-car funeral
They couldn't run a two-car funeral to get the budget passed

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