absolute

Related to absolute: absolute temperature, Absolute pressure

absolute power corrupts absolutely

proverb One who holds unchecked power or authority is likely to become corrupt or abuse one's position. This phrase is usually attributed to 19th-century historian Lord Acton. He really started abusing the authority of his office when he was promoted to CEO. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.
See also: absolute, absolutely, corrupt, power

absolute unit

slang A large person or thing, especially due to being extremely overweight. Chiefly used in Internet memes, especially in the phrase, "In awe at the size of this lad. Absolute unit.", or similar variations. Primarily heard in UK. Would you look at the size of the fella heading out of that pub? What an absolute unit! Some creep on Twitter shared an old photo of me with the caption, "In awe at the size of this lad. Absolute unit." I'm nearly four stone lighter now, for God's sake!
See also: absolute, unit

be the (absolute) limit

To be a source of intense aggravation. Oh, I can't listen to that fool any longer—his idiotic questions are the limit!
See also: limit

power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely

The more powerful one is, the more unscrupulous one becomes. A: "I never should have appointed him head of the committee." B: "You need to call him in for a meeting before he thinks that he can do whatever he wants. Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."
See also: absolute, absolutely, and, corrupt, power

the (absolute) limit

A source of intense aggravation or annoyance. Oh, I can't listen to that fool any longer—his idiotic questions are the limit! These forms the HR department makes us fill out are the absolute limit, I'm telling you!
See also: limit
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Prov. One who has total authority is very likely to abuse his position. (This phrase was used by the British historian Lord Acton: "Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.") We thought that Johnson would be a responsible mayor, but within a year of taking office, he was as bad as all the rest. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.
See also: absolute, absolutely, corrupt, power
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • Beware of little expenses; a small leak will sink a great ship.
  • teach a man to fish
  • village
  • it takes a village
  • a woman's work is never done
  • bad habits die hard
  • chickens come home to roost
  • chickens come home to roost, one's
  • casu consulto
  • change horses in midstream, don't
References in periodicals archive
'So it means that there are some charlatans, maybe attorneys, or maybe paralegals who have taken it upon themselves to hoodwink persons that they could do divorces for them, and that's is why I urge persons if they have decree absolute to please check to make sure that these are genuine,' Chuck said, adding that recently a police officer was hauled before the courts for involvement in the racket.
JAMAICA-CRIME-Jamaica investigating divorce racket
"Being recognised for our hard work and proactive, creative campaigns, particularly by leading professionals in the community, helps us strive to maintain our innovative way of working," said Ben Austin, CEO of Absolute Digital Media.
Absolute Digital Media announced as finalists for prestigious Drum Search Awards; The agency is on the shortlist in the Finance and Personal Services category
Absolute Storage Management (ASM) is one of the largest private, third-party self-storage management company in the United States.
Absolute Storage Investment Makes Purchase in Pensacola FL
Following the success of Sono, Tall reports it has now been contracted to create a digital brand re-fresh for Absolute's three remaining products, giving each its own identity whilst bringing them in-line with the revised parent brand.
Six-figure sum invested
According to GSE, this acquisition of Absolute Consulting significantly enhances its position as the 'go to' provider of training and consulting solutions to the power industry, with a particular focus on nuclear power.
GSE Systems acquires Absolute Consulting for USD8.75m cash
La Prairie Skin Caviar Absolute Filler comes in an elegantly designed 60-ml pump bottle, and is available exclusively from Rustan's The Beauty Source.
Facelift in a bottle
Although training adults to learn absolute pitch has been met with much skepticism, there now is evidence that it can be done.
Acquiring "perfect" pitch now possible
This study focuses on the transition between absolute instability (AI) and convective instability (CI) for a compressible inviscid shear layer, which are dominated by modes with zero group velocity.
Spatial-Temporal Instability of an Inviscid Shear Layer
Like the 73 and 75 Series of ROMER Absolute Arm, 77 Series arms are compatible with all Hexagon laser scanners, including the RS3 integrated scanner and the HP-L-20.8 and HP-L-8.9 external units.
HEXAGON MANUFACTURING INTELLIGENCE UNVEILS PCMM
As one of the leading global providers of ITSM applications, Heat Software will merge Absolute Service into the existing Heat Service Management business unit offering customers the ability to deliver world-class service while maximizing operational efficiencies with reduced cost and complexity.
Heat Software to Acquire Two Absolute Software Businesses
The term absolute humidity is less common: it describes the actual amount of water vapour in the air in g/[m.sup.3].
Mo's corner
Hexagon Metrology (North Kingstown, RI) has announced the ROMER Absolute Arm 1.2 m portable coordinate measuring machine (CMM).
Portable coordinate measuring machine
As the absolute values of analytic functions are subharmonic,
Composition operators related to the Dirichlet space
WORCESTER -- Since founding Absolute Machinery Inc.
Absolute Machinery has worldwide reach; Company buys and sells plastic molding equipment