1) Smoking gun
-People who don't believe Americans landed on the moon in 1969, point to the American flag waving on the moon as the smoking gun
-After people could not figure out why the small plane crashed, an eye witness account that the plane looked heavy before take-off was the smoking gun
-Fingerprints left on the only knife on the Island mansion were the smoking gun for the murder
Definition: was originally, and is still primarily, a reference to an object or fact that serves as conclusive evidence of a crime or similar act, just short of being caught. its meaning has evolved in uses completely unrelated to criminal activity: for example, scientific evidence that is highly suggestive in favor of a particular hypothesis is sometimes called smoking gun evidence.
Etymlogy: The phrase originated in the Sherlock Holmes story, The Adventure of the Gloria Scott (1893) Its name originally came from the idea of finding a smoking (i.e., very recently fired) gun on the person of a suspect wanted for shooting someone, which in that situation would be nearly unshakable proof of having committed the crime.
2) Mixed company
-Some suggest that there must always be at least one women on a spaceship. Because men are more mature in mixed company
-Hey, David, Don't talk about sex. We are in mixed company
-Both men and women talk about the opposite sex when they are not in mixed company
Definition: a group of people in which there are males and females
3) Feel out
-We need to feel out the landlord before asking to lower the rent
-Rick and his family wanted to feel out their new neighborhood before making a commitment to live there
-Ross wanted to feel out his boss before asking for a raise
Definition: to find out what someone thinks about someone or something. (This does not involve touching anyone.
Etymology: This term alludes to physical groping. [Late 1800s