scramble

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be in a mad scramble

To be in a wild, frantic hurry to go somewhere or do something. The students are always in a mad scramble to get to their classes after the bell. We were in such a mad scramble to get to the airport on time that we didn't even have time to stop for lunch. With only a month to go, we were all in a mad scramble to get the software finished on time before the release date.
See also: mad, scramble

in a mad scramble

In a wild, frantic hurry to go somewhere or do something. The students are always in a mad scramble to get to their classes after the bell. We were in such a mad scramble to get to the airport on time that we didn't even have time to stop for lunch. With only a month to go, we were all in a mad scramble to get the software finished on time before the release date.
See also: mad, scramble

mad scramble

1. A wild, frantic hurry to go somewhere or to obtain something. I love watching all the students in a mad scramble to get to their classes after the bell. Shoppers made a mad scramble through the doors to pick up products at super low prices for the Black Friday sale. It was a mad scramble to get to the airport on time, so we didn't even have time to stop for lunch.
2. A frantic, hasty surge in some activity, especially because of some time constraint. With only a month to go, we all made a mad scramble to get the software finished on time before the release date. Getting everything taken care of in such a short amount of time was a bit of a mad scramble, but we got it done in the end.
See also: mad, scramble

scramble for (something)

1. To attempt to reach something or some place in a jostling, tumultuous hurry or panic. Shoppers flooded the shop during its huge sale, scrambling for anything they could get their hands on. Everyone scrambled for the exits when the fire alarm went off.
2. To attempt to achieve, acquire, or secure something in a great rush or panic. After the huge success of the innovative new product, tons of other companies have been scrambling for their own version. We were left scrambling for a new general manager after Tom resigned very suddenly.
See also: for, scramble

scrambled eggs

slang A braid of gold leaf-shaped embroidery found as an embellishment on the brims or visors of the peaked caps of military officers. We could tell by the scrambled eggs on her hat that she was a high-ranking officer. Hs's only a lieutenant commander in the navy, so he doesn't have any scrambled eggs on his cap yet.
See also: egg, scramble
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

scramble for someone or something

to push and struggle to get to someone or something. All the teenagers scrambled for the rock star but couldn't catch him. The children scrambled for the candy as it fell from the pinata.
See also: for, scramble
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

scrambled eggs

n. rank insignia on a military officer’s uniform. I know his rank is high because of the “scrambled eggs,” but I don’t know how high.
See also: egg, scramble
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
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References in periodicals archive ?
This scheme will implement a pixel scrambling algorithm) with moduli sets {[2.sup.n]-1, [2.sup.n], [2.sup.n] +1} using both forward and reverse conversions) to achieve an enhanced image encryption process and a more efficient decryption process without lost of any inherent information of the recovered plain image.
The algorithm proposed in [12] based on Henon map can solve this problem, but the algorithm has to expand the image before scrambling a non-square image; hence, it increases the image size.
All of the TestBench for Oracle functionality including data scrambling is available on 9i, 10g and 11i versions.
Scrambling may require use of the hands for balance and/or safety.
For a long time, the prevailing account of scrambling has been that (1b) should be derived from (1a) by optional movement of the XP to the left, the position of the adverb between the verb and direct object in (1b) indicating that the latter is not in its base position:
But the program was not authorized to pay for treatment services, leaving providers scrambling to find ways to provide care for newly diagnosed cancer patients.
15 had Istook scrambling for an alternate venue for his mid-afternoon event.
We have recently discovered scrambling in the gene encoding DNA polymerase [Alpha] in the micronucleus of a different ciliate, Stylonychia lemnae, which enjoys the benefit of a working transfection system (3).
How are scientists scrambling to make wireless communication better and cheaper?
Berwick boss Paul Smith believes his boys have found their shooting boots after scrambling three scrappy goals to break Brechin.
Microsoft acted - and continues to act - like a scrambling, sometimes vicious competitor.
Each company is scrambling to capture a greater chunk of the $90-million (and growing) market for frozen breakfast entrees.
Liverpool-based company Nightfly wants to extend the hours of operation of a motorcycle scrambling facility on land at Rhydblawd Farm, near Disserth.
The eight articles, with introduction and notes, include such topics as left branch extraction, scrambling and its discourse, scrambling in the cleft construction of Dravidian, asymmetries between pre-verbal and post-verbal scrambling in Turkish, the acquisition of scrambling in Japanese, VSO-VOS alternation in Tongo, and string-vacuous scrambling and the effect on output condition.