a lot: a ton
avoid: to fend off the demons of
based on: powered by
big: behemoth
catch: trap
compile: cook
create: whip up, cobble together, give birth to, pump out
creation: birth
dead: pushing up daisies; six feet under
desirable: mouth-watering
dollar: buck
ending something: killing something
endorsement: blessing
explanation: low-down
increase: boom
information: juicy information
it happened: the other shoe finally dropped
lacking: anemic
make it easier: make it a breeze
manage: shepherd
new: fresh
only: just
programming source code: logic
reduce: boil down
send: to fire
situation: ballgame
start/begin: get the feet wet; gear up
taken: lifted
talk: break the silence
trick: secret sauce
try: dip your toes into
use: leverage, harness
valid: kosher
write: spilling ink
access: crack open
add: sprinkle in, toss in
adjustment: tweaking
align: bring into harmony
answer: crack, nail, get a handle on
approach: take a stab at, tackle
attempt: take a swing at, go for it
backup: safety net, lifeboat
bug: hiccup, snag
build: erect, hammer out, forge
cause: spark, ignite, trigger
change: flip, pivot, overhaul
choice: menu, platter, spread
combine: meld, weave together
complex: byzantine, labyrinthine
connection: bridge
control: reign in, keep tabs on
danger: pitfall, minefield
delay: bottleneck, roadblock
delete: axe, wipe, nix
dependency: crutch, ball and chain
describe: paint a picture, sketch out
disconnect: sever, cut ties
distribute: scatter, fan out
document: paper trail, manual
easy: smooth sailing, walk in the park
efficient: lean, streamlined
error: misstep, foul-up
essential: bread and butter, backbone
example: case study, snapshot
execute: pull the trigger, hit go
experiment: trial run, sandbox
failure: flop, trainwreck
feature: bell and whistle, shiny object
fix: patch, iron out, clean up
flexibility: wiggle room, breathing space
focus: zero in on, hone in on
guide: roadmap, playbook
hard: tough nut to crack, uphill battle
help: lend a hand, prop up
important: critical, make-or-break
impossible: out of reach, pie in the sky
improve: polish, level up
incompatible: oil and water, square peg in a round hole
insignificant: drop in the bucket, small potatoes
knowledge: know-how, wisdom
legacy: fossil, relic
limit: cap, ceiling
lost: adrift, in the weeds
maintenance: upkeep, tlc (tender loving care)
mistake: slip-up, blunder
need: hunger for, thirst for
outdated: dinosaur, past its prime
performance: horsepower, bang for the buck
permission: green light, blessing
popular: trendy, hot
powerful: heavy-duty, top-tier
problem: can of worms, pandora’s box
random: scattershot, grab bag
redundant: deadweight, overkill
replace: swap out, trade in
restart: reboot, refresh
result: payoff, endgame
risk: roll of the dice, leap of faith
robust: rock-solid, bulletproof
secure: lock down, fortify
setup: rig, assembly
slow: sluggish, molasses in january
solution: silver bullet, magic wand
start over: clean slate, fresh start
store: stash, squirrel away
success: home run, jackpot
system: machine, ecosystem
terminate: pull the plug, cut off
test: trial balloon, shakedown
tool: gadget, swiss army knife
transform: morph, shape-shift
trust: put stock in, hang your hat on
unfinished: half-baked, in the works
update: refresh, give a facelift
upgrade: overhaul, step up
useful: handy, worth its salt
user: end user
valuable: goldmine, treasure trove
warning: red flag, shot across the bow
work: grind, hustle
wrong: off the mark, out of whack
halted: put the kibosh on it
terminated: gave it the ax
rejected: shot it down
ceased: pulled the plug
prevented: nipped it in the bud
discouraged: threw cold water on it
slowed: put the brakes on
postponed: put it on ice
discarded: canned it
eliminated: deep sixed it
nonsense: that's baloney
absurdity: that's hogwash
falsehood: that's a load of crap
worthlessness: that's bunk
ridiculousness: that's a crock
foolishness: what a bunch of malarkey
bluster: full of hot air
ignorance: talking out of his hat
deception: a snow job
teasing: pulling my leg
typography