Smoking What is the origin and meaning of the idiom close but no cigar?
This term is used when one almost meets with success, but not quite, therefore getting nothing in return. The expression started in the US in the twentieth century, and is said to originate from the practice of fairground stalls giving out cigars as prizes. This phrase would be said to those who failed to win a prize.
Where did the phrase sit tight come from?
The tight aspect of this idiom, most likely, comes from when it was common in the Western world to have a bed frame made of ropes strung equally apart both horizontally and vertically in the frame. One would tighten the ropes before getting into bed to assure the mattress laid on the ropes as straight as possible.
What does close but no banana mean?
Close, but no banana Definition from Language, Idioms & Slang Dictionaries & Glossaries. Slang Dictionaries. Australian Slang. phrase indicating that someone has made a good, but nevertheless incorrect, guess.
What does cut the Chase mean?
to get to the point without wasting time
What does it mean cut the cheese?
Verb. (third-person singular simple present cuts the cheese, present participle cutting the cheese, simple past and past participle cut the cheese) (US, idiomatic, euphemistic, slang) To flatulate.
Why do we say uncle?
It seems that while “crying uncle” is today regarded as an Americanism, its origins go all the way back to the Roman Empire. … Roman children, when beset by a bully, would be forced to say “Patrue, mi Patruissimo,” or “Uncle, my best Uncle,” in order to surrender and be freed.
What does it mean when someone says no dice?
No dice, from the 1920s, alludes to an unlucky throw in gambling; no go, alluding to lack of progress, dates from about 1820; and no soap dates from about 1920 and possibly alludes to the phrase it won’t wash, meaning “it won’t find acceptance.” Also see nothing doing; won’t wash.
What does the saying the bloom is off the rose mean?
Phrase. bloom is off the rose. (idiomatic) The person, object, or situation identified in the context has lost its novelty, freshness, appeal, or acceptability. (idiomatic, business, economics) Business is not going well for a particular identified firm or industry, or the overall economy has taken a downturn.
What does chip on your shoulder mean?
To have a chip on one’s shoulder refers to the act of holding a grudge or grievance that readily provokes disputation. It can also mean a person thinking too much of oneself (often without the credentials) or feeling entitled.
What does the idiom cut the mustard mean?
(idiomatic) To suffice; to be good or effective enough. Give me the bigger hammer. This little one just doesn’t cut the mustard.
What does it mean bought the farm?
Question: What is meant by the phrase “bought the farm”? Answer: It comes from a 1950s-era Air Force term meaning “to crash” or “to be killed in action,” and refers to the desire of many wartime pilots to stop flying, return home, buy a farm, and live peaceably ever after.
What does the idiom slap on the wrist mean?
a small punishment when a more severe punishment is deserved: They rob someone on the street and they get a slap on the wrist – thirty days in jail.
What does strike while the iron is hot mean?
Take advantage of favorable circumstances while they last.