
IdiomBody & Senses
English
thumb one's nose at
Meaning: To show contempt or mockery for someone or something.
Example: “The band thumbed its nose at the critics and sold out every show.”
Origin: From the rude gesture of putting a thumb to one's nose and waving the fingers, known in Europe for centuries.
Equivalents in other languages
Czech: Dělat dlouhý nos Literally: To make a long nose
More English idioms
- saw off the branch one is sitting on To harm one's own position or interests.
- go around the houses To take a needlessly long or roundabout way.
- do the heavy lifting To do the hardest part of a job.
- ask for trouble To behave in a way likely to cause problems for oneself.
- worth the price of admission So entertaining that it would be worth paying to watch.
- out of this world Wonderful; extraordinarily good.
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