Very rapidly, hurriedly.
ten to the dozen. Very rapidly, hurriedly, and/or energetically. My aunt can get talking ten to the dozen if you get her on a topic she’s passionate about. Samson came running ten to the dozen when he heard his son crying out to him from the back garden.
In this post
What does the saying 10 to the dozen mean?
very quickly
If you are talking nineteen/ten to the dozen, you are talking very quickly and without stopping.
Is the saying 10 to the dozen or 19 to the dozen?
It turns out the original expression is actually ‘nineteen to the dozen‘.
Where does the saying nineteen to the dozen come from?
In the 18th century, when a mine flooded, engines powered by steam were used to pump the water out. To keep these engines running, coal was burnt. A steam engine that was running or going ‘nineteen to the dozen’ was pumping out 1900 gallons of water while burning only 12 bushels of coal.
What is the saying to the dozen?
Definition of talk nineteen to the dozen
: to speak rapidly and without stopping He showed us around the house while talking nineteen to the dozen.
Where did the term sixes and sevens come from?
The term at sixes and sevens goes back at least to the 1300s. Originally, the phrase was rendered on six and seven, and referred to a dice game where throwing on a six or seven meant risking one’s entire fortune. Until the 1600s, on sixes and sevens meant to take a careless risk.
What means at sixes and sevens?
confused
in a confused, badly organized, or difficult situation: We’ve been at sixes and sevens in the office this week. SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases. Confusion, confusing and feeling confused. addled.
What does 20 to the dozen mean?
(idiomatic) very fast, fluently.
What does 13 to the dozen mean?
At a great rate; very much or rapidly.
What does like chalk and cheese mean?
When you say that two people are like ‘chalk and cheese’, you are suggesting that the two are very different from each other; they have nothing in common. The expression, which has the same meaning as ‘apples and oranges’, can be used with things as well. No one is really sure about the origin of this idiom.
What does 1 in a million mean?
Definition of one in a million
informal. : a person or thing that is very unusual, special, or admired Thanks for all the help you’ve given me. You’re one in a million.
What does icing on the cake mean?
Definition of icing on the cake
: something extra that makes a good thing even better The concert itself was great, and getting to meet the band afterward was (the) icing on the cake.
What is the meaning of all eyes and ears?
(idiomatic) Very attentive.
What does it mean to count your chickens?
—usually used in negative statements to mean that someone should not depend on something hoped for until he or she knows for certain that it will happen Don’t count your chickens (before they hatch)—you don’t know yet if she will accept your offer.
What is the idiom play second fiddle?
: one that plays a supporting or subservient role.
Where does the expression to kick the bucket come from?
The term is known to date from at least the 16th century. The more interesting (and probably apochryphal) origin relates to suicides who would stand on a large bucket with noose around the neck and, at the moment of their choosing, would kick away the bucket.
What does tried his hand mean?
1. Attempt to do something for the first time, as in I thought I’d try my hand at snorkeling. This idiom uses try in the sense of “ascertain by experiment or effort,” a usage dating from the late 1500s.
What is the meaning of the idiom sit on the fence?
To remain neutral, to refuse to take sides in a dispute; often used in a derogatory way about someone who lacks the courage to decide: “The councilman is afraid he’ll lose votes if he takes sides on the zoning issue, but he can’t sit on the fence forever.”
What does too old to cut the mustard mean?
What does “cut the mustard” mean? To cut the mustard is “to reach or surpass the desired standard or performance” or more generally “to succeed, to have the ability to do something.” For instance, Beyoncé really cut the mustard in her new song.
What does the saying dressed to the nines mean?
phrase. If you say that someone is dressed up to the nines or dressed to the nines, you mean that they are wearing very smart or elegant clothes.
What is the meaning of bolt from blue?
a complete surprise
Definition of bolt from the blue
: a complete surprise : something totally unexpected.