What does clean as whistle mean?
For many of you, clean as a whistle” probably means really clean, as in not dirty. For example, The sink was clean as a whistle after he scrubbed it. Or maybe youd say something like, Since shes never even had a speeding ticket, her record is clean as a whistle.
Is clean as a whistle an idiom?
Meaning of Idiom Clean as a Whistle Clean as a whistle means extremely clean, squeaky clean, clear, spotless.
What is my room is as clean as a whistle?
1. If someone is as clean as a whistle, they have done nothing immoral or illegal. `There is no sex, drugs or rock n roll.
Where does as clean as a whistle originate from?
“Clean as a whistle” first appeared in print in the early 18th century, meaning “completely, absolutely, leaving no trace” (“A first rate shot; … head taken off as clean as a whistle,” 1849).
Why do we say Heavens to Betsy?
Origin of Heavens to Betsy The origins of this expression are unclear. It may have originated sometime between the years 1850 and 1914. Heavens to Betsy is another variation of the phrase for Heavens sake, which began as a euphemism for what some considered the blasphemous for Gods sake and for Christs sake.
What does it mean to wet the whistle?
The expression is mostly used in informal contexts to mean to have a drink or to satisfy ones thirst. The drink in question is usually of the strong kind — alcohol. It is also possible to say to wet ones beak. *Every weekend I visit the local pub to wet my whistle.
Pretty or attractive in a dainty way, as in That baby is cute as a button. Cute originally was a shortening of acute, for “sharp-witted and clever,” but in the early 1800s it also took on its current meaning. Other than that buttons and bugs hearing organs can be small, there is no good explanation for these similes.
simile next simile. This house is as clean as a whistle.
Where does the saying Heavens to Betsy come from?
Origin of Heavens to Betsy The origins of this expression are unclear. It may have originated sometime between the years 1850 and 1914. Heavens to Betsy is another variation of the phrase for Heavens sake, which began as a euphemism for what some considered the blasphemous for Gods sake and for Christs sake.
CUTE AS A BUTTON - cute, charming, attractive, almost always with the connotation of being small, 1868 (from the original 1731 English meaning of acute or clever). Cute as a bugs ear, 1930; cute as a bug in a rug, 1942; cute as a button, 1946.
Why do we say for Petes sake?
“For Petes sake” originated as a substitute for “for Christs (or Gods) sake,” and other similar expressions—as using a shortened form of the disciple St. Peters name instead was considered less offensive.
Is Heavens to Betsy a saying?
Heavens to Betsy is another variation of the phrase for Heavens sake, which began as a euphemism for what some considered the blasphemous for Gods sake and for Christs sake. Nowadays, most people consider heavens to Betsy to be old fashioned, and it is not common to use or hear it.
Is it wet your whistle or whet your whistle?
Whet your appetite is a phrase meaning to sharpen ones desire for food whereas wet your whistle refers to having a drink. Here, whistle is a metaphor for the mouth itself and thus wet is the appropriate word.
What does wet my beak mean?
wet ones beak (third-person singular simple present wets ones beak, present participle wetting ones beak, simple past and past participle wet ones beak or wetted ones beak) (idiomatic) To drink a beverage. quotations ▼ (idiomatic, gangster slang) To take ones share from the financial proceeds of illicit activity.
Pretty or attractive in a dainty way, as in That baby is cute as a button. Cute originally was a shortening of acute, for “sharp-witted and clever,” but in the early 1800s it also took on its current meaning. Other than that buttons and bugs hearing organs can be small, there is no good explanation for these similes.
Whats the meaning of Heavens to Betsy?
Q From Mark Lord: I am looking for the origin and meaning of the phrase Heavens to Betsy. A The meaning is simple enough: its a mild American exclamation of shock or surprise. Its dated, only rarely encountered in print and then most often as an evocation of times past.
Definition of (as) cute as a button informal. : very cute Your nephew is cute as a button!