gimme
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gimme a break
slang "Gimme" is a colloquial contraction of "gimme."
1. A plea for someone else to stop doing something annoying or troublesome. Guys, I told you I needed you to be quiet for five minutes while I made a call, and you couldn't even do it for 10 seconds! Gimme a break, will ya? Gimme a break, OK? I have to finish up this report and don't have time to help you right now. Kids, would you please stop fighting and gimme a break for five minutes?
2. A scoffing retort to something that seems unbelievable or ridiculous. You, the night owl, are getting up at 5 AM tomorrow? Gimme a break! A: "Ouch, ouch ouch!" B: "Oh, gimme a break. I barely scratched you!" Wait, they're promoting that moron to head of Human Resources? Gimme a break!
give (one) a break
1. To make a concession or allowance for one. I just need someone at this company to give me a break. I'll take any job here, even cleaning the bathrooms. I'm sure all the aspiring actors out there would like to know if someone gave you a break when you were starting out in Hollywood. It wouldn't be fair to give you a break on the deadline and not make that available your classmates.
2. A plea for someone else to stop doing something annoying or troublesome. Guys, I told you I needed you to be quiet for five minutes while I made a call, and you couldn't even do it for 10 seconds! Give me a break, will you? Give me a break, OK? I have to finish up this report and don't have time to help you right now. Kids, would you please stop fighting and give me a break for five minutes?
3. A scoffing retort to something that seems unbelievable or ridiculous. You, the night owl, are getting up at 5 AM tomorrow? Give me a break! A: "Ouch, ouch ouch!" B: "Oh, give me a break. I barely scratched you!" Wait, they're promoting that moron to head of Human Resources? Give me a break!
give me/gimme (a) five
A request to give the speaker a "high five," that is, to slap their (usually) raised hand with one's own, as in a show of congratulation or celebration. "Five" refers to the hand's five fingers. "Gimme" is a colloquial form of "give me." I hear you aced your final exams! Give me five! Gimme five, kiddo! Hey man, what's up? Give me five!
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
Give me a break!
and Gimme a break!1. Inf. Don't be so harsh to me!; Give me another chance! I'm sorry! I'll do better! Give me a break! I was only late once! Give me a break!
2. Inf. That is enough, you're bothering me!; Stop it! Do you have to go on and on? Give me a break! Give me a break, you guys! That's enough of your bickering!
3. Inf. I don't believe you!; You don't expect anyone to believe that! You say a gorilla is loose in the city? Gimme a break! Tom said he was late again because the back stairs caved in. His boss said, "Gimme a break!"
See also: give
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
give me a break!
used to express contemptuous disagreement or disbelief about something that has been said.See also: give
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
give me a ˈbreak!
(spoken) used when somebody wants somebody else to stop doing or saying something that is annoying, or to stop saying something that is not true: I didn’t mean it like that, so give me a break!See also: give
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
gimme
(ˈgɪmi) phr. give me. (Eye-dialect. Typical spoken English. Used in writing only for effect. Used in the examples of this dictionary.) Do you wanna gimme the thingy and lemme go ahead with my work?
Give me a break!
and Gimme a break!1. exclam. That is enough!; Stop it! Do you have to go on and on? Give me a break!
2. exclam. Don’t be so harsh!; Give me a chance! I’m sorry! I’ll do better! Give me a break!
3. and GMAB exclam. & comp. abb. I don’t believe it!; You don’t really think I believe that! Come on, GMAB! How dumb do you think I am!
See also: give
Gimme a break!
verbSee Give me a break!
See also: gimme
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.