amber
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Related to amber: Amber Alert
a fly in amber
Something from or indicative of a bygone era that still exists in the present in the same or similar form (like an ancient insect preserved in amber). Amongst the booming modernity of the city's glass-paned skyscrapers and hip, trendy restaurants lies a fly in amber—Madame Couture's Curiosity Shop, still in the exact same building as when it opened in 1874. My brother still lives at home with our parents, with no job, no girlfriend, and no motivation in life, still living as a child, like a fly in amber. It doesn't look like they've updated the school's computer lab at all in the last 30 years. It's like a fly in amber, right down to the dot matrix printers and Macintosh IIs.
amber gambler
slang A driver who speeds through an intersection just before the traffic light is about to turn red. The middle (yellow) traffic signal is often referred to as being the color amber. Primarily heard in UK. If you keep being a reckless ambler gambler, you're going to get into a car accident soon enough! Why are you beeping at the car in front of you? Just because you're an amber gambler doesn't mean everyone else is. That fool amber gambler almost caused an accident!
amber nectar
Beer, especially lager. Primarily heard in Australia. It's been a long day at work, I'm looking for a bit of amber nectar when I finish! Can I get you fellas some amber nectar before the match starts? You're looking for wine? Sorry, all I have is amber nectar.
gray amber
Another term for ambergris, a waxy substance excreted by sperm whales and used as a fixative, especially in the preparation of perfumes. The large chunk of gray amber that washed ashore is worth more than gold! A: "What is that floating out on the sea? Gray amber?" B: "I think you might be right!" Wait a second. You're telling me that my favorite perfume contains something known as "gray amber" that came from a sperm whale's intestine? Gross!
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
a fly in amber
a curious relic of the past, preserved into the present.The image is of the fossilized bodies of insects which are often found preserved in amber.
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