silk
Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Medical, Legal, Acronyms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.
(as) smooth as silk
Very smooth and soft, with no imperfections. Have you tried this chocolate mousse? It has an incredible flavor and is smooth as silk. I love how your face feels after you shave—it's as smooth as silk! Regular spa facials keep my face feeling smooth as silk.
(as) soft as silk
Exceptionally soft and smooth. I love how your face feels after you shave—it's as soft as silk! This is my favorite blanket to get snuggled up in at night. It's soft as silk, and it keeps me nice and warm in bed. This kitten is just adorable—and soft as silk!
black-silk barge
slang A fat woman. Primarily heard in UK. I hate to say that Jenny's a black-silk barge, but she's gained so much weight that I barely recognize her. I'm nearing the end of my pregnancy and feeling like a black-silk barge these days. A: "If her friend's a black-silk barge, don't bother setting us up." B: "Well, that's very rude!"
See also: barge
hit the silk
To jump out of an aircraft. The phrase refers to a skydiver's parachute. A lot of people think skydiving is nerve-wracking, but when I hit the silk, I'm completely calm. I want to hit the silk once in my life. What a rush that must be! Belinda is terrified of heights, so I highly doubt she'll hit the silk with you!
laid to the bone
old-fashioned Completely nude; wearing no clothes at all. Everyone in the group was laid to the bone racing into the water, but we felt absolutely no inhibition around each other.
make a silk purse (out) of a pig's ear
To fashion something beautiful or valuable out of poor materials. Often used in negative constructions. You want me to make a wedding dress out of this tacky fabric? I'm sorry, but you can't expect me to make a silk purse out of a pig's ear!
make a silk purse (out) of a sow's ear
1. To create something beautiful, desirable, or valuable out of poor tools or materials. Often used in negative constructions. You want me to make a wedding dress out of this tacky fabric? I'm sorry, but you can't expect me to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear! You say you want to take professional-quality photos, but you're still using a digital camera from 2003. You're not going to magically make a silk purse of a sow's ear, you know.
2. To turn a negative or undesirable thing or situation into something positive or worthwhile. Our consultancy firm specializes in making silk purses out of sows' ears. We identify and rectify inherent structural problems in an organization and get it working to the best of its potential. The mayoral candidate has an indefatigable optimism about the crime-ridden city, promising to make a silk purse of a sow's ear.
silked to the bone
old-fashioned Completely nude; wearing no clothes at all. Everyone in the group was silked to the bone as we raced into the water, but we felt absolutely no inhibition around each other.
silks
slang Clothing. It looked as though he were wearing brand-new silks for the occasion, but it may simply be the case that he actually washed them for a change.
See also: silk
silk-stocking district
A section of a city that is dominated by the upper-class. Even if you had the money, you wouldn't want to live in a silk-stocking district—you'd be totally subject to the whims of your wealthy neighbors.
See also: district
take silk
To be appointed a Queen's Counsel (QC) or King's Counsel (KC), the highest-ranking position of a senior barrister in the British law system. Primarily heard in UK. Since taking silk, the honourable Thomas Jeffries, QC, has served the public and the crown most admirably.
turn a sow's ear into a silk purse
1. To create something beautiful, desirable, or valuable out of poor tools or materials. Often used in negative constructions. What do you want me to do with this tacky dress? I can't turn a sow's ear into a silk purse! You say you want to make professional-quality videos, but you're still using a camera from 2003. You're not going to magically turn a sow's ear into a silk purse, you know.
2. To turn a negative or undesirable thing or situation into something positive or worthwhile. Our consultancy firm specializes in turning sows' ears into silk purses. We identify and rectify inherent structural problems in an organization and get it working to the best of its potential. The mayoral candidate has an indefatigable optimism about the crime-ridden city, promising to turn a sow's ear into a silk purse.
you can't make a silk purse (out) of a pig's ear
proverb You cannot fashion something beautiful or valuable out of poor materials. You want me to make a wedding dress out of this tacky fabric? I'm sorry, but you can't make a silk purse out of a pig's ear!
you can't make a silk purse (out) of a sow's ear
proverb You cannot fashion something beautiful or valuable out of poor materials. You expect me to make a wedding dress out of this tacky fabric? I'm sorry, but you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear!
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
*smooth as glass
and *smooth as silkCliché smooth and shiny. (often used to describe calm bodies of water. *Also: as ~.) The bay is as smooth as glass, so we should have a pleasant boat trip. This custard is smooth as silk.
*soft as a baby's bottom
and soft as a baby's backside; *soft as down; *soft as silk; *soft as velvetCliché very soft and smooth to the touch. (*Also: as ~.) This cloth is as soft as a baby's bottom. The kitten's fur was as soft as down. Your touch is soft as silk. This lotion will make your skin soft as velvet.
You cannot make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.
Prov. You cannot make someone more refined than he or she is by nature. I've given up trying to get my cousin to appreciate classical music. You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear
Be unable to turn something ugly or inferior into something attractive or of value, as in No matter how expensive his clothes, he still looks sloppy-you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear . This expression was already a proverb in the mid-1500s.
smooth as silk
Lacking impediments or obstacles, unhindered, as in The negotiations went smooth as silk. This simile alludes to the slippery quality of silk. [c. 1900] Also see smooth sailing.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear
If you say you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear, you mean that it is impossible to make something very successful or of high quality out of something which is unsuccessful or of poor quality. He did his best to coach the team but you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. Note: People often vary this expression. It takes more than a good swimming pool and an indoor tennis court or two to make a sow's ear of a resort into a silk purse. Afterwards, Kendall made no attempt to describe this sow's ear as a silk purse. Note: A sow is a female pig, and the ears of a pig are regarded as the least useful body parts when the animal is slaughtered.
smooth as silk
1. If something is as smooth as silk, it is very smooth. The landing at Kirkwall turned out to be as smooth as silk. The cream left my skin as smooth as silk.
2. If someone is smooth as silk, they are polite and confident, often in a way that is not sincere. It might make it easier if I talked to him on my own. He's smooth as silk.
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012
make a silk purse out of a sow's ear
turn something inferior into something of top quality.The observation that you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear has been proverbial since the late 16th century; there was an earlier version which featured a goat's fleece instead of a sow's ear .
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
make a silk ˌpurse out of a sow’s ˈear
succeed in making something good out of material that does not seem very good at all: If you’re serious about taking up painting, invest in good quality brushes and canvas. After all, it’s no good trying to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.(as) smooth as ˈsilk
(also (as) smooth as a baby’s ˈbottom humorous) very smooth: He had just shaved and his face was as smooth as a baby’s bottom.Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
laid to the bone
1. mod. alcohol intoxicated. He got himself laid to the bone.
2. and silked to the bone mod. naked. She was laid to the bone and screaming bloody murder when he opened the door. I was all silked to the bone, getting ready for a shower, when the phone rings.
silked to the bone
verbSee laid to the bone
silk
n. a Caucasian. (Black.) He told his mama that if she doesn’t treat him better, he’s gonna bring some silk home for dinner and let her see what the neighbors think.
silks
n. clothing. I gotta get some new silks before spring.
See also: silk
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear
One cannot turn something inherently inferior into something of value. This proverbial metaphor dates from about 1500, and with some slight variation (“silk” is sometimes “velvet”) makes its way from proverb collections (by Howell, Ray, Dykes, et al.) into literature (Samuel Richardson, Laurence Sterne, Jonathan Swift, Charles Lamb, Robert Browning, George Bernard Shaw, and Clifford Odets, among others).
smooth as silk
Slippery; easily negotiated. The smoothness of this fine fabric was transferred to mean general freedom from hindrances by 1900. O. Henry used the simile in his 1910 story The Dream: “Everything goes as smooth as silk.”
you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear
You cannot turn something inferior or bad into something of value. This proverbial warning was issued in various forms from the sixteenth century on. It clearly had no literal basis; indeed, the absurdity of trying to turn pig’s ears into silk (or velvet or satin, as some variants have it) no doubt helped the saying survive.
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer Copyright © 2013 by Christine Ammer