phrase. If you say that something is hanging by a thread, you mean that it is in a very uncertain state and is unlikely to survive or succeed. The fragile peace was hanging by a thread as thousands of hardliners took to the streets.
What does holding on by a thread mean?
: to be in a very dangerous situation or state : to be very close to death, failure, etc. The patient’s life was hanging by a thread.
Is hanging by a thread a metaphor?
Be in a risky or unstable situation, as in His promotion was hanging by a thread, or With the lead actor sick, the success of our play hung by a hair. This expression, already proverbial in the early 1500s, alludes to Damocles, who vexed King Dionysius with constant flattery.
What’s another way to say hanging by a thread?
What is another word for hanging by a thread?
| unsecure | precarious |
|---|---|
| debatable | pending |
| indeterminate | undefined |
| incalculable | unforeseeable |
| up for grabs | in limbo |
Where does the phrase hanging by a thread come from?
The term hanging by a thread, derives from the banquet that King Dionysius held for Damocles, a courtier of ancient Syracuse. King Dionysius was beginning to become annoyed with Damocles’ constant flattery of his king. He invited him to a banquet, where Damocles was seated under a sword suspended by a single hair.
What is meaning of shake off?
(Entry 1 of 2) : an act or instance of getting rid of what is unpleasant, undesirable, or unwanted. shake off. transitive verb.
What does barely hanging mean?
We usually say that to talk about someone who’s not doing too well, whether that be financially, mentally or physically. Wow, John lost his house, his wife, and his job all on the same day. He’s barely hanging on right now.
What is to tread on?
: to do something that upsets or offends (someone)
What is the meaning of last straw?
Definition of the final/last straw : the last in a series of bad things that happen to make someone very upset, angry, etc. It had been a difficult week, so when the car broke down, it was the last straw.
What is the meaning of the term Achilles heel?
weakness Achilles’ heel. A fatal weakness, a vulnerable area, as in This division, which is rarely profitable, is the company’s Achilles’ heel. The term alludes to the Greek legend about the heroic warrior Achilles whose mother tried to make him immortal by holding the infant by his heel and dipping him into the River Styx.
What does to burn one’s bridges mean?
Commit oneself to an irreversible course. For example, Denouncing one’s boss in a written resignation means one has burned one’s bridges, or Turning down one job before you have another amounts to burning your boats.
What is another word for precarious?
Some common synonyms of precarious are dangerous, hazardous, perilous, and risky.
When a patient is hanging on to life by a thread?
If someone’s life hangs by a thread, they are seriously ill and are very likely to die.His kidneys had failed and his life was hanging by a thread. Note: This expression may relate to the story of the Sword of Damocles: see the explanation at `sword’.
When my sanity hangs by a thread meaning?
phrase. If you say that something is hanging by a thread, you mean that it is in a very uncertain state and is unlikely to survive or succeed.
What is thread in social media?
A thread is a string of messages that make up a conversation. Threads begin with an initial message and then continue as a series of replies or comments. Threads are essential to keeping track of conversations in most forms of online communication, including social media and email.
What is the meaning of the idiom take to task?
To take to task is to chew someone out for something they’ve done wrong. If you don’t do your homework for a week, your teacher will take you to task, and you better straighten up!
What does the phrase kicked in mean?
1 : to begin operating or having an effect : get started waiting for the heater to kick in.
What does shake the blanket mean?
shaken out. DEFINITIONS1. (shake something out/shake something out of something) to shake a cloth, sheet, piece of clothing etc so that dust and dirt fall off. Help me shake out this blanket.
What is the meaning of hangdog expression?
adjective. shamefaced; guilty: He sneaked out of the room with a hangdog expression. browbeaten; defeated; intimidated: He always went about with a hangdog look. suitable to a degraded or contemptible person; sneaky; furtive.
What does just hang in there mean?
to continue despite difficulties, opposition, or discouragement. We’re almost ready, so just hang in there.
Whats the meaning of every now and then?
Occasionally, from time to time; also, periodically. For example, Every now and then I long for a piece of chocolate, or We take long walks every now and again, or Every once in a while he’ll call, or Every so often she washes the car.
How do you use treading?
Treading sentence example
- You’re treading on dangerous ground. …
- Another plan is to sow in May on dry poor soil, when a crop of small bulbs will be produced; these are to be stored in the usual way, and planted in rich soil about February, on ground made firm by treading , in rows about 1 ft.
What is the noun form of tread?
tread. noun. noun. /trd/ 1[countable, uncountable] the raised pattern on the surface of a tire on a vehicle The treads on the tires were badly worn.
What is the difference between thread and tread?
As nouns the difference between tread and thread is that tread is a step while thread is a long, thin and flexible form of material, generally with a round cross-section, used in sewing, weaving or in the construction of string.
What does the idiom cut the mustard mean?
to succeed 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, Beyonc really cut the mustard in her new song.
What is the term elephant in the room mean?
: an obvious major problem or issue that people avoid discussing or acknowledging.
What does cut the mustard come from?
The first recorded use of the phrase is by O Henry in 1907, in a story called The Heart of the West: I looked around and found a proposition that exactly cut the mustard. The modern sense of the idiom is to succeed; to have the ability to do something; to come up to expectations.
Graduated from ENSAT (national agronomic school of Toulouse) in plant sciences in 2018, I pursued a CIFRE doctorate under contract with Sun’Agri and INRAE in Avignon between 2019 and 2022. My thesis aimed to study dynamic agrivoltaic systems, in my case in arboriculture. I love to write and share science related Stuff Here on my Website. I am currently continuing at Sun’Agri as an R&D engineer.