clung

cling like shit to a shovel

1. rude slang To adhere to something very securely. This glue clings like shit to a shovel—good luck getting it off your hands.
2. rude slang By extension, to rely on someone excessively or spend a lot of time with them. Why are you clinging like shit to a shovel? Don't you have something better to do?
See also: cling, like, shit, shovel

cling on (to someone or something)

1. Literally, to hold on (to someone or something) very tightly. The little girl clung on to her dad's legs and cried as he tried to leave for work. I just kept clinging on and praying that a search party would find me dangling from the side of the rock.
2. To remain devoted to or entrenched in something, especially in a stubborn or desperate manner. In this ever-changing world, you can't just stubbornly cling on to your old beliefs. I really hate my job, but if I can just cling on for a little while longer, I'll have enough money saved up to change careers.
3. To remain in close, persistent contact with someone, especially in a desperate, helpless, or emotionally overdependent manner. I wish my younger brother would stop clinging on like that whenever I go out with my friends. He's starting to really embarrass me. That brownnosing little twerp just clings on to the boss all day long, agreeing with whatever he says.
See also: cling, on, someone

cling to (someone or something)

1. Literally, to hold on to someone or something tightly. The little girl clung to her dad's legs and cried as he tried to leave for work. I clung to the side of the rock and prayed that a search party would find me.
2. By extension, to remain devoted to or entrenched in something, often a belief or opinion. In this ever-changing world, you can't just stubbornly cling to your old beliefs.
See also: cling

cling together

1. Of two or more things, to adhere to one another. The pages in this book are so thin that they usually cling together.
2. Of two or more people, to hold each other tightly. The wind was so strong that we had to cling together just to cross the parking lot!
See also: cling, together
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

cling together

[for two or more people or animals] to hold on tightly to each other. The two children clung together throughout the ordeal. The baby baboon and its mother clung together and could not be separated.
See also: cling, together
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

cling like shit to a shovel

and stick like shit to a shovel
1. in. to stick or adhere [to someone or something] tightly. (Usually objectionable.) That oily stuff sticks like shit to a shovel.
2. in. to be very dependent on someone; to follow someone around. (Often with an indirect object. Usually objectionable.) She’s so dependent. She clings to him like shit to a shovel. He hates her, but he sticks like shit to a shovel.
See also: cling, like, shit, shovel
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions
See also:
  • cling
  • doodly
References in periodicals archive
He was able to pull the man out and pass him to Insp Pescod on rocks, where the pair clung on to the victim until a lifeboat from Tynemouth arrived.
Officer tells of rescue
But when she turned round to see a man climbing into the driver's seat, the determined motorist grabbed hold of the bonnet and clung on.
Woman in car ordeal
Even then she clung to the back of her Vauxhall Astra before they sped off, leaving her covered in blood.
CARJACK TERROR AT HANDS OF BRUTAL THUGS; thought she was going to die in horrific attack as she visited OAPs
He clung on to American motorcycle legend Randy Mamola, 49, and then chatted to 18-yearold English rider Bradley Smith before settling down to watch the British MotoGP.
Wheels and Harry; BIKE-LOVING ROYAL LAPS IT UP AT THE GRAND PRIX
A DELIVERY driver yesterday told of how he clung to the roof of his car as a thief drove it away at high speed.
High speed terror ride; How victim got the better of raider
Dad-of-three John Jarrett, 41, desperately clung to a fish tray with skipper Charlie Picton, 40, to stay afloat as 39-year-old deckhand Michael Williams risked shark-infested waters to reach the shore.
12-HR SWIM TO SAVE SHIP PALS
Their fall was only broken by a narrow ledge, which they clung to for more than an hour before being spotted by a member of the public, who alerted the emergency services.
Teenagers rescued from cliff
A MOTORIST clung on to a getaway car after a gang took shop fitting tools from his vehicle in Witherley Road, Atherstone.
Theft victim gives chase
"They were great - they grabbed hold of him and just clung on."
HELP! SAVE MY BOY; Father threw Sam to surfer
He clung on to the sill for an agonisingly tense moment before letting go and hurtling to his death below.
7th floor death leap horror
As she floated helplessly Sylvia Lucas, 11, grabbed a log and clung on desperately hoping someone would save her.
MY 24-HR SEA HELL; MIRACLE 2
As he clung on, unhurt apart from scratches, he shouted down to the other driver involved in the Kansas City crash: "Hey, Dude, turn off my car."
NICE LINE IN ESCAPES
A MOTORIST clung to a car as it sped away from an accident and dialled 999 on his mobile phone using his free hand.
Shunt man terror ride
He said: "They clung to the axle of the truck for 35 hours.
Refugees' 250 miles under lorry
He feared for his life as he clung desperately to the bonnet while the car sped along the street.
ROAD RAGE VICTIM CLUNG TO MANIAC'S CAR BONNET