gild the lily, to

gild the lily

To further adorn something that is already beautiful. You look radiant, as always—wearing such an extravagant gown is just gilding the lily.

See also: gild, lily

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

gild the lily

Fig. to add ornament or decoration to something that is pleasing in its original state; to attempt to improve something that is already fine the way it is. (Often refers to flattery or exaggeration.) Your house has lovely brickwork. Don't paint it. That would be gilding the lily. Oh, Sally. You're beautiful the way you are. You don't need makeup. You would be gilding the lily.

See also: gild, lily

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

gild the lily

Add unnecessary adornment or supposed improvement. For example, Offering three different desserts after that elaborate meal would be gilding the lily. This expression is a condensation of Shakespeare's metaphor in King John (4:2): "To gild refined gold, to paint the lily ... is wasteful and ridiculous excess." [c. 1800]

See also: gild, lily

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

gild the lily

If someone gilds the lily, they try to improve something which is already very good, and so what they are doing is unnecessary. There can be a temptation to gild the lily in such documents, making exaggerated claims about what the school can offer to students. Top the cake with ice cream or whipped cream, if you're keen on gilding the lily. Note: This expression may be based on lines in Shakespeare's `King John' (1595): `To gild refined gold, to paint the lily... Is wasteful and ridiculous excess.' (Act 4, Scene 2)

See also: gild, lily

Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

gild the lily

try to improve what is already beautiful or excellent.

This phrase adapts lines from Shakespeare's King John: ‘To gild refined gold, to paint the lily…Is wasteful and ridiculous excess’.

See also: gild, lily

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

gild the ˈlily

try to improve something which is already perfect, and so spoil it: The dress is perfect. Don’t add anything to it at all. It would just be gilding the lily.This comes from Shakespeare’s play King John. Gild means ‘to cover something with a thin layer of gold’. A lily is a very beautiful flower.

See also: gild, lily

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

gild the lily

1. To adorn unnecessarily something already beautiful.

2. To make superfluous additions to what is already complete.

See also: gild, lily

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition.

gild the lily, to

To add excessive ornament; to pile excess on excess. This term is a condensation of Shakespeare’s statement in King John (4.2), “To gild refined gold, to paint the lily . . . is wasteful and ridiculous excess.” Earlier (sixteenth-century) versions of this idea cited whitening ivory with ink (Erasmus, Adagia) and painting fine marble (George Pettie, Petite Pallace). Byron quoted Shakespeare correctly (“But Shakespeare also says, ’tis very silly to gild refined gold, or paint the lily”), in Don Juan (1818), but sometime during the succeeding years it became the cliché we now know.

gild the lily

Engage in an unnecessary and usually wasteful activity. Like carrying coals to Newcastle, to gild a lily would be a waste of time as the flower already possesses more than sufficient beauty. The phrase comes from a misquotation of lines from Shakespeare's King John: Therefore, to be possess'd with double pomp, To guard a title that was rich before, To gild refined gold, to paint the lily . . . Is wasteful and ridiculous excess.

See also: gild, lily

Endangered Phrases by Steven D. Price

See also:

gild the lily
gilding
lily
paint the lily
no expense is spared
spare no expense
spare no expense/pains/trouble doing something
adorn (someone or something) with (something)
adorn with
top with

词组	gild the lily, to
释义	gild the lily, to gild the lily To further adorn something that is already beautiful. You look radiant, as always—wearing such an extravagant gown is just gilding the lily. See also: gild, lily Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. gild the lily Fig. to add ornament or decoration to something that is pleasing in its original state; to attempt to improve something that is already fine the way it is. (Often refers to flattery or exaggeration.) Your house has lovely brickwork. Don't paint it. That would be gilding the lily. Oh, Sally. You're beautiful the way you are. You don't need makeup. You would be gilding the lily. See also: gild, lily McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. gild the lily Add unnecessary adornment or supposed improvement. For example, Offering three different desserts after that elaborate meal would be gilding the lily. This expression is a condensation of Shakespeare's metaphor in King John (4:2): "To gild refined gold, to paint the lily ... is wasteful and ridiculous excess." [c. 1800] See also: gild, lily The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. gild the lily If someone gilds the lily, they try to improve something which is already very good, and so what they are doing is unnecessary. There can be a temptation to gild the lily in such documents, making exaggerated claims about what the school can offer to students. Top the cake with ice cream or whipped cream, if you're keen on gilding the lily. Note: This expression may be based on lines in Shakespeare's `King John' (1595): `To gild refined gold, to paint the lily... Is wasteful and ridiculous excess.' (Act 4, Scene 2) See also: gild, lily Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. gild the lily try to improve what is already beautiful or excellent. This phrase adapts lines from Shakespeare's King John: ‘To gild refined gold, to paint the lily…Is wasteful and ridiculous excess’. See also: gild, lily Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary gild the ˈlily try to improve something which is already perfect, and so spoil it: The dress is perfect. Don’t add anything to it at all. It would just be gilding the lily.This comes from Shakespeare’s play King John. Gild means ‘to cover something with a thin layer of gold’. A lily is a very beautiful flower. See also: gild, lily Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary gild the lily 1. To adorn unnecessarily something already beautiful. 2. To make superfluous additions to what is already complete. See also: gild, lily American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. gild the lily, to To add excessive ornament; to pile excess on excess. This term is a condensation of Shakespeare’s statement in King John (4.2), “To gild refined gold, to paint the lily . . . is wasteful and ridiculous excess.” Earlier (sixteenth-century) versions of this idea cited whitening ivory with ink (Erasmus, Adagia) and painting fine marble (George Pettie, Petite Pallace). Byron quoted Shakespeare correctly (“But Shakespeare also says, ’tis very silly to gild refined gold, or paint the lily”), in Don Juan (1818), but sometime during the succeeding years it became the cliché we now know. See also: gild The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer gild the lily Engage in an unnecessary and usually wasteful activity. Like carrying coals to Newcastle, to gild a lily would be a waste of time as the flower already possesses more than sufficient beauty. The phrase comes from a misquotation of lines from Shakespeare's King John: Therefore, to be possess'd with double pomp, To guard a title that was rich before, To gild refined gold, to paint the lily . . . Is wasteful and ridiculous excess. See also: gild, lily Endangered Phrases by Steven D. Price See also: gild the lily gilding lily paint the lily no expense is spared spare no expense spare no expense/pains/trouble doing something adorn (someone or something) with (something) adorn with top with
随便看	throw to the winds, to throw to the wolves throw to the wolves, to throw (two or more people) together throw up throw up hands throw up (one's) hands throw up one's hands throw up (one's) hands in despair throw up (one's) hands in frustration throw up (one's) hands in horror throw up one's hands, to throw up (one's) toenails throw up one’s toenails throw up to throw up toenails throw up to (someone or something) throw up your hands/arms in despair, horror, etc. throw voice throw weight around throw your hand in throw your hat in the ring throw your hat into the ring throw your money about/around throw yourself at somebody's feet