marble

(as) cold as marble

1. Extremely cold. Ack, don't touch me! Your hands are as cold as marble!
2. Utterly unfeeling, unfriendly, or unsympathetic. Is Heather mad at me? She was cold as marble when I tried to talk to her earlier. He looked at me with eyes as cold as marble, and I realized that he had no intention of helping me.
See also: cold, marble

all the marbles

All possible prizes or rewards. Typically used in the phrase "for all the marbles," which is said when one is on the verge of victory. He is currently in first place, so his final putt is for all the marbles!
See also: all, marble

be missing some of (one's) marbles

To be mentally deficient, incompetent, or deranged; to be of unsound mind. My poor grandmother is missing some of her marbles after her stroke. I've been so sleep deprived lately that it feels like I'm missing some of my marbles!
See also: marble, missing, of

have a few loose marbles

To be or seem particularly silly, eccentric, crazy, or mentally unstable. That guy on the corner must have a few loose marbles or something, because he's been standing out there yelling obscenities at passersby all morning. My old uncle Pete may have a few loose marbles, but he's really a nice guy. What's the matter with you? Do you have a few loose marbles, or what?
See also: few, have, loose, marble

have all (one's) marbles

To be mentally sound or stable. Now that I've gotten a good night's sleep, I'm starting to feel like I have all my marbles again. Grandma still has all her marbles, in spite of her other health problems.
See also: all, have, marble

have got all (one's) marbles

To be mentally sound or stable. Now that I've gotten a good night's sleep, I'm starting to feel like I've got all my marbles again. Grandma still has got all her marbles, in spite of her other health problems.
See also: all, have, marble

lose (one's) marbles

To be or become mentally deficient, incompetent, or deranged; to become of unsound mind. My poor grandmother started losing her marbles after she had a stroke. I've been so sleep deprived lately that it feels like I've lost my marbles!
See also: lose, marble

marble city

1. A cemetery. (A reference to headstones and monuments.) My wife and I went to book a plot of land in the marble city for when the time comes.
2. A yard or other area featuring many statues. The site on the outskirts of the city is a bizarre little marble city where the stone visages and iconography of the former regime have been preserved for future generations to learn about.
See also: city, marble

marble dome

A thoroughly stupid person; someone with no sense or intelligence. Don't listen to any advice that marble dome gives you—he's only got a job here because of who his daddy is. There's no way I'll lose to a marble dome like you.
See also: dome, marble

marble orchard

1. A cemetery. (A reference to headstones and monuments.) My wife and I went to book a plot of land in the marble orchard for when the time comes.
2. A yard or other area featuring many statues. The bizarre site on the outskirts of the city is a marble orchard where the visages and iconography of the former regime have been preserved in stone.
See also: marble, orchard

mouthful of marbles

A phrase used to describe the speech of someone who mumbles when talking. I have such a hard time understanding him—he always sounds like he has a mouthful of marbles.
See also: marble, mouthful, of

not have all (one's) marbles

To not be completely mentally sound or stable. After he started bringing conspiracy theories into the conversation, I started wondering if maybe he didn't have all his marbles. It's easy to feel like you don't have all your marbles when you're that sleep deprived.
See also: all, have, marble, not

pick up (one's) marbles and go home

To abandon or withdraw from a project, situation, or activity in a petulant manner because one does not like way in which it is progressing. It seems that the governor is ready to pick up his marbles and go home if the state senate isn't willing to increase the funds for the redevelopment scheme. The danger of relying on a private organization to fund a political campaign is that they may pick up their marbles and go home if the candidate doesn't do everything that's in the company's interest.
See also: and, go, home, marble, pick, up

pick up (one's) marbles and leave

To abandon or withdraw from a project, situation, or activity in a petulant manner because one does not like way in which it is progressing. It seems that the governor is ready to pick up his marbles and leave if the state senate isn't willing to increase the funds for the redevelopment scheme. The danger of relying on a private organization to fund a political campaign is that they may pick up their marbles and leave if the candidate doesn't do everything that's in the company's interest.
See also: and, leave, marble, pick, up
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

*all the marbles

Fig. all the winnings, spoils, or rewards. (*Typically: end up with ~; get ~; win ~; give someone ~.) Somehow Fred always seems to end up with all the marbles. I don't think he plays fair.
See also: all, marble

*cold as a welldigger's ass (in January)

 and *cold as a welldigger's feet (in January); *cold as a witch's caress; *cold as marble; *cold as a witch's tit; *cold as a welldigger's ears (in January)
very, very cold; chilling. (Use caution with ass. *Also: as ~.) Bill: How's the weather where you are? Tom: Cold as a welldigger's ass in January. By the time I got in from the storm, I was as cold as a welldigger's feet. The car's heater broke, so it's as cold as a welldigger's ears to ride around in it. She gave me a look as cold as a witch's caress.
See also: ass, cold

have all one's marbles

Fig. to have all one's mental faculties; to be mentally sound. (Very often with a negative or said to convey doubt.) I don't think he has all his marbles. Do you think Bob has all his marbles?
See also: all, have, marble

lose (all) one's marbles

 and lose one's mind
Fig. to go crazy; to go out of one's mind. What a silly thing to say! Have you lost your marbles? Look at Sally jumping up and down and screaming. Is she losing all her marbles? I can't seem to remember anything. I think I'm losing my mind.
See also: lose, marble

not have all one's marbles

Fig. not to have all one's mental capacities. John acts as if he doesn't have all his marbles. I'm afraid that I don't have all my marbles all the time.
See also: all, have, marble, not
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

have all one's buttons

Also, have all one's marbles. Be completely sane and rational. For example, Grandma may be in a wheelchair, but she still has all her buttons, or I'm not sure he has all his marbles. These slangy expressions date from the mid-1800s, as do the antonyms lose or be missing some of one's buttons or marbles , meaning "become (or be) mentally deficient."
See also: all, button, have

lose one's marbles

see under have all one's buttons.
See also: lose, marble
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

lose your marbles

INFORMAL
If you lose your marbles, you become crazy. At 83 I haven't lost my marbles and my memory is, thank God, as clear as it ever was. People are talking about him as if he's lost his marbles. Note: You can also say that someone has all their marbles, meaning that they are not crazy. He's in his eighties but he clearly still has all his marbles.
See also: lose, marble

pick up your marbles and go home

AMERICAN
If you pick up your marbles and go home, you leave a situation or activity in which you are involved because you are angry about what is happening. They called it the dirtiest Olympics ever and briefly threatened to pick up their marbles and go home. Note: You usually use this expression to suggest that someone is wrong to do this. Note: The reference here is to a player in a game of marbles who is annoyed about losing and therefore stops playing and takes the marbles away so that nobody else can play either.
See also: and, go, home, marble, pick, up
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

lose your marbles

go insane; become irrational or senile. informal
Marbles as a term for ‘a person's mental faculties’ probably originated as early 20th-century American slang. The underlying reference is apparently to the children's game played with multicoloured glass balls.
1998 Spectator At least, that is how I recall the event, but I am losing my marbles.
See also: lose, marble

marble orchard

a cemetery. informal humorous
See also: marble, orchard

pick up your marbles and go home

withdraw petulantly from an activity after having suffered a setback. informal, chiefly US
The image here is of a child who refuses sulkily to continue playing the game of marbles.
See also: and, go, home, marble, pick, up
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

lose your ˈmarbles

(informal) become crazy or mentally confused: They say the old man has lost his marbles because of the strange things he’s been saying, but I’m not so sure.
See also: lose, marble
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

have all one’s marbles

tv. to have all one’s mental faculties; to be mentally sound. (see also lose (all) one’s marbles. Have got can replace have.) I don’t think he has all his marbles.
See also: all, have, marble

lose (all) one’s marbles

tv. to become crazy. (see also have all one’s marbles.) Have you lost all your marbles?
See also: all, lose, marble

lose one’s marbles

verb
See lose all one’s marbles
See also: lose, marble

marble dome

n. a stupid person. (Someone who has marble where brains should be.) The guy’s a marble dome. He has no knowledge of what’s going on around him.
See also: dome, marble

marble orchard

and Marble City
n. a cemetery. I already bought a little plot in a marble orchard. There is a huge Marble City south of town.
See also: marble, orchard

Marble City

verb
See marble orchard
See also: city, marble
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions
See also:
  • (as) cold as marble
  • (as) cold as any stone
  • (as) cold as a well digger's feet (in January)
  • (as) cold as a witch's caress
  • caress
  • witch
  • January
  • welldigger
References in classic literature
In this square were some pretty trees and a statue in bronze of Glinda the Good, while beyond it were the portals of the Royal Palace--an extensive and imposing building of white marble covered with a filigree of frosted gold.
The Emerald City of Oz
We are ready to move again, though we are not really tired yet of the narrow passages of this old marble cave.
It is a vast marble collonaded corridor extending around a great unoccupied square of ground; its broad floor is marble, and on every slab is an inscription--for every slab covers a corpse.
The Innocents Abroad
Then Ojo went to Unc Nunkie and kissed the old man's marble face very tenderly.
"I'm going to try to save you, Unc," he said, just as if the marble image could hear him; and then he shook the crooked hand of the Crooked Magician, who was already busy hanging the four kettles in the fireplace, and picking up his basket left the house.
The Patchwork Girl of Oz
"It's horse-killin' an' man-killin', an' I can just see 'm freightin' that marble out over it I don't think."
The Valley of the Moon
U-Dor, whose riches are uncounted, and the brave O-Tar, whose squealing thoats are stabled within marble halls and fed from troughs of gold, can spare no crust to feed a starving girl."
This rough stone was not the marble of her father's halls.
The Chessmen of Mars
Then came a great silence; all necks remained outstretched, all mouths remained open, all glances were directed towards the marble table.
Notre Dame de Paris
Now it became more and more difficult to cling to the dizzy inclination of the smooth and polished marble.
Thuvia Maid of Mars
Though it was midday, and the sun shone brightly over the marble front, yet its snowy whiteness, and its fantastic style of architecture, made it look unreal, like the frost work on a window pane, or like the shapes of castles which one sees among the clouds by moonlight.
Tanglewood Tales
Polychrome leaped out lightly after them, and they were greeted by a crowd of gorgeously dressed servants who bowed low as the visitors mounted the marble steps.
The Road to Oz
At this stage of the proceedings, a narrow bright red carpet was unrolled and stretched from the top of the marble steps to the curbstone, along the center of the black carpet.
Tramp Abroad
Just beyond the brook and the trees, and not far from one of the three stone stiles which afforded entrance, at various points, to the church-yard, rose the white marble cross that distinguished Mrs.
The Woman in White
Unnumbered waves Have broidered with green moss the marble folds About her feet.
Lute of Jade