painting

be like painting the Forth Bridge

To be such an involved or time-consuming improvement process that it never truly ends. The phrase refers to Edinburgh's Forth Bridge, which once required constant upkeep. Primarily heard in UK. Remodeling our house was like painting the Forth Bridge—once we saw how nice one room looked, we had to redo another!
See also: bridge, forth, like, painting

be no oil painting

To be physically unattractive. Jack's a nice guy, he's just no oil painting, you know?
See also: no, oil, painting

no oil painting

Physically unattractive. Jack's a nice guy, he's just no oil painting, you know?
See also: no, oil, painting

paint (one) black

To make someone appear evil, malicious, or ill intentioned. He argued that the film was edited to paint him black, taking his statements out of context and mixing them with ominous music. Though he's been painted quite black by the media, in person he's actually a very pleasant guy.
See also: black, paint

paint (something) onto (something)

To use paint to create a particular, picture, pattern, or design on something or some surface. Can you paint a big dinosaur onto Timmy's wall? He loves dinosaurs. I'm going to paint a cool fire design onto the side of my car.
See also: paint

paint (something) with a broad brush

To describe or characterize something in very general, vague, or broad terms, ignoring or neglecting to include specific details. When asked about how she would stabilize the economy, the candidate painted her plan with a broad brush, resorting to vague claims about creating jobs and getting people back to work.
See also: broad, brush, paint

paint in

To color or fill in some blank space with paint. A noun or pronoun can be used between "paint" and "in." I brought in a bunch of black-and-white pictures of cartoon characters for the kids to paint in. There's a big streak where the table scraped against the wall. I'll need to paint it in this weekend.
See also: paint

paint on

1. To apply paint onto some surface. I brought in a bunch of pieces of cardboard and scrap paper for the kids to paint on. It's really hard to paint on textured, bumpy walls like this one.
2. To use paint to create a particular, picture, pattern, or design on something. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "paint" and "on." Can you paint a big dinosaur on Timmy's wall? He loves dinosaurs. I'm going to paint a cool fire design on the side of my car.
See also: on, paint

paint out

To cover something up with paint so as to hide or obscure it. A noun or pronoun can be used between "paint" and "out." Staff were quick to paint out the obscene graffiti on the side of the gymnasium. Someone came by and painted certain words out that were featured on the mural on Main Street.
See also: out, paint

paint over

To cover something up with paint so as to hide or obscure it. A noun or pronoun can be used between "paint" and "out." Staff were quick to paint over the obscene graffiti on the side of the gymnasium. Someone came by and painted certain words over that were featured on the mural on Main Street.
See also: over, paint

paint the black

In baseball, to pitch the ball in such a way that it travels over the edge of the home plate and results in a strike. Their pitcher was amazing, painting the black from the beginning of the game right through to the very end.
See also: black, paint

paint the devil on the wall

To have or offer a negative view of a situation, often when it is excessive or unwarranted. Don't listen to Ed, he's just painting the devil on the wall. Things really aren't as bad as he says.
See also: devil, on, paint, wall

paint the lily

To add embellishment to something that is already beautiful or outstanding. The phrase comes from Shakespeare's King John: "To gild refined gold, to paint the lily ... is wasteful and ridiculous excess." My wife is so gorgeous that putting her in a fancy gown would just be painting the lily. Why add a filter to your photo of the rainbow? No need to paint the lily.
See also: lily, paint

paint the town (red)

To go out into a city or town and have an enjoyable time, typically by visiting various establishments, such as bars, restaurants, clubs, etc. After our exams finished, we all decided to get dressed up and paint the town red. A: "I was thinking I might go to a museum or the library." B: "Wow, you're really going to paint the town red, huh?"
See also: paint, town
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

paint on something

to apply paint to the surface of something. He painted on the fence a while and then went inside to rest. Please don't paint on the area that is not sanded down.
See also: on, paint

paint over something

to cover something up with a layer of paint. Sam painted over the rusty part of the fence. The work crew was told to paint over the graffiti.
See also: over, paint

paint something in

to paint something extra onto a painted area. I know that there is supposed to be a big white spot here. We will have to paint it in. We will have to paint in the spot.
See also: paint

paint something out

to cover something up or obliterate something by applying a layer of paint. The worker painted the graffiti out. They had to paint out the graffiti.
See also: out, paint
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

no oil painting

BRITISH
If you say that someone is no oil painting, you mean that they are not attractive. I started seeing a guy who was no oil painting but wonderfully bright and interesting.
See also: no, oil, painting
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

no oil painting

not very attractive. British informal
See also: no, oil, painting
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

be no ˈoil painting

(British English, humorous) used to say that a person is not attractive to look at: He’s no oil painting but he’s a marvellous actor.
See also: no, oil, painting

be like painting the Forth ˈBridge

(British English) if a job is like painting the Forth Bridge, it is so big that by the time you get to the end you have to start at the beginning again: Cleaning a house this size is a bit like painting the Forth Bridge. As soon as I’ve finished it’s time to start again!
The Forth Bridge is a very big bridge over the river Forth in Edinburgh.
See also: bridge, forth, like, painting
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

paint the black

Baseball To throw a pitched ball over the edge of home plate for a strike.
See also: black, paint
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition.
See also:
  • be like painting the Forth Bridge
  • paint the Forth Bridge
  • work through
  • duckling
  • an ugly duckling
  • have a Chinaman at (one's) neck
  • have a Chinaman on (one's) back
  • carry a Chinaman on (one's) back
  • a woman's work is never done
  • blow someone/something to kingdom come
References in periodicals archive
JG Painting will continuously clean throughout the painting process, and leave the room just as it was prior to the interior painting contractors beginning the project.
Experts at interior and exterior painting
The lack of any windows in the room gave the class a feeling of being divorced from the ordinary world, a feeling reinforced by the use of projections of paintings which became not only windows into another world, but the only window in the room at all.
Religion and beauty in the classroom
There is another reason why I think the 1954 Untitled "Red Painting" would have been a good beginning for the show, something touched on by Rosalind E.
Robert Rauschenberg's Combines: two views
I like body painting. On the next page, you can see me, at three different ages, with my favorite painted image, the butterfly.
The art of face painting
Two of his brothers, who lived with him in Manhattan, encouraged him to seek psychoanalysis, thinking that if he could "hold himself together," his work would become "of real significance," because his painting was "abstract, intense, evocative ..." (3).
Oneness, complexity, and the distribution of disease
With the Three Layer painting system and the new e-coating process, Mazda is aiming to be greener in its manufacturing policies and also improve the rust protection quality of its vehicles.
Mazda Adopts More Eco-Friendly Painting Process
In the 1575 painting "Christ at the Sea of Galilee" by Jacopo Rubosti, known also as Tintoretto, Berrie found a green-colored glass.
Venetian grinds: the secret behind Italian Renaissance painters' brilliant palettes
Beck (1974) saw the painting as primarily secular and dynastic in intent, one in a series of state portraits by Raphael that memorialize the appearance and status of members of the Medici family.
Raphael's Portrait Leo X with Cardinals Giulio de' Medici and Luigi de' Rossi: a religious interpretation *
On the one hand, this could mean more flexibility than is necessary, especially when it conies to painting exteriors (i.e., the seven-axis robot).
Flexible finishing made simple(r). (Equipment & Applications)
Since Trumbull had not brought any samples of his painting with him, West had Trumbull select a painting from the gallery to copy.
Artist of the American Revolution: both soldier and artist, John Trumbull saw the war for independence firsthand and was moved to memorialize the historic events on canvas. (History: Struggle for Freedom)
While Rivera was painting murals at the Detroit Institute of Arts in 1932, Kahlo had a miscarriage, which prompted her to paint some of the most gruesome of the self-portraits that later sealed her reputation as one of the most original painters of her time.
The trouble with Frida Kahlo: uncomfortable truths about this season's hottest female artist
During and after painting, these VOCs outgas and can cause adverse short-term health effects such as headache, nausea, dizziness, and eye, throat, and lung irritation.
Healthy Indoor Painting Practices
Building Staff Ceiling and/or Wall Repair, and Ceiling and/or Wall Painting
Local Law 38: Management's biggest challenge in new millennium
In addition to making your castings more attractive to the eye, painting and other value-added services can make your foundry look more attractive to customers.
Painting services - protection for castings and a competitive edge
If you're set on painting the nursery, do it as far in advance of the baby's birth as possible.
The non-toxic nursery: greening up the room that baby grows up in