polish

nail polish on a hangnail

Some superficial or cosmetic change to something so that it seems more attractive, appealing, or successful than it really is. The only thing the new manager has come up with to save the restaurant has been to make a few repairs and slap a fresh coat on the restaurant, but putting a bit of nail polish on a hangnail doesn't fix the hangnail. The new bells and whistles of their latest operating system is just nail polish on a hangnail, if you ask me. It's still just as buggy and unintuitive as the last one they released.

polish a turd

slang To make something unpleasant seem more appealing than it really is—which is often a futile effort. "Turd" is a slang term for a piece of feces. Look, man, your term paper was bad before, and all of your edits are just making it worse—polishing a turd won't make it better.

polish off

To consume, dispose of, or finish all of something very quickly or easily. A noun or pronoun can be used between "polish" and "off." I was still hungry after dinner, so I polished off the leftover Chinese food in the fridge. I'll come to the party a little later. I just need to polish off this essay first.

See also: off, polish

polish the apple

To attempt to curry favor through insincere or excessive flattery or praise. An allusion to the clichéd image of a student presenting their teacher with a gift of a shiny red apple to instill a good impression. Brian is always polishing the apple with the boss, and for what—some vague, vain hope of a promotion or raise?

polish up

1. Literally, to smoothen or shine something through the use of forceful rubbing. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "polish" and "up." I'll need to polish up my shoes before John and Sarah's wedding tomorrow. Our rings are a bit tarnished—would you mind polishing them up for us?

2. To improve or refresh one's knowledge about or ability to do something. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "polish" and "up." I've been polishing my Japanese up before I go to Tokyo next month. I need to polish up on factorials before attempting to teach them on Monday.

3. To improve or refresh one's knowledge about or ability to do something. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "polish" and "up." I've been polishing my Japanese up before I go to Tokyo next month. I need to polish up on factorials before attempting to teach them on Monday.

4. To improve or refine the appearance something. I've been hearing rumors that there are going to be company-wide layoffs soon. Better start polishing up my résumé. We need to polish up this old house before any prospective buyers get here.

spit and polish

Maintenance of and close attention to the cleanliness and orderliness of something. Sure, it needs some spit and polish, but it's still a reliable truck! Our manager demands spit and polish whenever we clean up the kitchen at the end of the night.

See also: and, polish, spit

you can't polish a turd

proverb You can't make something unpleasant seem more appealing than it really is—attempting to do so is often a futile effort. "Turd" is a slang term for a piece of feces. Look, man, your term paper was bad before, and all of your edits are just making it worse—you can't polish a turd, you know.

polish something off

to eat, consume, exhaust, or complete all of something. Who polished the cake off? Who polished off the cake?

See also: off, polish

polish something up

to rub something until it shines. Polish the silver up and make it look nice and shiny. If you will polish up the silver, I will put it away.

spit and polish

orderliness; ceremonial precision and orderliness. I like spit and polish. It comes from being in the military. There is no such thing as too much spit and polish.

See also: and, polish, spit

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

polish off

Finish or dispose of, especially quickly and easily. For example, We polished off the pie in no time, or If everyone helps, we can polish off this job today. This usage, dating from the early 1800s, came from boxing, where it originally meant "to defeat an opponent quickly and easily." By the 1830s it was used more generally.

See also: off, polish

polish the apple

Try to win favor through flattery, as in It may help your standing with the boss if you polish the apple. This expression gave rise to the phrase apple polishing. The idiom alludes to the practice of schoolchildren bringing their teacher the gift of a bright, shiny apple. [c. 1920]

spit and polish

Close attention to appearance and order, as in With a little spit and polish this house will sell very quickly. This expression originated in the military, presumably alluding to literally shining up something with the aid of a little saliva. There it also came to mean "too much attention to appearance, and not enough to more important concerns," as in The commander is so concerned with spit and polish that he overlooks the crew's morale. [Late 1800s]

See also: and, polish, spit

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

spit and polish

Spit and polish is the process of making a place or person very clean. There is a bit of spit and polish involved. Boots have to be clean and shining.

See also: and, polish, spit

Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

spit and polish

extreme neatness or smartness.

See also: and, polish, spit

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

spit and ˈpolish

(informal) cleaning and polishing: This table will look as good as new with a bit of spit and polish.

See also: and, polish, spit

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

polish off

1. To make something clean or shiny: The student polished off the apple and handed it to the teacher. I polished the vase off with a cloth and set it on the table.

2. To eliminate something, such as rust or a stain by rubbing: Please polish that spot off the doorknob. After much scrubbing, I finally polished off the stain.

3. Slang To finish or consume something enthusiastically: I polished off that last piece of cake. After we polish this pizza off, let's get dessert.

See also: off, polish

polish up

1. To make something smooth and shiny by rubbing or chemical action: The jeweler polished up the stones and made them into a necklace. She cleaned the mud off her shoes and polished them up.

2. To improve one's knowledge of something, especially through study and practice: I've been polishing up on my Spanish because I'm going to Mexico. My dancing skills weren't that good, so I took a class to polish them up.

3. To improve or refine something: The mayor tried to polish up his image after the scandal. The manuscript is good, but you need to polish it up if you want it to be published.

shoe polish

n. liquor; whiskey; inferior whiskey. The old lush would be delighted to get some of your shoe polish.

spit and polish

n. orderliness; ceremonial precision and orderliness. (Alludes to carefully polishing shoes to a high level of shine.) I like spit and polish. It comes from being in the military.

See also: and, polish, spit

McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions

spit and polish

Great care for a spotless and smart appearance. The term originated in the armed services, where spit might literally be used for a hasty cleaning for an unexpected inspection. The term also came to mean more attention to appearances than to actual working order or efficiency, so that by World War I, “Spit and polish! We’re winning the war,” was a sarcastic expression applied by those in the front lines to the concerns of career officers sitting behind desks in the war office.

See also: and, polish, spit

The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer

nail polish on a hangnail

Ugly or useless despite an attractive appearance. This phrase, which is most often heard in “You can put nail polish on a hangnail, but it's still a hangnail,” can be used in all sorts of situations . . . and for all sorts of people.

词组	polish
释义	polish nail polish on a hangnail Some superficial or cosmetic change to something so that it seems more attractive, appealing, or successful than it really is. The only thing the new manager has come up with to save the restaurant has been to make a few repairs and slap a fresh coat on the restaurant, but putting a bit of nail polish on a hangnail doesn't fix the hangnail. The new bells and whistles of their latest operating system is just nail polish on a hangnail, if you ask me. It's still just as buggy and unintuitive as the last one they released. See also: nail, on, polish polish a turd slang To make something unpleasant seem more appealing than it really is—which is often a futile effort. "Turd" is a slang term for a piece of feces. Look, man, your term paper was bad before, and all of your edits are just making it worse—polishing a turd won't make it better. See also: polish, turd polish off To consume, dispose of, or finish all of something very quickly or easily. A noun or pronoun can be used between "polish" and "off." I was still hungry after dinner, so I polished off the leftover Chinese food in the fridge. I'll come to the party a little later. I just need to polish off this essay first. See also: off, polish polish the apple To attempt to curry favor through insincere or excessive flattery or praise. An allusion to the clichéd image of a student presenting their teacher with a gift of a shiny red apple to instill a good impression. Brian is always polishing the apple with the boss, and for what—some vague, vain hope of a promotion or raise? See also: apple, polish polish up 1. Literally, to smoothen or shine something through the use of forceful rubbing. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "polish" and "up." I'll need to polish up my shoes before John and Sarah's wedding tomorrow. Our rings are a bit tarnished—would you mind polishing them up for us? 2. To improve or refresh one's knowledge about or ability to do something. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "polish" and "up." I've been polishing my Japanese up before I go to Tokyo next month. I need to polish up on factorials before attempting to teach them on Monday. 3. To improve or refresh one's knowledge about or ability to do something. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "polish" and "up." I've been polishing my Japanese up before I go to Tokyo next month. I need to polish up on factorials before attempting to teach them on Monday. 4. To improve or refine the appearance something. I've been hearing rumors that there are going to be company-wide layoffs soon. Better start polishing up my résumé. We need to polish up this old house before any prospective buyers get here. See also: polish, up spit and polish Maintenance of and close attention to the cleanliness and orderliness of something. Sure, it needs some spit and polish, but it's still a reliable truck! Our manager demands spit and polish whenever we clean up the kitchen at the end of the night. See also: and, polish, spit you can't polish a turd proverb You can't make something unpleasant seem more appealing than it really is—attempting to do so is often a futile effort. "Turd" is a slang term for a piece of feces. Look, man, your term paper was bad before, and all of your edits are just making it worse—you can't polish a turd, you know. See also: polish, turd Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. polish something off to eat, consume, exhaust, or complete all of something. Who polished the cake off? Who polished off the cake? See also: off, polish polish something up to rub something until it shines. Polish the silver up and make it look nice and shiny. If you will polish up the silver, I will put it away. See also: polish, up spit and polish orderliness; ceremonial precision and orderliness. I like spit and polish. It comes from being in the military. There is no such thing as too much spit and polish. See also: and, polish, spit McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. polish off Finish or dispose of, especially quickly and easily. For example, We polished off the pie in no time, or If everyone helps, we can polish off this job today. This usage, dating from the early 1800s, came from boxing, where it originally meant "to defeat an opponent quickly and easily." By the 1830s it was used more generally. See also: off, polish polish the apple Try to win favor through flattery, as in It may help your standing with the boss if you polish the apple. This expression gave rise to the phrase apple polishing. The idiom alludes to the practice of schoolchildren bringing their teacher the gift of a bright, shiny apple. [c. 1920] See also: apple, polish spit and polish Close attention to appearance and order, as in With a little spit and polish this house will sell very quickly. This expression originated in the military, presumably alluding to literally shining up something with the aid of a little saliva. There it also came to mean "too much attention to appearance, and not enough to more important concerns," as in The commander is so concerned with spit and polish that he overlooks the crew's morale. [Late 1800s] See also: and, polish, spit The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. spit and polish Spit and polish is the process of making a place or person very clean. There is a bit of spit and polish involved. Boots have to be clean and shining. See also: and, polish, spit Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. spit and polish extreme neatness or smartness. See also: and, polish, spit Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary spit and ˈpolish (informal) cleaning and polishing: This table will look as good as new with a bit of spit and polish. See also: and, polish, spit Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary polish off v. 1. To make something clean or shiny: The student polished off the apple and handed it to the teacher. I polished the vase off with a cloth and set it on the table. 2. To eliminate something, such as rust or a stain by rubbing: Please polish that spot off the doorknob. After much scrubbing, I finally polished off the stain. 3. Slang To finish or consume something enthusiastically: I polished off that last piece of cake. After we polish this pizza off, let's get dessert. See also: off, polish polish up v. 1. To make something smooth and shiny by rubbing or chemical action: The jeweler polished up the stones and made them into a necklace. She cleaned the mud off her shoes and polished them up. 2. To improve one's knowledge of something, especially through study and practice: I've been polishing up on my Spanish because I'm going to Mexico. My dancing skills weren't that good, so I took a class to polish them up. 3. To improve or refine something: The mayor tried to polish up his image after the scandal. The manuscript is good, but you need to polish it up if you want it to be published. See also: polish, up The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs. shoe polish n. liquor; whiskey; inferior whiskey. The old lush would be delighted to get some of your shoe polish. See also: polish, shoe spit and polish n. orderliness; ceremonial precision and orderliness. (Alludes to carefully polishing shoes to a high level of shine.) I like spit and polish. It comes from being in the military. See also: and, polish, spit McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions spit and polish Great care for a spotless and smart appearance. The term originated in the armed services, where spit might literally be used for a hasty cleaning for an unexpected inspection. The term also came to mean more attention to appearances than to actual working order or efficiency, so that by World War I, “Spit and polish! We’re winning the war,” was a sarcastic expression applied by those in the front lines to the concerns of career officers sitting behind desks in the war office. See also: and, polish, spit The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer nail polish on a hangnail Ugly or useless despite an attractive appearance. This phrase, which is most often heard in “You can put nail polish on a hangnail, but it's still a hangnail,” can be used in all sorts of situations . . . and for all sorts of people. See also: nail, on, polish Endangered Phrases by Steven D. Price See also: nail polish on a hangnail lipstick lipstick on a pig put lipstick on a pig bright shiny object spiff up spiffed up pour cold water on pour cold water on something pour/throw cold water on something References in periodicals archive All these factors contribute to the calculated CAGR of 7.8% of Non-toxic Nail Polish market during 2017-2023. Non-Toxic Nail Polish Market Size, Share, Growth, Trend, Quality Innovation, Top Companies, Product Review, Brand Statistics, Prospects, Industry Insights Research Report 2019-2024 He noted that contacts have already been established between Baku Textile Factory and Polish partners, and the export of Azerbaijani textiles to this European country is expected in the medium term. New Azerbaijani trading houses may appear in Central Europe Polish nationals are now the largest minority in the UK, estimated at 984,000. A community celebrating Polish heritage After the parade President Duda and Polish representatives attended a service at the memorial garden in Camp Butmir to honor the Polish soldiers who have lost their lives whilst serving in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Polish President Duda visits EUFOR in Camp Butmir, Sarajevo The director-general of the Polish Office in Taipei, Maciej Gaca, hopes Taiwanese audiences will enjoy the films, and would like for the film festival to become an annual event in Taiwan, reports CNA. Polish Office in Taipei hosts film festival to share Poland's culture with Taiwan Blue Army recruitment centers were set up in American cities with large Polish populations--such as Chicago, New York, Milwaukee, Cleveland, Buffalo, Boston, and Pittsburgh--totaling 47 centers in all. Fighting for the Old Country MICHIGAN'S POLES IN WWI: During World War I, more than 20,000 Polish Americans served in Holler's Blue Army, which was fighting to secure the independence of Poland. Their plight was followed closely and enthusiastically by Polish communities in America--and in Michigan, from where many of those Polish-American heroes hailed 'I always recommend to my patients that it's best to leave polish on for a few weeks on, and then remove the polish and go without for a few weeks. Staying safe with nail polish all year long Michal Dworczyk, an aide to Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, described the video as an affront to the thousands of Poles who risked their lives during the war to help Jews. Video Protesting Polish Law Pulled from YouTube Germany's long-running struggle against its domestic Polish nationalists had given it a bad reputation in Russian Poland that was difficult to overcome; heavy German requisitions of food and raw materials further alienated the population. Elusive Alliance: The German Occupation of Poland in World War I To apply to glitzy coating, first, paint the nails with a base coat of clear polish. Next, apply a shiny and reflective topcoat to achieve the mirror-like effect. Women abuzz over new glamour nail polish Yes, if you remove all existing finish, highly polish the bare metal, degrease and reblue. Bluing Jozef Pilarski was one of the first Poles to settle in Hudders-field after the Second World War and was instrumental in setting up the Polish church in the town. Jozef Pilarski; Post-war settler helped set up Polish church Which begs the question: Is your supposedly healthy 5-free nail polish still putting your health at risk? Nail polish health effects It's time to dress up your nails with the perfect nail polish shades for the holidays, including gold, red, silver, white, pink and jewel tones. The Perfect Nail Polish Shades For The Holidays Abu Dhabi: A 3,000-strong Polish community in the UAE is getting larger as Poland-UAE diplomatic relations grow stronger, a top Polish diplomat said. Polish community bolsters bilateral ties
随便看	traffic traffic in traffic in (something) traffic jam tragedy village idiot villain villain of the piece villain of the piece, the vim and vigor vindicate vindicate of vindicate (someone or oneself) of (something) vine vinegar vines vinyl viola Viola! violet VIP viper viper in one's bosom viper in one's bosom, (nourish) a viral