soaked to the skin

soaked to the skin

Extremely or completely wet, especially through one's clothing. I can't believe you pushed me into the pool! Now I have to walk home soaked to the skin! The kids let themselves get soaked to the skin out in the rain, and now one of them is coming down with a cold.
See also: skin, soak
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

soaked to the skin

wet clear through one's clothing to the skin. I was caught in the rain and got soaked to the skin. oh, come in and dry off! You must be soaked to the skin.
See also: skin, soak
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

soaked to the skin

Also, soaked through. Drenched, extremely wet, as in What a downpour; I'm soaked to the skin, or She fell in the stream and was soaked through. The implication in this idiom implies that water has penetrated one's clothing, so one is thoroughly wet. The phrase to the skin has been so used since about 1600; it and the variant were combined in Randle Cotgrave's Dictionary (1611) as "Wet through, or (as we say) to the skin."
See also: skin, soak
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

soaked to the skin

Wet through. Actually, this term began life as wet to the skin, and Cotgrave’s Dictionary of 1611 stated it as “Wet through, or (as we say) to the skinne.” It implies that this condition was not sought out. The current cliché has alliterative appeal and so is the more common version, at least in America.
See also: skin, soak
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
See also:
  • soaked through
  • soaked to the bone
  • be soaked to the skin
  • be/get soaked to the skin
  • be soaked to the bone
  • soak (one) to the skin
  • soak to the skin
  • to the bone
  • to your bones
  • to (one's) bones
References in classic literature
The stair carpet was ruffled and discoloured where I had crouched, soaked to the skin from the thunderstorm the night of the catastrophe.
War Of The Worlds
But the weather was bad, the roads were heavy with mud, he was overtaken by a storm of rain, and ere he could find shelter he was soaked to the skin. He arrived at length at a friend's house wet and weary and shaking with fever.
English Literature For Boys And Girls
He knew it existed, as we know that crime and abominations exist; he had heard of it as a peaceable citizen in a town hears of battles, famines, and floods, and yet knows nothing of what these things mean -- though, indeed, he may have been mixed up in a street row, have gone without his dinner once, or been soaked to the skin in a shower.
Typhoon
With no preliminary whisper or rustle, without a splash, and even with- out the ghost of impact, I became instantaneously soaked to the skin. Not a very difficult matter, since I was wearing only my sleeping suit.
The Shadow Line
I went down to the tent at 5am this morning just to make sure the two prizewinners were not sitting outside soaked to the skin. But they weren't, they were sleeping soundly."
Cardboard tents set for Tiree Music Festival; PEOPLE
He said they sent two teams to the area and saw a thin man, who was soaked to the skin, acting in a unusual manner.
Indonesian linked to IS gets 10 years
That made our experience even worse than being soaked to the skin waiting to get in.
Stadium bars ran out of [...]
Rescuers said Ian Mackay, who was soaked to the skin, was lucky to be alive after his lightweight vessel overturned in a choppy Moray Firth.
Fisherman's lucky escape
For the third year in a row I've had the pleasure of covering this great meeting and for the third consecutive year, I have been soaked to the skin.
It will take more than rain to dampen the spirits of fans
This little girl was soaked to the skin, in pain and chilled to the bone and very distressed.
Treatment of child left us all shocked distressed little one and walked off. and then bent down and spoke to Dear Sir, Stirling viewLETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Giovanni said: "My waiters were soaked to the skin looking all over Venice for white truffles, which they found.
He's behind Cloo!
A playful water fight, which Daniel started, soon turned into a major battle which left them both soaked to the skin.
Water way to end.. Daniel soaks up beloved Donegal on final B&B visit
One pupil said: "The rain was extremely heavy and we were soaked to the skin. Teachers were running around telling us to get under the sports hall roof as quickly as possible."
Storm clouds have silver lining for soggy pupils
"When he got in he was soaked to the skin and freezing cold.
Brain op teen is beaten, robbed and thrown into canal by thugs; JACK ATTACKED JUST WEEKS AFTER SURGERY
You actually got soaked to the skin. Although the weather was cold, all the competitors who took part were prepared to be wetter and colder to compete in the run which was quite difficult.
HOSPICE CLEANS UP AT FUNDRAISER... Bubble Rush fun and games for 400