take the gilt off the gingerbread
take the gilt off the gingerbread
To make something less attractive or appealing. Gingerbread was traditionally decorated before being sold. Have you seen her without any make-up on? Talk about taking the gilt off the gingerbread! I thought being a nurse would be all excitement, but three patients vomited on me on my first day, and that's really taken take the gilt off the gingerbread.
See also: off, take
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
take the gilt off the gingerbread
BRITISH, FORMALIf something takes the gilt off the gingerbread, it spoils something that would otherwise be good. It was a fairly pleasant break, though a heavy cold did rather take the gilt off the gingerbread. Note: In the past, gingerbread was sometimes decorated with gilt, which is a very thin layer of gold.
See also: off, take
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.
take the gilt off the gingerbread
make something no longer appealing.Gingerbread was traditionally made in decorative forms that were then ornamented with gold leaf.
See also: off, take
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
take the gilt off the ˈgingerbread
spoil something so that you find it less attractive than before: He’s offered us his villa by the sea for two weeks. Unfortunately, we can only have it in January, which rather takes the gilt off the gingerbread. In the past, gingerbread was decorated with gilt or gold leaf (= a very thin sheet of gold).See also: off, take
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
- pour cold water on
- pour cold water on (something)
- pour cold water on something
- pour/throw cold water on something
- bangin'
- chocolate box
- dab (something) onto (something)
- spiff up
- spiffed up
- dumb down, to