straight as an arrow
(as) straight as an arrow
1. Literally, totally straight. Primarily heard in UK, Australia. Don't worry, the road is straight as an arrow for the rest of the journey, so I don't think you'll get carsick anymore. We need to make sure this beam is as straight as an arrow before we put it into place.
2. Very truthful, reliable, and morally upright. Kate would never cheat on an exam—she's as straight as an arrow. I know Bob's story sounds ridiculous, but I believe him because he's straight as an arrow.
See also: arrow, straight
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
*straight as an arrow
1. Cliché [of something] very straight. (*Also: as ~.) The road to my house is as straight as an arrow, so it should be very easy to follow.
2. . Cliché [of someone] honest or forthright. (Straight here means honest. *Also: as ~.) Tom is straight as an arrow. I'd trust him with anything.
See also: arrow, straight
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
straight as an arrow
Honest, genuine, as in You can trust Pat with the money; he's straight as an arrow. This simile alludes to the arrow's undeviating flight through the air. [Second half of 1900s]
See also: arrow, straight
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
straight as an arrow
1. If someone is as straight as an arrow, they are completely honest. Hardworking, straight as an arrow, he had been proud of never taking a bribe.
2. If something is as straight as an arrow, it is completely straight. We drove up a mile-long avenue, straight as an arrow and lined with beech trees.
See also: arrow, straight
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.
(as) straight as an ˈarrow
in a straight line or direction: You can’t get lost if you follow this track. It runs as straight as an arrow through the middle of the forest.See also: arrow, straight
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
straight as an arrow
Without twists, bends, or turns; upright; direct. This simile, which likens the arrow’s path to a straight line, dates from medieval times and appears in English sources from then on. Chaucer (The Miller’s Tale) had another version: “Long as a mast, and upright as a bolt,” a bolt being the short, heavy arrow used with a crossbow. George Eliot, commenting on a person’s youthful appearance, wrote (Felix Holt, 1868), “You are as straight as an arrow still.”
See also: arrow, straight
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
- (as) straight as an arrow
- arrow
- cast (one's) lot in with (someone or something)
- cast lot in
- (I) won't tell a soul
- bog off
- discipline
- discipline (one) for (something)
- discipline for