streak
Related to streak: blue streak
a streak of (good) luck
A period of continuous good fortune. We've had a real streak of luck ahead of the build. The planning permission came through very quickly, the bank approved our second loan application, and the weather is supposed to stay sunny and dry for the next few months. With this refund from the IRS, it looks like my streak of good luck is still going!
See also: luck, of, streak
a streak of bad luck
A period of continuous misfortune. I've just had a streak of bad luck lately. After losing my job, I found out that I won't be entitled to any social welfare payments while I look for work. She broke up with him? Wow, the poor guy's streak of bad luck continues.
See also: bad, luck, of, streak
blue streak
Something that moves very quickly and unceasingly. A: "Could you follow what Rob said?" B: "Not at all. The way he talks a blue streak, I couldn't keep up!"
See also: blue, streak
curse a blue streak
To use profane language with great rapidity and intensity. My dad cursed a blue streak after he found out I'd put a dent in his car.
See also: blue, curse, streak
cuss a blue streak
To use profane language with great rapidity and intensity. My dad cussed a blue streak after he found out I'd put a dent in his car.
See also: blue, cuss, streak
have a yellow belly
To tend to act in a cowardly manner. Of course Tom didn't come and defend his views at the rally—he has a yellow belly!
See also: belly, have, yellow
have a yellow streak down (one's) back
To have a tendency to be cowardly or easily frightened. She likes to strut around like she's the boss of the place, but she has a yellow streak down her back if you ever confront her on an issue. He knew what they were doing was wrong, but he has a yellow streak down his back that kept him from intervening.
See also: back, down, have, streak, yellow
like a streak
Very quickly. Once I saw that swarm of bees, I took off like a streak in the opposite direction.
See also: like, streak
like greased lightning
Extremely fast. Wow, that car just blew past me—it's moving like greased lightning! When I take tests, I speed through them like greased lightning, so I'm sure I'll be the first one done.
See also: grease, lightning, like
losing streak
A consecutive series of defeats, losses, or instances of ill fortune. The team, once considered likely to win the championship for a second straight year, has lost another miserable game this afternoon, continuing its 14-game losing streak. After seeming unable to get a foothold in the smartphone market, the tech giant finally broke its losing streak with its latest device, which has proven enormously popular with people around the globe. Yet another company that I invested in crashed and burned. I am on one heck of a losing streak in the stock market.
See also: losing, streak
lucky streak
A series of concurrent fortunate outcomes or occurrences. I was having a bit of a lucky streak at blackjack, which is pretty unusual for me, so I started getting a bit more reckless with the amount of money I was willing to wager. His first few films were near universal successes, both critically and commercially, but since then he has released crappy film after crappy film. Was his early work just a lucky streak, or did he run out of good ideas so soon?
See also: lucky, streak
mean streak
An inclination, tendency, or propensity for cruelty, spite, malice, or violence. Her dad is usually a pretty nice, chilled out guy, but he's gets a real mean streak when he's been drinking. I think you should take your son to a therapist—he's got a mean streak that is very uncommon in a boy his age.
See also: mean, streak
streak across
1. To move across (something or some place) so fast as to be hard to see. I was staring up at the sky when what I thought was a rocket came streaking across. Tom streaked across the office and out the door to get the package of documents to the post office in time.
2. To slide across (something) and leave behind a streak of residue. The slug streaked slowly across the window. That's going to streak across the wall if you don't wipe it up!
3. To run across (something or some place) without wearing any clothes. They were just about to bring the players back onto the field when two students went streaking across. Some lunatic streaked across campus earlier today.
See also: across, streak
swear a blue streak
To use profane language with great rapidity and intensity. My dad swore a blue streak after he found out I'd put a dent in his car.
See also: blue, streak, swear
talk a blue streak
To speak with great rapidity, volume, and/or intensity. He's a lovely guy, but he'll talk a blue streak if you let him. It can be exhausting! It can be hard to follow along with her when she starts talking a blue streak like that.
See also: blue, streak, talk
winning streak
A consecutive series of victories, successes, or instances of good fortune. The team, considered the least likely of the entire league to make it to the playoffs, has continued its remarkable winning streak for the 14th straight game. We've finally started having a bit of a winning streak with our latest products. Caught up in an unbelievable winning streak, I started making riskier and riskier bets, until I ended up losing everything in a single game of cards.
See also: streak, winning
yellow streak
A tendency to be cowardly or easily frightened. She likes to strut around like she's the boss of the place, but she has a yellow streak running down her spine if you ever confront her on an issue. He knew what they were doing was wrong, but his yellow streak kept him from intervening.
See also: streak, yellow
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
cuss a blue streak
Rur. to curse a great deal. When she dropped the brick on her toe, she cussed a blue streak. Bill could cuss a blue streak by the time he was eight years old.
See also: blue, cuss, streak
have a yellow belly
and have a yellow streak down one's backFig. to be cowardly. Tex has a yellow streak down his back a mile wide. He's afraid to cross the street!
See also: belly, have, yellow
like greased lightning
Rur. very fast. Once I get her tuned up, this old car will go like greased lightning. He's a fat kid, but he can run like greased lightning.
See also: grease, lightning, like
*losing streak
Fig. a series of losses [in sports, for instance]. (*Typically: be on ~; have ~; continue one's ~.) The team was on a losing streak that started nearly three years ago.
See also: losing, streak
*lucky streak
and *streak of luckFig. a series of lucky wins in gambling or games. (*Typically: be on ~; have ~.) Thanks to a lucky streak, I won enough in Las Vegas to pay for the trip.
See also: lucky, streak
mean streak
Fig. a tendency for a person to do things that are mean. I think that Wally has a mean streak that no one ever saw before this incident.
See also: mean, streak
streak across something
to move across something very fast. A comet streaked across the night sky. Tom streaked across the street to get a cup of coffee.
See also: across, streak
streak of bad luck
and string of bad lucka series of events that are only bad luck. After a long string of bad luck, we finally got a lucky break.
See also: bad, luck, of, streak
streak of good luck
and string of good luck a series of fortunate events. After a series of failures, we started out on a streak of good luck.
See also: good, luck, of, streak
talk a blue streak
Fig. to talk very much and very rapidly. Billy didn't talk until he was two, and then he started talking a blue streak. I can't understand anything Bob says. He talks a blue streak, and I can't follow his thinking.
See also: blue, streak, talk
yellow streak (down someone's back)
a tendency toward cowardice. Tim's got a yellow streak down his back a mile wide. Get rid of that yellow streak. Show some courage.
See also: streak, yellow
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
like greased lightning
Also, like a blue streak; like the wind; like blazes. Very fast indeed, as in He climbed that ladder like greased lightning, or She kept on talking like a blue streak, or The children ran like the wind when they heard there'd be free ice cream. The likening of speed to lightning dates from the 1500s, and grease was added in the early 1800s to further accentuate the idea of haste. The first variant, blue streak, also dates from the early 1800s and alludes to something resembling lightning. The wind in the second variant has been a metaphor for swiftness since ancient Roman times. The blazes in the last variant, first recorded in 1925, alludes to fire or lightning.
See also: grease, lightning, like
talk someone's arm off
Also, talk someone's ear or head or pants off ; talk a blue streak; talk until one is blue in the face; talk the bark off a tree or the hind leg off a donkey or horse . Talk so much as to exhaust the listener, as in Whenever I run into her she talks my arm off, or Louise was so excited that she talked a blue streak, or You can talk the bark off a tree but you still won't convince me. The first four expressions imply that one is so bored by a person's loquacity that one's arm (or ear or head or pants) fall off; they date from the first half of the 1900s (also see pants off). The term like a blue streak alone simply means "very quickly," but in this idiom, first recorded in 1914, it means "continuously." The obvious hyperboles implying talk that takes the bark off a tree, first recorded in 1831, or the hind leg off a horse, from 1808, are heard less often today. Also see under blue in the face.
See also: arm, off, talk
winning streak
A series of consecutive successes, a run of good luck, as in Our son-in-law has been on a winning streak with his investments. This expression comes from gambling. [Mid-1900s]
See also: streak, winning
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
talk a blue streak
AMERICAN, INFORMALIf someone talks a blue streak, they talk a lot and very fast. My Mom always says I talked a blue streak from the time I opened my mouth. Note: You can also say that someone swears or curses a blue streak, meaning that they swear a lot. He was led out by the police, cursing a blue streak as he went. Note: This expression refers to a blue streak of lightning flashing quickly across the sky.
See also: blue, streak, talk
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.
talk a blue streak
speak continuously and at great length. North American informalA blue streak refers to something like a flash of lightning in its speed and vividness.
See also: blue, streak, talk
like a streak (of lightning)
very fast. informalSee also: like, streak
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
like greased ˈlightning
(informal) very fast: After the phone call, he was out of the door like greased lightning.See also: grease, lightning, like
a ˈyellow streak
(disapproving) the quality of being easily frightened; cowardice: He won’t fight? I always thought he had a yellow streak in him. Yellow is often used to describe somebody who is a coward.
See also: streak, yellow
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
have a yellow streak down one’s back
tv. to be cowardly. (Have got can replace have.) wrong. If you have a yellow streak down your back, you don’t take many risks.
See also: back, down, have, streak, yellow
streak
1. in. to move rapidly from one place to another. The train streaked into the station and came to a stop just inches from the end of the track.
2. in. to run about in a public place naked. This kid was streaking back and forth until the cops caught him.
3. tv. to grace or ornament a public place or event with a naked run. Charles streaked the baseball game, but nobody noticed him.
4. n. a naked run in a public place. (see also streaker.) There was a streak at the end of the game, but people were leaving then and didn’t see it.
5. n. an exciting time; a wild party. We had a streak at Tom’s.
talk a blue streak
tv. to talk fast or a lot. Some parrots never talk. Others talk a blue streak whenever it’s light.
See also: blue, streak, talk
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions
like greased lightning
Very rapid(ly). The speed of lightning had been likened to any fast action since the sixteenth century. “It must be done like lightning,” wrote Ben Jonson in 1598 (Every Man in His Humour, 4.5). In the early nineteenth century somebody or other decided that grease would exaggerate the idea of haste even more. Some attribute it to Americans, others to Britons. An early appearance in print was in the Boston Herald of 1833: “He spoke as quick as ‘greased lightning.’” Almost synonymous is the expression like a blue streak, which since about 1830 has also meant “very fast.” However, it acquired another meaning when used in the context of talking. To talk a blue streak has meant, since the mid-1800s, to talk fast and intensely, virtually without stopping. A letter of S. Hale’s (1895) stated, “I drove in . . . talking a blue streak two miles to her house.” See also talk one's head off; quick as a wink.
See also: grease, lightning, like
mean streak, a
A tendency toward nastiness. In effect, the phrase implies that a person is not entirely bad but is given to occasional spiteful or malicious behavior. The Toronto Daily Star used it on June 16, 1960: “A girl who would be attracted to Bud’s mean streak and bad temper must be a little out to lunch.” See also out to lunch.
See also: mean
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
- a streak of (good) luck
- streak of good luck
- a string of (good) luck
- run of luck
- a run of (good) luck
- a hot hand
- a streak of bad luck
- streak of bad luck
- a string of bad luck
- a run of bad luck