turn up one's nose at, to
turn up one's nose at, to
To express disdain or contempt for something or someone. The term presumably alludes to the facial expression of a sneer or to the haughty tossing of one’s head to express contempt. In any event, it has been around since the sixteenth century. “When you are down and out, something always turns up—and it is usually the noses of your friends,” said actor Orson Welles (New York Times, 1962).
See also: nose, turn, up
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
- burned out, to be
- drum (something) into one's head, to
- a back number
- back number
- tell (one) what (one) can do with (something)
- tell someone what to do with something
- tell what to do with
- chips are down, the
- tree hugger
- binge-watch