a passing acquaintance with (someone or something)
a passing acquaintance with (someone or something)
A very limited knowledge of or familiarity with a given person or thing. I'll help you as best I can, but I only have a passing acquaintance with property laws. I have a passing acquaintance with him, but I wouldn't feel comfortable asking him to help me on this project.
See also: acquaintance, passing
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
a passing acquaintance with someone
If you have a passing acquaintance with someone, you know them slightly. To those with only a passing acquaintance he is charming and engaging. Note: You can also say that you have a nodding acquaintance with someone. And of course, he can now claim — after his first summit as head of government — more than a nodding acquaintance with his fellow leaders. Note: You can call a person a passing acquaintance or a nodding acquaintance if you know them slightly. He was no more than a passing acquaintance of Wright.
See also: acquaintance, passing, someone
a passing acquaintance with something
If you have a passing acquaintance with something, you only know a little about it. These days a theatre-goer needs more than a passing acquaintance with science. Note: You can also say that you have a nodding acquaintance with something. We chatted for a little about poetry, with which he showed considerably more than a nodding acquaintance.
See also: acquaintance, passing, something
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.
- a passing acquaintance with someone
- a passing acquaintance with something
- acquaintance
- a nodding acquaintance
- a nodding acquaintance with (someone or something)
- nodding acquaintance
- nodding acquaintance, a
- passing
- have a working knowledge of (something)
- have a working knowledge of something