Is it clutching or grasping at straws?
In Britain and Australia, the more common term is clutching at straws, or sometimes catching at straws. While straws might float, they will not bear the weight of a drowning man. Therefore, grasping at straws or clutching at straws refers to a futile or desperate situation.
How do you use clutch at straw in a sentence? to be willing to try anything to improve a difficult or unsatisfactory situation, even if it has little chance of success: She offered to take a pay cut to keep her job, but she was just clutching at straws.
Likewise What is a word for grasping at straws?
Synonyms: To try hard to do or get something. try. work. strive.
What is the synonyms of grasping? Some common synonyms of grasp are clutch, grab, seize, snatch, and take. While all these words mean “to get hold of by or as if by catching up with the hand,” grasp stresses a laying hold so as to have firmly in possession.
What does I am at my wits end mean?
Also, at wits’ end. Completely puzzled and perplexed, not knowing what to do. For example, I’ve tried every possible source without success, and now I’m at my wit’s end. This idiom, which uses wit in the sense of “mental faculties,” appeared in Piers Ploughman (c.
What does the phrase high and dry mean? Definition of high and dry
1 : being out of reach of the current or tide or out of the water. 2 : being in a helpless or abandoned position. Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More About high and dry.
What is the meaning of the idiom Saved by the Bell?
Rescued from a difficulty at the last moment, as in I couldn’t put off explaining his absence any longer, but then Bill arrived and I was saved by the bell.
What does grasping person mean? (Entry 1 of 2) having or marked by an eager and often selfish desire especially for material possessions. a grasping person who would rather buy a car he didn’t need than give a dime to charity.
What does the term clutch mean?
In slang, clutch refers to something done (well) in crucial situation, such as clutch play in sports that pushes a team into victory. More broadly, clutch can characterize something as “excellent” or “effective.”
How do you speak grasp?
What does being at sixes and sevens mean?
If you say that someone or something is at sixes and sevens, you mean that they are confused or disorganized. [informal]
What does dodging a bullet mean? phrase. informal. Manage to avoid a difficult or unwelcome situation. ‘the US economy dodged a bullet today’ ‘His 2003 Tour victory was almost a loss – in his own words, he “dodged a bullet.”‘
What is the meaning of at close quarters?
Definition of at close quarters
: from a short distance We were able to observe their behavior at close quarters.
What is the meaning of cross the bridge when you come to it? Definition of cross that bridge when one comes to it
: to not worry about a possible problem until it actually happens I don’t know how we’ll pay the bills if you quit your job, but we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.
What is the meaning of painted the town red?
Definition of paint the town (red)
informal. : to go out drinking, dancing, etc.
What does toiled around the clock mean? * to toil around/round the clock = to work hard all day and all night. eg “Doctors and nurses worked around the clock to help the people injured in the train crash.”
What is the meaning of I smell a rat?
smell a rat. Suspect something is wrong, especially a betrayal of some kind. For example, When I didn’t hear any more from my prospective employer, I began to smell a rat. This expression alludes to a cat sniffing out a rat. [
What does buy a lemon mean? To buy a lemon means to purchase something that is worthless, broken, unsatisfactory, not of its purported value, or disappointing. … In many countries, lemon laws protect consumers who buy a lemon or purchase a new vehicle that turns out to work improperly, because it is reasonable to expect a new item work.
What does the idiom When Pigs Fly mean?
Definition of when pigs fly
—used to say that one thinks that something will never happen The train station will be renovated when pigs fly.
What does the word furtively means? 1a : done in a quiet and secretive way to avoid being noticed : surreptitious a furtive glance exchanged furtive smiles. b : expressive of stealth : sly had a furtive look about him. 2 : obtained underhandedly : stolen furtive gains.
Can I cuff you meaning?
Slang. to start an exclusive relationship with: You’ve gotta cuff her if you want to keep her.
What is the meaning of gasping for breath? to take a short, quick breath through the mouth, especially because of surprise, pain, or shock: … to breathe loudly and with difficulty, trying to get more air: He pulled her aboard the boat and she sprawled on the deck, coughing and gasping for breath.
What does clutch up mean in slang?
in. to become very tense and anxious; to freeze with anxiety. I have been known to clutch up before a race.
What are the two meanings of clutch? 1 : to grasp or hold with or as if with the hand or claws usually strongly, tightly, or suddenly He clutched his chest and appeared to be in pain. 2 obsolete : clench. intransitive verb. 1 : to seek to grasp and hold clutched at her hand. 2 : to operate an automobile clutch (see clutch entry 2 sense 2a)
What does clutch mean on Snapchat?
“An Unlikely Victory or Success” is the most common definition for CLUTCH on Snapchat, WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. CLUTCH. Definition: An Unlikely Victory or Success.