fell (redirected from felling)

a hush fell over someone or something

Fig. a sudden silence enveloped something or a group. As the conductor raised his arms, a hush fell over the audience. The coach shouted and a hush fell over the locker room.

See also: hush

at one fell swoop and in one fell swoop

Fig. in a single incident; as a single event. (This phrase preserves the old word fell, meaning "terrible" or "deadly.") The party guests ate up all the snacks at one fell swoop. When the stock market crashed, many large fortunes were wiped out in one fell swoop.

See also: one, swoop

bottom fell out (of something)

Fig. a much lower limit or level of something was reached. The bottom fell out of the market and I lost a lot of money.

See also: bottom, out

just fell off the turnip truck

Rur. ignorant; unsophisticated. He stood there gawking at the buildings in town like he just fell off the turnip truck. My cousin acts like she just fell off the turnip truck.

See also: just, truck, turnip

Little strokes fell great oaks.

Prov. You can complete a large, intimidating task by steadily doing small parts of it. Jill: How can I possibly write a fifty-page report in two months? Jane: Just write a little bit every day. Little strokes fell great oaks.

See also: great, little, oak, stroke

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at/in one fell swoop

if you do something at one fell swoop, you do everything you have to do at the same time I'd prefer to do the paperwork in one fell swoop. At least then we know it's finished with.

See also: one, swoop

wouldn't know something if it hit you in the face  also wouldn't know something if you fell over one

to not notice something although it is very obvious Julie wouldn't know a good deal if it hit her in the face!

See can't tell arse from elbow, know the half of it, know by heart, know the ropes

See also: face, hit, if, know

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in one fell swoop

all at the same time I prefer to see someone in charge so we can deal with everything in one fell swoop.

Etymology: based on the literal meaning of fell swoop (a quick, sudden downward movement by an attacking bird)

See also: one, swoop

the bottom fell out (of something)

something suddenly lost value When the bottom fell out of the real estate market, a lot of people lost a lot of money.

Usage notes: usually used in the past tense

See also: bottom, out