a flimflam artist
Someone who acts deceptively and tries to trick people. The word "flimflam" is thought to be of Scandinavian origin. I suspect those guys are flimflam artists, that's why they want so much money up front. I tried out Jane's so called "revolutionary" invention, and the piece of junk doesn't even work! She's a total flimflam artist. I wish I'd realized that guy was a flimflam artist before I gave him the last of my money.
be a (something) to (one's) fingertips
To be a particular thing to the utmost degree. Oh, I'm a student to my fingertips—that's why I'm now pursuing a doctorate. Oh, she's French to her fingertips—she would never leave her country. Dad's a scientist to his fingertips, so he can't relate to your artistic sensibilities.
booze artist
One who is drunk or apt to get drunk. I was quite a booze artist in college, but those days are long behind me. All right, let's get this booze artist some coffee—something to sober him up. Yeah, I drink sometimes, but I'm no booze artist. I just have a glass of wine every so often.
born to (be or do something)
Possessing an innate talent or ability in a particular area. When that young girl walked into the audition and flawlessly belted out a Whitney Houston song without the slightest hesitation, I knew she was born to be a singer. You were born to be an artist, so I don't know why you're wasting your time working on Wall Street. People who teach little kids must be born to do it. Not everyone naturally possesses that level of care and patience.
budding artist
cliché A person whose artistic talents are beginning to develop. Wow, Sally is quite the budding artist, isn't she? Her paintings are quite good! He was something of a budding artist in college as he dabbled in poetry and prose writing, but he let it fall by the wayside after he graduated. I know every parent thinks that their kid's a budding artist, but Emma really is good. Look at what she drew in art class this week!
castor oil artist
A doctor, typically one that is viewed negatively. I don't believe anything that castor oil artist says—there's no way my blood pressure is that high. A: "Hey, you're not sounding so good—maybe you should go to the doctor." B: "Please, like that castor oil artist would be able to help me!" He's the only doctor I trust. All the rest are castor oil artists!
choke artist
slang Someone who fails in spectacular fashion due to an inability to perform under pressure. Most commonly user in reference to sports. The team has become known as choke artists, having made it to the championship three different times in five years, only to get shut out by their opponents each time. The guy's smart and talented, but he turns into a real choke artist whenever he has to put his abilities to the test. That pitcher is great during the regular season, but he always becomes a choke artist under the bright lights of the playoffs.
con artist
1. A person who exploits the vulnerability of others for their own sake by manipulating and taking advantage of their confidence (the act of which is known as a confidence trick or game). It is the common abbreviation of the full term, "confidence artist." Be wary of con artists who send emails claiming to be a bank or some other trustworthy establishment: they often ask for your personal bank details to have access to your finances. The con artist talked him out of his entire life's savings with the promise of investing it in a surefire money-making scheme. A: "The CEO was found guilty of fraud." B: "What a surprise—another billionaire con artist thinking he can get away with anything."
2. By extension, a person who is skilled at duplicity, cajolery, or self-serving manipulation or persuasion. John is such a con artist, always convincing others to pay for him on nights out under the pretense that he'll "pay them back later." I'm not surprised that con artist didn't do his half of the project as promised. I have no idea why the boss keeps him around. Mom, Rich is still the same con artist he's always been. Do not give him any money.
con man
1. A man who exploits the vulnerability of others for his own sake by manipulating and taking advantage of their confidence (the act of which is known as a confidence trick or game). It is the common abbreviation of the full term, "confidence man." Be wary of con men who send emails claiming to be a bank or some other trustworthy establishment: they often ask for your personal bank details so as to have access to your finances. The con man talked him out of his entire life's savings with the promise of investing it in a surefire money-making scheme. A: "The CEO was found guilty of fraud." B: "What a surprise—another billionaire con man who thinks he can get away with anything."
2. By extension, a man who is skilled at duplicity, cajolery, or self-serving manipulation or persuasion. John is such a con man, always convincing others to pay for him on nights out under the pretense that he'll "pay them back later." I'm not surprised that con man didn't do his half of the project as promised. I have no idea why the boss keeps him around. Mom, Rich is still the same con man he's always been. Do not give him any money.
fast buck
1. noun Money made quickly or without effort, often through dishonest, unscrupulous, or ethically dubious means. Often used in the phrase "make/earn a fast buck." The people hawking T-shirts commemorating the tragedy are just looking to make a fast buck. Ignore him, he's just a ticket scalper looking to make a fast buck. Quit worrying so much about earning a fast buck and focus instead on creating a sustainable business.
2. adjective Concerned with making money quickly, easily, and (often) unscrupulously. Often used to modify the word "artist," thus implying the individual is a swindler to some degree. In this usage, it is usually hyphenated. All of these Wall Street investors are just a bunch of fast-buck artists, if you ask me. Before the economic crash, a huge amount of fast-buck speculators were selling over-inflated loans to people for property that was essentially worthless. Mom, do not give Rich any money. He's just a fast-buck artist, and his so-called "business ventures" never pan out.
hype artist
slang Someone who promotes someone or something, often in an aggressive or excessive manner. Dave's a hype artist for student council—of course he's going to try to get us to go to their event. She's the star of the show, so naturally she's gonna be its biggest hype artist—no matter how bad the writing is. You really need to be your own hype artist if you want to make it in the music business.
makeout artist
Someone who tries to seduce other people; someone who pursues brief or short-term sexual encounters with others. Sometimes hyphenated as "make-out artist." I gained a bit of a reputation as a makeout artist in my first couple of years in college because I found it very easy to hook up with various guys around campus. If you're looking for a serious relationship, a make-out artist like him will only let you down.
pick-up artist
A man devoted to using a specific set of strategies in order to seduce ("pick up") women, and who perhaps instructs other men in how to do the same. You know how everyone tells you to just be yourself when talking to a girl? Well, a pick-up artist will tell you to do the opposite.
piss-artist
1. rude slang One who falsely claims to have knowledge about a topic. Primarily heard in UK, Australia. That message board is filled with nothing but piss-artists who think they know everything.
2. rude slang One who is often drunk. I advised Jenny not to date that piss-artist because he drinks his money away at the bar every night.
rip-off artist
A person who exploits the vulnerability of others for their own sake by manipulating and taking advantage of their confidence. Be wary of rip-off artists who send emails claiming to be a bank and asking for your online login information. He's just a small-time rip-off artist looking to con you into giving him a bit of money.
take-off artist
slang A thief, especially a mugger or robber. My dad always made it known that he kept a shotgun and a baseball bat behind the counter to ward off would-be take-off artists. The guy is a take-off artist. He used to walk around town posing as a foreigner, then he'd stop people on the street to ask for directions, pull a gun on them, and make off with their valuables.
tortured artist
cliché A visual artist, writer, film auteur, etc., who grapples with constant mental anguish or depression, especially when it is derived from or contributes to their art. He's always acting like some kind of tortured artist, but I think he's just a miserable person who likes being pretentious. The painter was known to be a tortured artist, having spent time in psychiatric hospitals due to his depression and mania.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.