a whale of a (something)

1. An exceptionally great or excellent. I had a whale of a time at Pete's wedding—I danced all night long! Come out to our party this weekend, it's sure to be a whale of a good time! Gee, Samantha, I sure had a whale of a night with you at the dance. We should go out again sometime!

2. An exceptionally large. Remodeling the kitchen will make a whale of a difference in the selling price of the home. I really think we should play the lottery—it's a whale of a jackpot this week! That's a whale of a leak you've got there, so a fix won't come cheap.

whale

1. n. a very fat person. (Cruel.) Britney is getting to be such a whale.

2. n. a drunkard; a person with an enormous capacity for liquor. Arthur is getting to be a regular whale. What does he drink?

3. n. a high roller in a casino or similar gambling setting. We take good care of our whales, comping them with anything they ask for.

See:

References in periodicals archive

Japan whalers travelled as far as the North Atlantic or even to the Antarctic, killing about 500 whales last year.

HAUL OF SHAME; JAPAN ALLOWS WHALING AFTER 31 YEARS Outcry as harpoon ships return to seas

Ultimately, the resumption of the traditional whaling may end up saving both huge government subsidies and the lives of many whales, experts say.

Japan resumes commercial whaling, seen as face-saving end

A 34-FOOT-LONG whale that washed ashore dead on the beach in Gwadar two days ago was quietly buried by municipality workers on Tuesday afternoon before its body could be examined by experts, sources told Dawn.

Whale found washed ashore on Gwadar beach

Earlier, this week an 8-meter sperm whale was found dead off Sardinia with 22 kilograms of plastic in its belly.

Whale found dead on Gwadar coast, cause of death unknown

World Whale Day is celebrated annually to raise awareness of these majestic creatures and their plight.

Whale takes center stage at National Museum

Neatly lining up sliced whale meat to make "jerky" in the wintry sea breeze, Tetsuya Masaki says whaling is just part of daily life in his tiny Japanese community of Minamiboso.

Whaling is part of cultural heritage says Japan

Japan vowed to forge ahead with commercial whaling of minke and other whales off its coast but said it was stopping its most provocative whaling - annual Antarctic expeditions that used an IWC loophole permitting hunting for scientific research.

'A way of life': Japan's whalers back treaty withdrawal

Right whales got their name because they were the "right" whale to hunt: they are slow, come close to shore, and float when they are dead.

Battle for Survival: The Plight of North Atlantic Right Whales

A persistent opinion within the IWC - mainly among anti-whaling nations - continues to regard whales as 'a special creature.' There is an obstinate barrier to resuming commercial whaling.

Extremely rough seas ahead for resumption of commercial whaling in Japan

In 1985, the International Whaling Commission enacted a law that prohibited commercial whaling, or hunting whales for food in every country.

The Debate Over Japanese Whaling

Humpback whales inhabiting the Arabian Sea are the most genetically distinct humpback whales in the world - and may be the most isolated whale population on earth - according to the Environment Society of Oman (ESO).

Dead whale found on Oman beach

According to statement on Thursday, Iqrar Mohammad, a trained fisherman and captain of Al Azaan fishing boat informed that he observed a pod of five whales feeding in waters about 15 km off Hajamro Creek near the mouth of the Indus River.

Fishermen observe two pods of rare Bryde's whale along Sindh coast

Baleen whales, also known as mysticetes, are the largest animals on earth, and include blue whales, minke whales, right whales, gray whales and fin whales, Khaleej Times reported.

Whales can hear through their bones: Scientists