Idioms

central

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(as) busy as Grand Central Station

Very busy or chaotic, like New York City's Grand Central Terminal train station. Our customer service department always becomes as busy as Grand Central Station at this time of year. So many people coming and going—geez, it's busy as Grand Central Station in here. The IT department has been busy as Grand Central Station, thanks to that site outage last night.
See also: busy, central, grand, station

(straight) from central casting

Having, fitting, or conforming to well-established stereotypical traits or characteristics of a given type of person, character, group, situation, or style. Sometimes capitalized as "Central Casting," a reference to a California-based casting company that specializes in hiring for roles as extras, body doubles, and bit parts. My grandfather looks like a cowboy from central casting, with his boots, Stetson hat, and mouth full of chewing tobacco. It was a campy, schlocky B-movie, complete with pointless romance, cheesy special effects, and an alien monster straight from Central Casting. A: "With his long hair, tattoos, and mirrored sunglasses, that guy looks like the stereotypical young jerk athlete straight from central casting. Is he any good on the field?" B: "I haven't been impressed, to be honest."
See also: casting, central

(straight) out of central casting

Having, fitting, or conforming to well-established stereotypical traits or characteristics of a given type of person, character, group, situation, or style. Sometimes capitalized as "Central Casting," a reference to a California-based casting company that specializes in hiring for roles as extras, body doubles, and bit parts. My grandfather looks like a cowboy out of central casting, with his boots, Stetson hat, and mouth full of chewing tobacco. It was a campy, schlocky B-movie, complete with pointless romance, cheesy special effects, and an alien monster straight out of Central Casting. A: "With his long hair, tattoos, and mirrored sunglasses, that guy looks like the stereotypical young jerk athlete straight out of central casting. Is he any good on the field?" B: "I haven't been impressed, to be honest."
See also: casting, central, of, out

be as busy as Grand Central Station

To be extremely busy or chaotic, like New York City's Grand Central Terminal train station. Our customer service department is always as busy as Grand Central Station at this time of year. So many people coming and going—geez, it's as busy as Grand Central Station in here. The IT department has been busy as Grand Central Station, thanks to that site outage last night.
See also: busy, central, grand, station

be like Grand Central Station

To be extremely busy or chaotic, like New York City's Grand Central Terminal train station. Our customer service department is always like Grand Central Station at this time of year. So many people coming and going—geez, it's like Grand Central Station in here. The IT department has been like Grand Central Station, thanks to that site outage last night.
See also: central, grand, like, station

central dogma

The core belief of a particular area of study. It is often used in molecular biology to describe the relationship between DNA, RNA, and proteins. The central dogma of molecular biology is that DNA makes RNA, which makes protein. A: "Hasn't the so-called 'central dogma' been modified since its initial proposal by Crick?" B: "Yes, now we know that genetic information can be transferred in more than one direction." I get what you're saying about the central dogma, but if DNA makes RNA, and that makes proteins, how do you explain retroviruses?
See also: central

Grand Central Station

A place that is very busy or chaotic, like New York City's Grand Central Terminal train station. Our customer service department always becomes as busy as Grand Central Station at this time of year. So many people coming and going—geez, it's like Grand Central Station in here. The IT department has been like Grand Central Station, thanks to that site outage last night.
See also: central, grand, station
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

*busy as a beaver (building a new dam)

 and *busy as a bee; *busy as a one-armed paperhanger; *busy as Grand Central Station; *busy as a cat on a hot tin roof; *busy as a fish peddler in Lent; *busy as a cranberry merchant (at Thanksgiving); *busy as popcorn on a skillet
very busy. (*Also: as ~.) My boss keeps me as busy as a one-armed paperhanger. I don't have time to talk to you. I'm as busy as a beaver. When the tourist season starts, this store is busy as Grand Central Station. Sorry I can't go to lunch with you. I'm as busy as a beaver building a new dam. Prying into other folks' business kept him busy as popcorn on a skillet.
See also: beaver, busy
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

busy as a beaver

Also, busy as a bee. Hardworking, very industrious, as in With all her activities, Sue is always busy as a bee, or Bob's busy as a beaver trying to finish painting before it rains. The comparison to beavers dates from the late 1700s, the variant from the late 1300s. Also see eager beaver; work like a beaver.
See also: beaver, busy
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Grand Central Station

n. any busy and hectic place. (From Grand Central Station in New York City—a very busy place.) At just about closing time, this place becomes Grand Central Station.
See also: central, grand, station
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
See also:
References in periodicals archive
The five-star Royal Central Hotel The Palm features 207 elegantly appointed rooms and suites, and offers an array of recreational activities in Dubai's Palm Jumeirah.
Central Hotels eyes new partnerships
Central Bancompany, based in Missouri, is a more than USD13bn bank holding company with 13 full-service community banks and more than 250 locations in several states.
Central Bancompany signs definitive merger agreement with Liberty Bancorp for USD103.7m
The survey found that a "wide variety of motivations is driving an increasing number of central banks to conduct conceptual research on CBDCs.
Central banks cautious over digital currencies
Later,District Central Nadeem was declared man of the match.
"District Central downs District Korangi by 5-2"
A DNT spokesperson said the review will include finding the location of central, community and primary schools, number of students, the distance among others and draw a plan for sustained consolidation as opposed to the rush to close all schools at one go.
Three parties pledge to review central school policy
It's a similar story for a day return ticket from Swansea to Cardiff which costs PS8.90 but travelling adding the Birchgrove to Cardiff Central trip on top is a whopping PS16.10.
So are we being taken for a ride over train ticket prices?
- Recommends that remaining Central shareholders accept the offer as soon as possible
Rum Jungle Resources Limited (ASX:RUM) Reaches Over 80% Acceptances for Takeover of Central Australian Phosphate (ASX:CEN)
Central Asia in World History might have several uses in the classroom.
Peter B. Golden. Central Asia in World History
Lebanon's Central Bank tied with the central banks of Malaysia, India, Columbia and Honduras, among others, with the next highest score after Cyprus, China and South Korea.
IMF ranks Lebanon 87th for central bank autonomy
Following a dramatic burst in leasing velocity that led to more than 4.2 million square feet being absorbed during the first quarter of 2006, the Northern and Central New Jersey industrial market downshifted by mid year, as less than 73,000 s/f of positive net absorption was recorded in the wake of moderating demand.
Economic slowdown is big test for NJ industrial market
Of the Central European countries--Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, and the Czech Republic all but the Czech Republic are seeing the rise of politicians who combine "right-wing" attitudes toward public and private morality with "left-wing" ideas about economics.
Is Liberalism dead in central Europe? The disturbing return of socialism and authoritarianism in the former Soviet bloc
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