Bronx cheer
A sputtering noise made by pressing the tongue and lips together, used to express either real or faux contempt, mockery, or displeasure; a raspberry. Primarily heard in US. The fans collectively gave the opposing team a Bronx cheer when their relief pitcher walked onto the field. After he let in two goals on two shots, the goalie got a Bronx cheer when he made his first save of the game. If that player was annoyed to receive a Bronx cheer, maybe he shouldn't have made three errors in the inning before!
cheer (one) to the echo
To vocally support or encourage one. Primarily heard in UK. The fans really cheered us to the echo in the championship game. Two days ago, no one knew who that guy was. Now, after that huge, game-winning play last night, fans are cheering him to the echo. The entire student body came out to cheer the football team to the echo in the playoff game.
cheer for (someone or something)
To vocally support or encourage someone or something. Who are you cheering for in this match? The whole town came out to cheer for the high school football team in the championship game. I've been cheering for that kid ever since he was in the minors. Glad to see he's finally cracked a major league lineup.
cheer on
To support or encourage someone or something, often vocally. A noun or pronoun can be used between "cheer" and "on." I'm your mother—I'm going to cheer you on in anything you do! The whole town came out to cheer on the high school football team in the championship game. I've been cheering on that kid ever since he was in the minors. Glad to see he's finally cracked a major league lineup.
cheer up
1. To become happier or experience improvement in one's mood, especially when sad or discouraged. Typically used as an imperative. Come on, the project was not a total failure—cheer up! Cheer up, honey—tomorrow's another day. I hope Jenny cheers up. I've never seen her so down.
2. To cause one to become happier or experience improvement in one's mood, especially when sad or discouraged. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "cheer" and "up." I don't know how to cheer Paul up—he's been completely miserable since he found out he didn't get that job. Grandpa could always cheer up Sarah when she was sad about something. She's five years old, and her birthday party just got canceled. Face it, you're gonna have hard time cheering her up.
of good cheer
Filled with or characterized by mirth, happiness, and optimism. Now is the season of good cheer, a time to be with family and make merry. The production is very much of good cheer. If it fails to put a smile on your face, you are nothing but a grouch.
what cheer
archaic A friendly greeting, roughly equivalent to "How are you?" What cheer, young Master Swinton? Faith, thou wert a mite smaller when last I beheld thee!
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
cheer for someone or something
to give a shout of encouragement for someone or something. Everyone cheered for the team. I cheered for the winning goal.
cheer someone or something on
to encourage someone or a group to continue to do well, as by cheering. We cheered them on, and they won. We cheered on the team. Sam cheered Jane on.
cheer someone up
to make a sad person happy. When Bill was sick, Ann tried to cheer him up by reading to him. Interest rates went up, and that cheered up all the bankers.
cheer up
[for a sad person] to become happy. After a while, she began to cheer up and smile more. Cheer up! Things could be worse.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
cheer on
Encourage, as in The crowd was cheering on all the marathon runners. Originating in the 1400s simply as cheer, this usage was augmented by on in the early 1800s.
cheer up
Become or make happy, raise the spirits of, as in This fine weather should cheer you up. This term may also be used as an imperative, as Shakespeare did ( 2 Henry IV, 4:4): "My sovereign lord, cheer up yourself." [Late 1500s]
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.
a Bronx cheer
AMERICAN, INFORMALA Bronx cheer is a rude noise that you make by putting your lips together and blowing through them. He greeted the news with a loud Bronx cheer.
cheer someone to the echo
BRITISH, OLD-FASHIONEDIf you cheer someone to the echo, you applaud them loudly for a long time. They cheered him to the echo, as they did every member of the cast.
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012
of good cheer
cheerful or optimistic. archaic The exhortation to be of good cheer occurs in several passages of the New Testament in the Authorized Version of the Bible (for example in Matthew 9:2, John 16:33, and Acts 27:22). In Middle English, cheer had the meaning ‘face’. This sense of cheer is now obsolete, but the related senses of ‘countenance’ and ‘demeanour as reflected in the countenance’ survive in a number of phrases, including in good cheer and the archaic what cheer ? (how are you?).
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
cheer on
v. To encourage someone with or as if with cheers: The spectators cheered the runners on as they passed by. I always cheer on the team that is losing.
cheer up
v.1. To become happier or more cheerful: I cheered up once the weather got warmer.
2. To make someone happier or more cheerful: The fine spring day cheered me up. The hospital staged a musical to cheer up the sick patients.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs. Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Bronx cheer
(ˈbrɑŋks ˈtʃir) n. a rude noise made with the lips; a raspberry. The little air compressor in the corner of the parking lot made a noise like a Bronx cheer.
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Bronx cheer
A raucous expression of displeasure. The sarcastic reference is to how spectators at sporting events in New York City's borough of the Bronx—at Yankee Stadium, for a notable example—let players on visiting teams, and umpires too, know what was on their mind. The classic “Bronx cheer” sound was produced by compressing the lips and blowing, which replicated the sound of passing wind. That noise was earlier called a raspberry (or raspberry tart, the British rhyming slang for “fart”), from which the word “razz” came.
Endangered Phrases by Steven D. Price Copyright © 2011 by Steven D. Price