custom

Eve's custom house

obsolete The vagina. The phrase refers to the Biblical Eve. Sir, Eve's custom house is closed. I am a lady, you know.

See also: custom, house

old Spanish customs

Unorthodox, unregulated, or unauthorized practices that are nevertheless widely accepted and long-standing. Because this department existed long before all the new regulations came into effect, there are quite a few old Spanish customs held onto by the more tenured staff that, while not in the service of efficiency, aren't likely to disappear anytime soon.

See also: custom, old, Spanish

so many countries, so many customs

There are around 200 countries in the world, and each of them has a unique set of social rules about what constitutes appropriate behavior. Just be aware that what you've been taught to consider rude might not be the same elsewhere. In China, for example, it's considered very rude to stick your chopstick upright into a bowl of rice, but spitting in public is considered perfectly acceptable. So many countries, so many customs.

See also: custom, many

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

so many countries, so many customs.

Prov. People in different countries have different ways of behaving. In the last place I visited, it was considered rude to put your hands on the table at dinner, but here, it's rude to keep them under the table. so many countries, so many customs.

See also: custom, many

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

old Spanish customs (or Spanish practices)

long-standing though unauthorized or irregular work practices.

This expression has been in use in printing circles since the 1960s; it is often used humorously to refer to practices in the British newspaper printing houses in Fleet Street, London, formerly notorious for their inefficiency. The reason for describing such practices as ‘Spanish’ is not known.

1998 Spectator [Outsourcing] can do much for flexibility and more for costs and it is a proven cure for quaint old Spanish customs.

See also: custom, old, Spanish

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017