shaky

on shaky ground

Questionable or lacking support, as of an idea. His hypothesis has been on shaky ground to since the beginning, so I'm not surprised that he couldn't prove it in the lab.

See also: ground, on, shaky

shaky cam

A cinematographic technique in which the camera is operated by hand, as opposed to being fixed on a mount, resulting in a jerky, unstable image. This is done to emulate a first-person perspective or imitate what an ordinary person might have captured on a handheld camcorder in order to create a sense of immersion or heighten the sense of excitement, terror, urgency, etc. I'm really sick of the trend in recent horror movies to have the whole thing filmed in shaky cam. It isn't scary, it's just nauseating! It just felt like the shaky cam was a cheap way for the filmmakers to give the documentary a sense of authenticity. The director uses shaky cam to give the audience a glimpse into the protagonist's point of view during especially emotional scenes.

See also: cam, shaky

shaky camera

A cinematographic technique in which the camera is operated by hand, as opposed to being fixed on a mount, resulting in a jerky, unstable image. This is done to emulate a first-person perspective or imitate what an ordinary person might have captured on a handheld camcorder in order to create a sense of immersion or heighten the sense of excitement, terror, urgency, etc. I'm really sick of the trend in recent horror movies to have the whole thing filmed in shaky camera. It isn't scary, it's just nauseating! It just felt like the shaky camera was a cheap way for the filmmakers to give the documentary a sense of authenticity. The director uses shaky camera to give the audience a glimpse into the protagonist's point of view during especially emotional scenes.

See also: camera, shaky

stand on shaky ground

To be in a questionable, unstable, or untenable position. We stood on shaky ground when we were renting, constantly aware that the landlord could throw us out whenever he wanted. So far their legal argument seems to stand on shaky ground. They'll need much stronger evidence if they want to win the trial.

See also: ground, on, shaky, stand

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

on shaky ground

 and on dangerous ground

Fig. [of an idea or proposal] on an unstable or questionable foundation; [of an idea or proposal] founded on a risky premise. When you suggest that we are to blame, you are on shaky ground. There is no evidence that we are at fault. The case for relying solely on nuclear energy seems to be on dangerous ground.

See also: ground, on, shaky

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

shaky-cam

n. a camera, used mainly in advertisements and documentaries, that is shaken and moved constantly to create a sense of excitement, urgency, or crisis. We can’t afford much in the way of costumes for the sequence, so we will use the shaky-cam and shoot it in dim light.

McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.