abandon hope, all ye who enter here
A message warning one about a hopeless situation from which there is no return. The Italian version of this phrase appears in Dante's Divine Comedy as the inscription on the entrance to Hell. The phrase is most often used humorously. I'll never forget my first day as an intern and the sign above my cubicle that said, "Abandon hope, all ye who enter here." Well, that board meeting was incredibly pointless and unproductive. We should have started things off by quoting Dante: "Abandon hope, all ye who enter here." That spooky old house might as well say "Abandon hope, all ye who enter here" outside! Only a fool would buy it.
all hope abandon, ye who enter here
A message warning one about a hopeless situation from which there is no return. The Italian version of this phrase appears in Dante's Divine Comedy as the inscription on the entrance to Hell. The phrase is most often used humorously. More commonly translated as "abandon hope, all ye who enter here." I'll never forget my first day as an intern and the sign above my cubicle that said, "All hope abandon, ye who enter here." Well, that board meeting was incredibly pointless and unproductive. We should have started things off by quoting Dante: "All hope abandon, ye who enter here." That spooky old house might as well say "All hope abandon, ye who enter here" outside! Only a fool would buy it.
Gather ye rosebuds while ye may.
proverb Act and enjoy yourself now, before your situation changes. The line comes from Robert Herrick's 17th-century poem "To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time," and is an example of carpe diem ("seize the day") poetry. Gather ye rosebuds while ye may—you never know what tomorrow will bring. Youth is a fleeting thing, so gather ye rosebuds while ye may. You're in college, right? Well, gather ye rosebuds while ye may, because you'll be in the "real world" soon enough, and it's a total drag.
How do ye do?
An old-fashioned variant of "how do you do," used as a polite greeting. "How do ye do, Sheriff?" said the squat little barman as Sheriff Briggs strolled into the saloon. Ah, Margaret—it's lovely to meet you—how do ye do? How do ye do, ma'am? Are you new in town?
how-d'ye-do
informal
1. A colloquial greeting (a contraction of "how do you do?"). Well hey, Bob, how-d'ye-do? Been a long time since I've seen you around here! How-d'ye-do, stranger! How've you been? A: "Hey there, Jim." B: "Well, how-d'ye-do! How can I help you today?"
2. An unfortunate, unpleasant, or awkward situation or circumstance; a troublesome or difficult state of affairs. (Often phrased as "a fine how-d'ye-do.") Well that's a fine how-d'ye-do. I'm on the job for just two days and I find out that the company is going bankrupt! Naturally, I got laid off a month after I bought my house. Isn't that a fine how-d'ye-do? I was only there five minutes, and I still got in trouble with everyone else! Talk about a fine how-d'ye-do.
judge not, lest ye be judged
1. proverb If you judge or condemn someone else, you stand to be judged or condemned according to the same standard; do not judge unsympathetically or hypocritically. The phrase was said by Jesus in the Bible (Matthew 7:1). A: "Well, I just think homeless people should stop being so lazy and go get a job already." B: "Wow, I'll remember that if you ever lose your job and struggle to find a new one. Judge not, lest ye be judged."
2. proverb It is not your place to judge or condemn other people, because others are sure to find things for which to judge or condemn you. This more common interpretation of the phrase ignores the line in the Bible that follows: "For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again." (Matthew 7:2) A: "You know, you really should lay off the sweets." B: "Hey, judge not, lest ye be judged!"
judge not, that ye be not judged
1. proverb If you judge or condemn someone else, you stand to be judged or condemned according to the same standard. Therefore, do not judge unsympathetically or hypocritically. The phrase was said by Jesus in the Bible (Matthew 7:1). A: "Well, I just think homeless people should stop being so lazy and go get a job already." B: "Wow, I'll remember that if you ever lose your job and struggle to find a new one. Judge not, that ye be not judged."
2. proverb It is not your place to judge or condemn other people, because others are sure to find things for which to judge or condemn you. This more common interpretation of the phrase ignores the line in the Bible that follows: "For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again." (Matthew 7:2) A: "You know, you really should lay off the sweets." B: "Hey, judge not, that ye be not judged!"
judge not, that ye not be judged
1. proverb If you judge or condemn someone else, you stand to be judged or condemned according to the same standard; do not judge unsympathetically or hypocritically. The phrase was said by Jesus in the Bible (Matthew 7:1). A: "Well, I just think homeless people should stop being so lazy and go get a job already." B: "Wow, I'll remember that if you ever lose your job and struggle to find a new one. Judge not, that ye not be judged."
2. proverb It is not your place to judge or condemn other people, because others are sure to find things for which to judge or condemn you. This more common interpretation of the phrase ignores the line in the Bible that follows: "For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again." (Matthew 7:2) A: "You know, you really should lay off the sweets." B: "Hey, judge not, that ye not be judged!"
O ye of little faith
A mild and humorously formal rebuke of someone who has expressed doubt or incredulity about something one said one would or could do. The phrase is used in several places in the New Testament of the Bible. The uncommon and somewhat archaic interjection "O" is often simply rendered to "oh" in modern English. A: "Oh, wow. It looks like your shortcut really did save us a bunch of time." B: "O ye of little faith." A: "Are you sure this will work?" B: "Come on, I know what I'm doing, oh ye of little faith."
seek and ye shall find
proverb You will find inevitably what you are looking for if you look hard enough or in the right way. A: "There are no jobs out there!" B: "No, there are plenty of jobs out there. You just need to be willing to broaden your scope a bit. Seek and ye shall find."
what do you call (someone)/it
Used to indicate a person or thing whose name is not known or can't be remembered. "What do you" is often condensed into informal contractions such as "whaddya" or "what d'you," and the phrase is sometimes hyphenated in writing. I heard old what do you call him is back to teaching the course again next week. I ran into whaddya-call-her from next door at the grocery store this morning. He keeps playing that dang what-d'you-call-it on the computer all day.
Ye gods and little fishes!
euphemism, old-fashioned An exclamation of shock, astonishment, or incredulity. A more emphatic, though less serious, way of saying "ye gods," a minced oath used as a stand-in for the more blasphemous "Oh my God!" Primarily heard in US. O, ye gods and little fishes! When will this torturous day end? A: "Inspector, look—a picture of the culprit!" B: "Ye gods and little fishes—it's Councilor Williams. He was under our noses the whole time!"
Ye gods!
euphemism, old-fashioned An exclamation of shock, astonishment, or incredulity. A minced oath used as a stand-in for the more blasphemous "Oh my God!" O, ye gods! This is altogether too much for one man to bear alone! A: "Inspector, look—a picture of the culprit!" B: "Ye gods—it's Councilor Williams. He was under our noses the whole time!"
ye olde
cliché Used to suggest or imitate a medieval or old-fashioned name, as of shops, restaurants, pubs, etc. A corrupted spelling of the Old English phraseþe olde, which translates in modern English to "The Old." There's a place in town called Ye Olde Sweete Shoppe that sells the best saltwater taffy around.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
Abandon hope, all ye who enter here.
Prov. If you come in, be prepared for the worst. (Describes a hopeless situation or one somehow similar to hell. Often used jocularly. This is the English translation of the words on the gate of Hell in Dante's Inferno.) This is our cafeteria. Abandon hope, all ye who enter here!
Gather ye rosebuds while ye may.
Prov. Enjoy yourself while you can, before you lose the opportunity or before you become too old. (From Robert Herrick's poem, "To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time.") Sue: Should I go out on a date with Robbie on Saturday, or should I stay home and study? Ellen: Gather ye rosebuds while ye may. You ought to travel abroad now, while you're young, before you have responsibilities that might keep you from going. Gather ye rosebuds while ye may.
Judge not, lest ye be judged.
and Judge not, that ye be not judged.Prov. If you condemn other people, then they will have the right to condemn you, so it is best not to condemn them. (Biblical.) Jill: I'm sure Gloria is the one who's been stealing from petty cash. She's so sloppy, nasty, and ill-mannered. Don't you think she'd be capable of theft? Jane: Judge not, lest ye be judged.
Oh, ye of little faith.
Fig. You who trust no one. (Jocular; the word ye is an old form of you used in the Bible.) You thought I wouldn't show up on time? Oh, ye of little faith.
Seek and ye shall find.
Prov. If you search hard enough for something, you will find it. (Biblical. Can imply that the only thing you need to do to get something is look for it.) The bookstore on the corner is an excellent one. Any book you want, just seek and ye shall find.
Ye gods (and little fishes)!
Inf. What a surprising thing! Ye gods and little fishes! Someone covered my car with broken eggs! Ye gods! What a rainstorm!
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.