brush (redirected from brushing up on)

*brush-off

Fig. rejection; being cast aside and ignored. (*Typically: get ~; give someone ~.) Don't talk to Tom. He'll just give you the brush-off. I went up to her and asked for a date, but I got the brush-off.

brush (up) against someone or something

to touch someone or something lightly in passing. I brushed up against the freshly painted wall as I passed. I guess I brushed against Walter as I walked by.

See also: against

brush someone or something aside 

1. Lit. to push or shove someone or something out of the way. Don't just brush me aside. I almost fell over. I brushed aside the branch, not realizing it was poison ivy.

2. Fig. to cast someone or something away; to rid oneself of someone or something; to ignore or dismiss someone or something. You must not brush this matter aside. The clerk brushed aside the old man and moved on to the next person in line.

See also: aside

brush someone off 

1. Lit. to remove something, such as dust or lint, from someone by brushing. The bathroom attendant brushed Mr. Harris off and was rewarded with a small tip. The porter had never brushed off such a miserly man before.

2. Fig. to reject someone; to dismiss someone. (As if someone were mere lint.) He brushed her off, telling her she had no appointment. He brushed off Mrs. Franklin, who was only trying to be nice to him.

brush something away (from something)

to remove something from something by brushing; to get dirt or crumbs off something by brushing. He brushed a bit of lint away from Tom's collar. She brushed away the crumbs from the table.

See also: away

brush something down

to clean and groom fur or fabric by brushing. Why don't you brush your coat down? It's very linty. I brushed down my trousers, and they looked much better.

brush something off someone or something and brush something off

to remove something from someone or something by brushing. I brushed a little lint off her collar. I brushed off the lint that was on her collar.

brush something up

to improve one's knowledge of something or one's ability to do something. (See also brush up (on something).) I need to brush my French up a little bit. I need to brush up my French.

See also: up

brush by someone or something and brush past someone or something

to push quickly past someone or something. She brushed by the little group of people standing there talking. I brushed by the plant, knocking it over.

brush over someone or something

Fig. to deal lightly with an important person or matter; to just barely mention someone or something. I want to hear more. You only brushed over the part I was interested in. You only brushed over the bit about your girlfriend. Tell us more about her.

brush up (on something)

to improve one's knowledge of something or one's ability to do something. I need to brush up on my German. My German is weak. I had better brush up.

See also: up

brush with death

Fig. an instance of nearly dying. After a brush with death, Claire seemed more friendly and outgoing.

See also: death

have a brush with something

to have a brief contact with something; to have an experience with something. (Especially with the law. Sometimes a close brush.) Ann had a close brush with the law. She was nearly arrested for speeding. When I was younger, I hada brush with scarlet fever, but I got over it.

See also: have

tarred with the same brush

Fig. sharing the same characteristic(s); having the same good or bad points as someone else. Jack and his brother are tarred with the same brush. They're both crooks. The Smith children are tarred with the same brush. They're all lazy.

See also: same, tar

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be as daft as a brush  (British informal)

if someone is as daft as a brush, they behave in a very silly way I remember him as a kid and he was as daft as a brush then.

tar somebody with the same brush

to believe wrongly that someone or something has the same bad qualities as someone or something that is similar (usually passive) I admit that some football supporters do cause trouble but it's not fair that we're all being tarred with the same brush.

See also: same, tar

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brush aside somebody/something also brush somebody/something aside

to not give someone or something serious consideration I saw this happen, and you can't just call me crazy and brush me aside. Her friends worried that she might be arrested, but Nancy confidently brushed aside their concerns.

See also: aside

brush off somebody/something also brush somebody/something off

to not accept someone or something as being important When she told me my project would be a better television film than a feature film, I thought she was brushing me off. But the prime minister brushed off that criticism, saying it was just talk.

Etymology: based on the literal meaning of brush something off (to remove something from a surface by moving your hand quickly over it)

brush up (on something)

to study again something you learned before Brushing up on computer skills can be important for any worker thinking about getting a new job.

See also: up

paint somebody/something with the same brush also tar somebody/something with the same brush

to say that someone or something has the same bad qualities as someone or something else When one swimmer uses banned substances, you feel sorry for the others because they are all tarred with the same brush.

See also: paint, same