blank (redirected from drew a blank)

blank something out 

1. Lit. to erase something, as on a computer screen. Who blanked out the information that was on my screen? Please blank your password out as soon as you type it.

2. Fig. to forget something, perhaps on purpose; to blot something out of memory. I'm sorry, I just blanked your question out. I blanked out your question. What did you say?

See also: out

blank check

freedom or permission to act as one wishes or thinks necessary. He's been given a blank check with regard to reorganizing the workforce. The new manager has been given no detailed instructions about how to train the staff. He just has a blank check.

See also: check

draw a blank 

1. . Fig. to get no response; to find nothing. I asked him about Tom's financial problems, and I just drew a blank. We looked in the files for an hour, but we drew a blank.

2. Fig. to fail to remember something. I tried to remember her telephone number, but I could only draw a blank. It was a very hard test with just one question to answer, and I drew a blank.

See also: draw

Fill in the blanks.

You can figure out the rest.; You can draw a conclusion from that. (Fixed order. See also fill something in.) Mary. What happened at Fred's house last night? Bill: There was a big fight, then the neighbors called the police. Mary: Then what happened? Bill: Fill in the blanks. What do you think? John: They had been lost for two days, then the wolves came, and the rest is history. Jane: Yes, I think I can fill in the blanks.

See also: fill

give someone a blank check and give a blank check to someone 

1. Lit. to give someone a signed check that lacks only the amount or payment which can be filled in by anyone. Sally sent a blank check to school with Billy to pay for his books.

2. Fig. to give someone freedom or permission to act as one wishes or thinks necessary. He's been given a blank check with regard to reorganizing the workforce. The manager has been given no instructions about how to train the staff. The owner just gave him a blank check. Jean gave the decorator a blank check and said she wanted the whole house done.

See also: check, give

give someone a blank look and give someone a blank stare

to look back at someone with a neutral look on one's face. After I told her to stop smoking, she just gave me a blank look and kept puffing.

See also: give, look

one's mind went blank

Fig. someone's mind has experienced total forgetfulness. He knew all his lines in rehearsal, but his mind went blank when he went before an audience.

See also: mind

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your mind goes blank

if you are asked a question and your mind goes blank, you cannot think of anything to say I was so nervous during the interview that when I was asked about my experience, my mind went blank.

See at the back of mind, eye candy, blow mind, bring to mind, cast mind back, cross mind, lose mind, prey on mind, read mind, slip mind, speak mind, sticks in the/ mind, mind p's and q's, have a memory like a sieve, Mind step

See also: goes, mind

a blank cheque

as much money to spend as is wanted or needed (not used with the ) We are not giving the redevelopment project a blank cheque. The organizers will be working within a strictly limited budget.

at point-blank range

if someone is shot at point-blank range, they are shot from a very short distance away The killers walked into the bar and shot him at point-blank range.

See also: range

draw a blank

to be unable to get information, think of something, or achieve something Ask them about the car's performance and you'll draw a blank. We've asked 2000 schools to join the campaign, but so far we've drawn a blank. (= none of them agreed)

See also: draw

fire/shoot blanks  (humorous)

if a man is firing blanks, there is no sperm (= the cells which combine with the female's egg to start life) in his semen (= the liquid produced in the male sexual organs) (usually in continuous tenses) They had a series of fertility tests done and found out that basically Tony was firing blanks.

See also: fire

point blank 

1. if you refuse point blank, you refuse completely and will not change your decision He locked himself in the bathroom and refused point blank to come out.

2. if you ask or tell someone point blank about something that could upset or embarrass them, you ask or tell them directly You'll have to ask him point blank whether he took the money or not.

See also: point

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your mind goes blank

you cannot think of anything to say They asked me about my experience and my mind just went blank.

See also: goes, mind

draw a blank

1. to forget something When Phil asked Lee which airline they were flying on, Lee drew a blank.

2. to be unable to get information Hoover asked the investigators to find out about Byrne, but they drew a blank.

See also: draw

go blank also blank out

1. to forget He let his mind go blank and kept on walking, thinking about nothing at all.

2. to become unconscious He remembers trying to get up, and then he went blank until he woke up the next morning with a roaring headache.

Usage notes: sometimes used in the form everything went blank (someone became unconscious): I heard a noise behind me, and then everything went blank.

Related vocabulary: black out

3. to stop receiving a television picture There was a popping sound, and then the TV screen went blank.