flesh (redirected from fleshless)

*pound of flesh

Fig. a payment or punishment that involves suffering and sacrifice on the part of the person being punished. (*Typically: give someone ~; owe someone ~; pay someone ~; take ~.) He wants revenge. He won't be satisfied until he takes his pound of flesh.

See also: pound

*thorn in someone's side and *thorn in someone's flesh

Fig. a constant bother or annoyance to someone. (*Typically: be ~; become ~.) This problem is a thorn in my side. I wish I had a solution for it. John was a thorn in my flesh for years before I finally got rid of him.

See also: side, thorn

flesh something out (with something)

Fig. to make something more detailed, bigger, or fuller. This is basically a good outline. Now you'll have to flesh it out. The play was good, except that the author needed to flesh out the third act. It was too short.

See also: out

flesh and blood 

1. Lit. a living human body, especially with reference to its natural limitations; a human being. This cold weather is more than flesh and blood can stand. Carrying 300 pounds is beyond mere flesh and blood.

2. Fig. the quality of being alive. The paintings of this artist are lifeless. They lack flesh and blood. This play needs flesh and blood, not the mumbling of intensely dull actors.

3. and own flesh and blood Fig. one's own relatives; one's own kin. That's no way to treat one's own flesh and blood. I want to leave my money to my own flesh and blood.

See also: and, blood

flesh out

to become more fleshy. She began to flesh out at the age of thirteen. After his illness, Tom fleshed out and regained his strength.

See also: out

in the flesh

Fig. bodily present; in person; totally real. I've heard that the queen is coming here in the flesh. I've wanted aflat-screen TV for years, and now I've got one right here in the flesh.

make someone's flesh crawl and make someone's skin crawl

to cause someone's skin to feel funny or get goose pimples through fright. Just to hear the story of the killings made my flesh crawl. The horror movie made our skin crawl.

See also: crawl, make

press (the) flesh

Sl. to shake hands. Hey, chum! Glad to press flesh with you! He wanted to press the flesh, but I refused even to touch him.

See also: press

The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Prov. People cannot always do what they know they ought to do.; People are not always physically capable of doing what they are willing to do. (Biblical.) Alan: Have you started the diet your doctor recommended? Fred: The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.

See also: but, spirit, weak

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your pound of flesh

if someone demands their pound of flesh, they make someone give them something that they owe them, although they do not need it and it will cause problems for the other person

Usage notes: This phrase comes from Shakespeare's play, The Merchant of Venice.

His boss, demanding his pound of flesh, made him come into work even though his daughter was seriously ill.

See also: pound

be somebody's (own) flesh and blood

to be someone's relative How can you be so cruel to him when he's your own flesh and blood?

See also: and, blood

be a thorn in somebody's flesh/side

someone or something that keeps annoying you or causing you trouble A relentless campaigner, he was a thorn in the government's side for years.

See also: thorn

flesh and blood 

1. human Many of the cartoon characters are more popular than their flesh and blood counterparts.

2. if you say that someone is flesh and blood, you mean that they have feelings or faults that are natural because they are human I may be a priest, but I'm not immune to pretty women. I'm only flesh and blood, after all.

See also: and, blood

go the way of all flesh  (literary or humorous)

to die or become spoiled or damaged Eventually, her uncles went the way of all flesh and she inherited the house. I'm afraid our washing machine has gone the way of all flesh.

See also: way

make somebody's flesh crawl/creep

if someone or something makes your flesh creep, you think they are extremely unpleasant or frightening (often in present tenses) Spiders and insects really make my flesh crawl. I hate that guy in accounts, he makes my flesh creep.

See also: crawl, make

meet/see somebody in the flesh

to meet or see someone yourself, instead of watching them in a film or on television, etc. I knew his face so well from the photographs that it felt a bit strange when I finally saw him in the flesh.

See also: meet

press the flesh  (mainly American humorous)

if politicians or famous people press the flesh, they shake hands with the public Even after 12 hours on the campaign trail, he was still meeting his supporters and pressing the flesh.

See hit the panic button, press the right button

See also: press

put flesh on (the bones of) something

to add more detail to something in order to make it more interesting or easier to understand We need some real figures and evidence to put flesh on the theory. It would be wise to put flesh on the bones of your basic proposal before you ask them to consider it.

See press the flesh

See also: put

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flesh out something also flesh something out

to explain something more completely She sketches a character's outline in just a few words and then vividly fleshes out her portrait as the book goes along.

Etymology: based on the idea of adding flesh to a picture that shows only the bones of a creature

See also: out

in the flesh

physically in front of you I have seen her in films and on TV but never in the flesh.

press the flesh

to meet and talk with people He believes he should get out and press the flesh if his campaign is going to succeed.

Etymology: based on the use of press the flesh to mean shake hands (to take someone's hand in yours as a greeting)

See also: press