garden (redirected from gardening)

lead someone down the garden path and lead someone up the garden path

to deceive someone. Now, be honest with me. Don't lead me down the garden path. That cheater really led her up the garden path.

See also: lead, path

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common-or-garden  (British)

very ordinary (always before noun) I just want a common-or-garden bike - it doesn't have to have special wheels or lots of gears or anything like that.

Everything in the garden is rosy.

something that you say which means that there are no problems in a situation (often negative) But not everything in the garden is rosy. Sales may look good but they're actually 10% down on last year.

See lead up the garden path

See also: everything, rosy

garden-variety  (American & Australian)

very ordinary (always before noun) It's just a garden-variety shopping mall, large but not special in any way.

lead somebody up the garden path  (British, American & Australian informal) also lead somebody down the garden path (American informal)

to deceive someone We were led up the garden path about the cost of the building work - it turned out really expensive.

See also: lead, path, up

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lead somebody down the garden path also lead somebody up the garden path

to deceive someone Our country has been led down the garden path by the politicians in office.

Etymology: based on the idea that a path in a garden is very pleasant, so someone who is brought along it can be deceived without noticing it

See also: lead, path