grave (redirected from gravely)

be as silent as the grave (literary)

to be completely silent. It was four o'clock in the morning and London was as silent as the grave.

See also: silent

dig your own grave

to do something stupid that will cause problems for you in the future. He's dug his own grave really. If he'd been a bit more cooperative in the first place they might still employ him.

See also: dig

from the cradle to the grave

during the whole of your life. Free medical care might not be with us from the cradle to the grave, as we once hoped.

See also: cradle, from

have one foot in the grave (humorous)

to be very old and likely to die soon. He's been telling everyone he's got one foot in the grave for years now.

See also: foot

this side of the grave (literary)

while you are alive. My mother's generation were taught to expect only suffering this side of the grave.

See also: side, this

turn in your grave (British, American & Australian, American)

if you say that a dead person would turn in their grave, you mean that they would be very angry or upset about something if they knew. She'd turn in her grave if she knew what he was spending his inheritance on.

See also: turn

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dig your own grave

to do something stupid that will hurt you later. Martinez dug his own grave when he admitted signing a false name on bank documents.

See also: dig

from the cradle to the grave

during the whole period of your life. Free medical care might not be with us from the cradle to the grave, as we once hoped.

Etymology: based on the idea that the cradle (= small bed for a baby) represents the beginning of a life, the grave (= burying place) represents the end of a life

See also: cradle, from

have one foot in the grave

to be likely to die soon. He had one foot in the grave when he volunteered to receive the world's first artificial heart.

See also: foot

roll over in someone's grave

spin in someone's grave

See also: over, roll

spin in someone's grave

to be shocked and upset by what someone has done. Hoch said the place was like a cow pasture, which no doubt had his grandmother spinning in her grave.

Usage notes: also used in the forms turn over in someone's grave and roll over in someone's grave; used to show that if someone already dead were present, they would be upset

See also: spin