piece

be a nasty piece of work (British & Australian, informal)

to be a very unpleasant person. He's a nasty piece of work, is Carl. I'd avoid him if I were you.

See also: nasty, work

be a piece of cake (British, American & Australian, British, very informal)

to be very easy. 'How was the test?' 'A piece of cake!' The interview was a piece of piss.

See also: cake

be (all) of a piece

if one thing is all of a piece with another thing, it is suitable or right for that thing. These prices are all of a piece with the quality of the goods. (often + with)

be shot to hell/pieces (informal)

to be destroyed or in a very bad condition. His nerves were shot to hell after only 2 years in that job.

See also: hell, shot

bits and pieces (British, American & Australian, British)

small things of different types. Can you tidy away all your bits and pieces before you go to bed? I put all the bits and bobs I can't find a home for in this drawer.

See also: bit

a conversation piece

a strange or interesting object that people talk about. Charlotte's collection of Victorian cards were a good conversation piece.

give someone a piece of your mind (informal)

to speak angrily to someone because they have done something wrong. I've had enough of him coming home late. I'm going to give him a piece of my mind when he gets in tonight.

See also: give, mind

go/fall to pieces

1. if someone goes to pieces, they become so upset that they are unable to control their feelings or think clearly. I kept my composure throughout the funeral, but I went to pieces after everyone had gone home.

2. to suddenly fail completely. After winning the British Open last year, his game has really gone to pieces.

See also: fall

How long is a piece of string? (British & Australian)

something that you say when someone asks you a question that you cannot answer about how big something is or how much time something will take. 'So how long does a project like that take?' 'How long's a piece of string?'

See also: how, long, string

someone's party piece (British)

something funny or strange that someone often does to entertain other people in social situations. Chris can wiggle his ears - it's his party piece.

See also: party

pick up the pieces

to try to get back to an ordinary way of life after a difficult experience. After Ruth's death, Joe found it hard to pick up the pieces and carry on with his life.

See also: pick

pick/pull someone/something to pieces

to criticize someone or something very severely, often in a way that is not fair. It's discouraging because every time I show him a bit of work I've done he picks it to pieces.

See also: pick, pull

a piece/slice of the action (informal)

being involved in something successful that someone else started. Now research has proved that the new drug is effective, everyone wants a piece of the action.

See also: action, slice

say your piece

to express your opinion about something, especially something that you do not like. I don't feel there's anything more I can add now - I've said my piece.

See also: say

take a piece out of someone (Australian, informal)

to speak angrily to someone because they have done something wrong. Jill just took a piece out of Ben for being late again.

See also: take

the villain of the piece

someone or something that has caused a bad situation. According to reports of the disaster, the villain of the piece is the mining company who failed to carry out proper safety checks.

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give someone a piece of your mind

to tell someone angrily that you disapprove of something they have done. There's the car that almost hit us this afternoon — I'm going to give those people a piece of my mind.

See also: give, mind

go to pieces

to lose confidence in yourself and feel you have no control over events. After he and Edna divorced, Art went to pieces. His world fell to pieces in 1966 when civil war broke out in Nigeria.

fall apart

Etymology: based on the literal meaning of fall to pieces (= separate into small parts)

in one piece

not injured or damaged. I'm glad the kids arrived home in one piece from school.

Etymology: based on the idea of an object that is not broken

(all) of a piece

sharing the same basic characteristics or ideas. Willner edited the music to make the different parts seem all of a piece.

Usage notes: often followed by with: His attitude toward imagination was very much of a piece with his attitude toward existence.

pick up the pieces

to try to get back to an ordinary way of life after a very bad experience. Survivors of the mudslides are hoping to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives. When their parents died, the grandparents had to pick up the pieces and care for the children.

See also: pick

a piece of cake

something very easy. Most parents know that dealing with a sick child makes everything else look like a piece of cake. Our team is strong, but it won't be a piece of cake to make it to the finals.

See also: cake

a piece of the action

a share of the profits or advantages that come from an activity. He agreed to run the golf course for $15,000 a year and a piece of the action.

See also: action

a piece of the pie

a share in something. Each group needs money and is working hard for its own piece of the pie.

Etymology: based on the idea that something whole is like a pie (= a round, filled pastry) that can be divided

See also: pie

piece together something

1. to combine many small details to give a complete description of something. In this account, Rawson tries to piece together the events leading up to the tragedy. I hadn't told anyone about it, though I suppose someone could have pieced it together.

2. to combine small things to make something bigger. Peters pieced together night courses for five years to earn a college degree. We had to piece the money together to pay off our debts.

Etymology: from the idea of combining the parts of something to make a whole

See also: together

say your piece

to express your opinion about something, esp. something that you do not like. When the young man interrupted, the president stopped talking and let the man say his piece.

See also: say