poke (redirected from pokes about)

make fun of someone/something

to make a joke about someone or something in an unkind way. At first the kids made fun of her because she spoke with a Dutch accent.

See also: fun

a pig in a poke

something that you buy or accept without first seeing it or knowing what it is like, with the result that it might not be what you want. Clothes from a catalogue are a pig in a poke. You can't feel the quality of the fabric or know if the clothes will fit.

See also: pig

poke/stick your nose into something (informal)

to show too much interest in a situation that does not involve you. That'll teach him to go poking his nose into other people's business!

See also: nose, stick

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make fun of someone/something

to make someone or something seem ridiculous by making jokes about them. When she first moved north, some people made fun of her southern accent.

goof on someone

See also: fun

a pig in a poke

something that you buy without knowing if it is good or not. When you buy a used car, you may be getting a pig in a poke.

Etymology: based on an old meaning of buy a pig in a poke (= buy a pig in a bag), which you would buy without first seeing it

See also: pig

poke your nose into something

to try to discover things that do not involve you. The government has no business poking its nose into people's personal lives.

See also: nose