poke (redirected from pokes nose into)

buy a pig in a poke

Fig. to buy something without looking inside first. If you don't get a good look at the engine of a used car before you buy it, you'll wind up buying a pig in a poke. I just took the salesman's word that this camera worked. I guess I bought a pig in a poke.

See also: buy, pig

make fun of someone or something

to ridicule someone or something. Are you making fun of me? I am making fun of your hat.

See also: fun, make

poke someone in something

to strike or jab someone in some body part. Billy poked Bobby in the tummy and made him cry. She poked herself in the eye accidentally.

poke something at someone or something

to jab or thrust something at someone or something. Don't poke that thing at me! The hunter poked his spear at the pig one more time and decided it was dead.

poke something into something and poke something in

to stick or cram something into something. He poked his finger into the jam, pulled it out again, and licked it. Jeff poked in his finger.

poke something out of something and poke something out

to thrust something out of something. The lobster poked its antennae out of the little cave and wiggled them around. It poked out its antennae.

See also: out

poke something through someone or something

to jab or stab something through someone or something. The evil knight poked his weapon through Arthur and withdrew it again. Danny poked his finger through the plastic pool liner by mistake.

See also: through

poke a hole in something and poke a hole through something

to make a hole by pushing something through something; to push something through a hole. The carpenter poked a hole in the wall with a nail. The fisherman poked a hole through the ice with a pick.

See also: hole

poke about (in something) and poke around (in something)

to rummage around in something or some place; to look through things in something or some place. I'll have to go up and poke about in the attic to see if lean find it. Janet went to the attic and spent the rest of the afternoon poking around.

poke along

to move along slowly; to lag or tarry. Get moving. Stop poking along. I was just poking along, taking my time, not paying attention to what was going on around me.

See also: along

poke around 

1. and poke about to look or search around. I've been poking around in the library looking for some statistics. I don't mind if you look in my drawer for a paper clip, but please don't poke about.

2. to waste time while moving about. I just poked around all afternoon and didn't accomplish much. Stop poking around and get moving.

See also: around

poke at someone or something

to thrust or jab at someone or something. Stop poking at me! Don't poke at the turtle. It might bite you.

poke fun at someone or something

to make fun of someone or something. You shouldn't poke fun at me for my mistakes. They are just poking fun at the strange architecture.

See also: fun

poke one's nose in (to something) and stick one's nose in (to something)

Fig. to interfere with something; to be nosy about something. I wish you'd stop poking your nose into my business. She was too upset for me to stick my nose in and ask what was wrong.

See also: nose

poke out (of something)

to stick out of something; to extend out of something. The bean sprouts were beginning to poke out of the soil of the garden. I knew there were little birds in the birdhouse, because a little head poked out now and then.

See also: out

poke through (something)

to stick through something; to extend through something. The tips of Tommy's toes poked through his sneakers and looked very cold. The end of the lost spoon poked through the piecrust on the freshly baked pie. Now we knew where it had disappeared to.

See also: through

take a pop at someone and take a poke at someone

to punch at someone. Willie took a pop at me, but I ducked. The drunk took a poke at the cop—which was the wrong thing to do.

See also: pop, take

---

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

make fun of somebody/something   also poke fun at somebody/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, make

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

---

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

make fun of somebody/something also poke fun at somebody/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.

Related vocabulary: goof on somebody

See also: fun, make

poke your nose into something also stick your nose in 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