pretty (redirected from prettiest)

*pretty as a picture

very pretty. (*Also: as ~.) Sweet little Mary is as pretty as a picture. Their new house is pretty as a picture.

See also: picture

*sitting pretty

living in comfort or luxury; living in a good situation. (*Typically: be ~; leave someone ~.) My uncle died and left enough money for me to be sitting pretty for the rest of my life. Now that I have a good-paying job, I'm sitting pretty.

See also: sitting

come to a pretty pass

Fig. to encounter a difficult situation. (This pretty expresses irony.) This project has come to a pretty pass. I don't know how we can possibly finish on time. Mary had come to a pretty pass. She quit her job to be with her husband, and then he left her.

See also: come, pass

cost a pretty penny and cost an arm and a leg; cost the earth

Fig. to be expensive; to cost a lot of money. Mary's dress is real silk. It must have cost a pretty penny. Taking care of a fancy car like that can cost a pretty penny, let me tell you. It cost an arm and a leg, so I didn't buy it. A house that size with an ocean view must cost the earth!

See also: cost, penny

gotta get up pretty early in the morning to (do something)

Rur. it would be difficult to do something (specified) because of the ability or quality involved. You gotta get up pretty early in the morning to cheat Bill Johnson. He's a sharp businessman for sure. You gotta get up pretty early in the morning to know your Bible better than Preacher Harris.

See also: early, get, gotta, morning, up

Pretty is as pretty does.

Prov. It is more important to treat people well than to be good-looking; just because you are good-looking does not mean you are a good person. (Said only of girls and women.) Janice may have a pretty face, but pretty is as pretty does; the way she behaves isn't pretty at all.

See also: does

pretty oneself (or something) up

Rur. to make oneself or something more attractive; to tidy oneself or something up. I tried to pretty myself up for him, but he didn't notice. Let's try to pretty up this room.

See also: oneself, up

pretty pickle

Fig. a difficult situation. (Pickle = a bad situation.) Well, this is a pretty pickle you've gotten us into.

See also: pickle

Pretty please?

an emphasised form of please? Pretty please? I need an answer! Can I have my book back? Pretty please?

pretty state of affairs and fine state of affairs

an unpleasant state of affairs. This is a pretty state of affairs, and it's all your fault. What a fine state of affairs you've got us into.

See also: affair, state

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not be a pretty sight  (humorous)

to not be pleasant to look at First thing in the morning, he's not a pretty sight.

See also: sight

not be just a pretty face  (humorous)

if someone is not just a pretty face, they are not only attractive but also intelligent 'How did you know that?' 'Well, I'm not just a pretty face, you know.'

See also: face, just

a fine/pretty kettle of fish  (mainly American)

a difficult situation That's a fine kettle of fish - the car won't start and I have to leave in five minutes.

See also: fine, fish, kettle

be sitting pretty

to be in a good situation, usually because you have a lot of money They bought their house when prices were much lower so they're sitting pretty.

See be in the catbird seat, at one sitting, be on tail

See also: sitting

cost (somebody) a pretty penny

to be very expensive That diamond ring must have cost him a pretty penny.

See also: cost, penny

Pretty is as pretty does.  (old-fashioned)

something that you say which means that you should judge people by the way they behave, not by their appearance 'She's very pretty.' 'Yes, but pretty is as pretty does. I haven't been terribly impressed by her manners.'

See a fine kettle of fish, cost a pretty penny

See also: does

things have come to/reached a pretty pass

something that you say which means a situation is very bad (often + when ) Things have come to a pretty pass when old people are dying of hypothermia because they can't afford to heat their homes.

See also: come, have, pass, thing

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not a pretty sight

1. unpleasant to look at A state trooper guarding the crash site said, “It's not a pretty sight out there.”

2. very bad or unpleasant The first reviews of the new on-line magazine are in, and it's not a pretty sight.

See also: sight

pretty much also pretty well

almost completely for all intents and purposes I've pretty much finished packing. All our kids are pretty well grown up now and one is already in college.

Usage notes: also used in the form pretty nearly: He's pretty nearly always right about cars.

See also: much

sitting pretty

in a good situation She's sitting pretty as one of the music world's fastest-rising stars. These investments can provide cash to keep you sitting pretty once you retire.

See also: sitting