shoulder

an old head on young shoulders

a child or young person who thinks and talks like an older person who has more experience of life. My little nephew said people who dislike other people don't like themselves very much. That's an old head on young shoulders.

See also: head, old, young

be a weight off your shoulders

if something is a weight off your shoulders, you are happy that you do not have to worry about it or feel responsible for it any more. If you could take over the job of organizing the party, that would be a tremendous weight off my shoulders.

See also: weight

cold-shoulder someone

give someone the cold shoulder - to behave towards someone in a way that is not at all friendly, sometimes for reasons that this person does not understand. After their argument, Peter cold-shouldered Jonathan for the rest of the week.

give someone the cold shoulder

to behave towards someone in a way that is not at all friendly, sometimes for reasons that this person does not understand. What have I done to him? He gave me the cold shoulder the whole evening at the party.

See also: cold, give

have a chip on your shoulder

to blame other people for something bad which has happened to you and to continue to be angry about it so that it affects the way you behave. Even though he went to university, he's always had a chip on his shoulder about his poor upbringing. (often + about)

See also: chip

have a good head on your shoulders

to be clever. You can trust Laura with the money - she's got a good head on her shoulders.

See also: good, head

have the cares/weight of the world on your shoulders

if you look or feel as if you have the cares of the world on your shoulders, you look or feel very worried or sad. I've never seen such a change in anyone. He looks as if he's got the cares of the world on his shoulders.

See also: care, weight, world

head and shoulders above [the others/the rest etc.]

much better than other similar people or things. He's a head and shoulders above the other actors in the film. When you think back on the other writers of this period, James stands head and shoulders above them all.

See also: above, head, other, rest

put your shoulder to the wheel

to work hard and make an effort. If everyone puts their shoulder to the wheel, the job will be finished in no time.

See also: wheel

rub shoulders with someone (British, American & Australian, informal, American & Australian, informal)

to spend time with famous people. He's Hollywood's most popular hairdresser and regularly rubs shoulders with top movie stars.

See also: rub

a shoulder to cry on

someone who gives you sympathy when you are upset. My father had just died and I needed a shoulder to cry on.

See also: cry

shoulder to shoulder

if you stand shoulder to shoulder with a person or a group of people, you support them during a difficult time. The chairman stood shoulder to shoulder with the managing director throughout the investigation.

straight from the shoulder (American)

if you speak straight from the shoulder, you speak directly and honestly. I gave it to him straight from the shoulder. 'You're talking garbage,' I said.

See also: from, straight

straight-from-the-shoulder (American)

straight from the shoulder - if you speak straight from the shoulder, you speak directly and honestly. Then he spoke and it was his usual straight-from-the-shoulder performance.

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a chip on your shoulder

a tendency to be easily angered or upset. He always acted as if he was better than us and went around with a chip on his shoulder.

See also: chip

give someone/something the cold shoulder

to show no interest in someone or something. Our town council has given the cold shoulder to a proposal to build a public swimming pool. I'd love to know why Bill gave the cold shoulder to Janice.

See also: cold, give

have a good head on your shoulders

to be intelligent. She doesn't do well in school, but I think she has a good head on her shoulders.

See also: good, head

head and shoulders above someone/something

much better than other similar people or things. Chicago's basketball team may be the oldest, but it is still head and shoulders above the rest of the league.

See also: above, head

on someone's shoulders

as a personal responsibility for someone. A district attorney has an awful burden on his shoulders. The success or failure of the entire peace agreement will rest on the shoulders of the peace keepers.

put your shoulder to the wheel

to work hard at something. You'd be surprised what you can get done when you really put your shoulder to the wheel.

See also: wheel

rub shoulders with someone

to meet or be with someone socially. The receptions offered a chance for business people to rub shoulders with business people from other countries.

See also: rub

a shoulder to cry on

someone who gives you sympathy when you are upset. My father had just died and I needed a shoulder to cry on.

See also: cry

shrug your shoulders

to not care or feel unable to do anything. The reason most people aren't excited about the election is that both candidates leave them shrugging their shoulders.

shrug something off

Etymology: based on the literal meaning of shrug your shoulders (= to move your shoulders up as you move your head down to show you do not care or are discouraged)

See also: shrug

square your shoulders

to show determination and a lack of fear. When the judge asked her if she was guilty or not guilty, she squared her shoulders, looked the judge in the eye, and said, “Not guilty.”

See also: square

stand shoulder to shoulder

to support one another during a difficult time. The whole town stood shoulder to shoulder while the rescue workers struggled to free the trapped miners.

See also: stand