skate (redirected from skating around)

*awkward as a cow on a crutch and *awkward as a cow on roller skates

very clumsy or off balance. (*Also: as ~.) When Lulu was overweight, she was awkward as a cow on a crutch. Tom will never be a gymnast. He's as awkward as a cow on roller skates!

See also: awkward, cow, crutch

skate around

to skate here and there in no particular direction. Let's go over to the pond and skate around. We will skate around for a while until we get too cold.

See also: around

skate around someone or something 

1. to skate to one side or the other of someone or something. Somehow I managed to skate around the child without knocking her down. I skated around the tree limb and avoided an accident.

2. to circle someone or something while skating. The children skated around their instructor until she was satisfied with their form. We skated around the post in a circle.

See also: around

skate on something

to skate on a particular surface. You can't skate on that ice! It's too thin. Don't skate on the ice until it has been scraped smooth.

skate on thin ice

Fig. to be in a risky situation. (Fig. on the image of someone taking the risk of ice skating on thin ice.) I try to stay well informed so I don't end up skating on thin ice when the teacher asks me a question. You are skating on thin ice when you ask me that!

See also: ice, thin

skate over something 

1. Lit. to move over something, skating. I love to be the first one to skate over newly frozen ice. I skated over the pond too soon and the ice cracked while I was on it.

2. Fig. to move over or deal with something quickly. The speaker skated over the touchy issues with discretion. I will skate over the things that I am not sure about.

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Get your skates on!  (British & Australian informal)

something that you say in order to tell someone to hurry (usually an order) Get your skates on! We're going to miss the train. House buyers should get their skates on if they want to buy while prices are low.

See also: get