smell (redirected from smelt)

come out smelling like a rose

Fig. to succeed; to do better than anyone else in some situation. Everyone else in the firm lost money in the real estate deal, but Bob came out smelling like a rose. If I can just finish my research paper on time, I'll come out smelling like a rose by the end of the school year.

See also: come, like, out, rose

come up smelling like a rose and come up smelling like roses

Fig. to end up looking good or respectable after being involved in some difficult or notorious affair. I was surprised that my congressional representative came up smelling like a rose after his colleagues investigated him.

See also: come, like, rose, up

rose by any other name would smell as sweet

Prov. The nature of a thing is more important than what it is called. (From Shakespeare's play, Romeo and Juliet.) Bob was upset when his job title was changed from "administrative assistant" to "secretary." We tried to convince him that a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.

See also: any, name, other, rose, sweet

smell (someone, something, or an animal) out

to locate someone, something, or an animal by smelling or as if by smelling. The dog smelled the crook out from the place in the alley where he was hiding. The dog smelled out the raccoon.

See also: out

smell something up

to cause a bad or strong odor in a place or on something. Your cooking sure smelled this place up! The spoiled meat really smelled up the house!

See also: up

smell a rat

to suspect that something is wrong; to sense that someone has caused something wrong. I don't think this was an accident. I smell a rat. Bob had something to do with this. The minute I came in, I smelled a rat. Sure enough, I had been robbed.

See also: rat

smell blood

Fig. to be ready for a fight; to be ready to attack; to be ready to act. (Like sharks, which are sent into a frenzy by the smell of blood.) Lefty was surrounded, and you could tell that the guys from the other gang smelled blood. The lawyer heard the crash and came running—smelling blood and bucks.

See also: blood

smell fishy

to seem suspicious. Barlowe squinted a bit. Something smells fishy here, he thought. something about the deal smelled fishy—too good to be true.

smell like a rose

Fig. to seem innocent. I came out of the whole mess smelling like a rose, even though I caused all the trouble. The politician survived the scandal smelling like a rose, but I knew different.

See also: like, rose

smell of something

to have the smell of something; to smell like something. This house smells of onions. Her cooking always smells of entirely too much garlic.

smell to (high) heaven 

1. Go to stink to high heaven.

2. Fig. to give signals that cause suspicion. This deal is messed up. It smells to high heaven. something's wrong here. Somebody blabbed. This setup smells to high heaven.

See also: heaven

stink to high heaven and smell to high heaven

Fig. to smell very bad. What happened? This place stinks to high heaven. This meat smells to high heaven. Throw it away!

See also: heaven, high, stink

wake up and smell the coffee

Prov. Try to pay attention to what's going on. Things have changed around here, Wallace J. Hodder! Wake up and smell the coffee!

See also: and, coffee, up, wake

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come out/up smelling of roses  (British & Australian) also come out/up smelling like roses (American)

if you come out smelling of roses, people believe you are good and honest after a difficult situation which could have made you seem bad or dishonest There was a major fraud investigation, but Smith still came out smelling of roses.

See also: come, out, rose

smell a rat

to start to believe that something is wrong about a situation, especially that someone is being dishonest She smelled a rat when she phoned him at the office where he was supposed to be working late and he wasn't there.

See also: rat

smell fishy  (informal)

if a situation or an explanation smells fishy, it causes you to think that someone is being dishonest Webbers's account of what he was doing that evening smells a bit fishy to me.

See smell blood, Wake up and smell the coffee!, smell to high heaven

smell/stink to high heaven

to smell very bad That chicken farm stinks to high heaven.

See also: heaven, high

smell/taste blood

to recognise an opportunity to be more successful, especially by taking advantage or someone who is in a difficult situation Environmental groups smell blood, and are increasing their campaign against the airport.

See be baying for blood, draw blood, scent blood, spit blood, sweat blood

See also: blood

Wake up and smell the coffee!

something that you say in order to tell someone that they should try to understand the true facts of a situation or that they should give more attention to what is happening around them It's time you woke up and smelled the coffee, Don. We're just not getting enough business any more.

See also: and, up, wake

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(come up) smelling like a rose also (come out) smelling like a rose

to end something positively or as a winner Everyone thought he was guilty, but Smith still came up smelling like a rose. Hahn made a terrible play in the first half, but he was smelling like a rose by the finish.

See also: like, rose

pass the smell test

to be morally acceptable Robinson's removal as an independent investigator doesn't pass the smell test, and many believe it was done for political reasons.

Usage notes: often used in negative sentences, as in the example

See also: pass, test

smell a rat

to believe something is wrong When my husband started working late three or four times a week, I smelled a rat.

See also: rat

wake up and smell the coffee

to pay attention and do something about a situation Some parents just deny their kids are having problems, and they'd better wake up and smell the coffee.

See also: and, coffee, up, wake