sniff (redirected from sniffed out)

be nothing to sneeze/sniff at (American & Australian, informal)

not to be sneezed/sniffed at - if something or someone is not to be sneezed at, they are important or dangerous enough to deserve serious attention. Blizzards with a foot of snow are nothing to sneeze at even in the mid-West.

See also: nothing, sneeze

not to be sneezed/sniffed at (informal)

1. if something, especially an amount of money, is not to be sneezed at, it is large enough to be worth having. And there's the increase in salary to be considered. £3000 extra a year is not to be sneezed at.

(American & Australian, informal)

2. if something or someone is not to be sneezed at, they are important or dangerous enough to deserve serious attention. Goodman is not a man to be sniffed at.

See also: sneeze

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sniff out someone/something

to discover someone or something, usually only after a special effort. Part of their job is to sniff out talented new writers. The FBI knew they had a double agent in their midst, but it took years to sniff him out.