standing

*sure as God made little green apples and *sure as eggs is eggs; *sure as fate; *sure as I'm stand-ing here; *sure as you live

Rur. absolutely certain. (*Also: as ~.) I'm as sure as God made little green apples that he's the one. I'm right, as sure as you live!

See also: apple, god, green, little, made, sure

able to do something blindfolded and able to do something standing on one's head

Fig. able to do something very easily, possibly without even looking. (Able to can be replaced with can.) Bill boasted that he could pass his driver's test blindfolded.

See also: able

standing joke

a subject that regularly and over a period of time causes amusement whenever it is mentioned. Uncle Jim's driving was a standing joke. He used to drive incredibly slowly. Their mother's inability to make a decision was a standing joke in the smith family all their lives.

See also: joke

---

could do something standing on your head  (informal)

if you could do something standing on your head, you can do it very easily, usually because you have done it many times before I've done this job for so long I could do it standing on my head.

See leave standing

See also: could, head

leave somebody/something standing  (British & Australian)

to be much better than everyone or everything else Stella's singing was so good, she left the others standing. This is the best hoover I've ever had. It leaves the rest standing.

See also: leave