shirt (redirected from the shirt off back)

give someone the shirt off one's back

Fig. to give anything that is asked for, no matter the sacrifice required. Tom would give any of his old army buddies the shirt off his back. You can always count on Mark when you're in trouble; he'd give you the shirt off his back.

See also: back, give

keep one's shirt on and keep one's pants on

Fig. to be patient. Wait a minute! Keep your shirt on! Keep your pants on! I'll be with you in a minute.

See also: keep

Keep your shirt on! and Keep your pants on!

Inf. Just wait a minute! I'll be right with you. Keep your shirt on! Keep your pants on! You're next.

See also: keep

lose one's shirt

Fig. to lose a lot of money; to lose all of one's assets (as if one had even lost one's shirt). I almost lost my shirt on that deal. I have to invest more wisely. No, I can't loan you $200. I just lost my shirt at the racetrack.

See also: lose

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a hair shirt

if someone wears a hair shirt, they choose to make their life unpleasant by not having or experiencing anything that gives them pleasure I don't think you have to put on a hair shirt in order to be a socialist.

See also: hair

a shirt-lifter  (British & Australian informal)

an offensive way of referring to a man who is homosexual (= sexually attracted to other men) He was taunted by a chorus of adolescent gay haters shouting 'shirt-lifter!'.

a stuffed shirt

someone, especially a man, who behaves in a formal, old-fashioned way and thinks they are very important I knew he was a banker and expensively educated so I was expecting him to be a stuffed shirt.

See also: stuff

have/take the shirt off somebody's back

to take so much of someone's money, for instance as a payment or punishment, that it is not fair and may cause them difficulties Watch out for those landlords - they'll have the shirt off your back.

See also: back, have

Keep your shirt on!  (British, American & Australian informal) also Keep your hair on! (British & Australian informal)

a slightly impolite way of telling someone who is angry to try to be calm and patient Keep your shirt on! I'll be with you in a second.

See also: keep

put your shirt on something   (British & Australian)

to risk all your money on something because you are sure you will win I put my shirt on the last race and lost everything. (British, American & Australian)

See also: put

would give you the shirt off their back  (informal)

if someone would give you the shirt off their back, they are extremely generous Karen's not well off, but she'd give you the shirt off her back.

See Keep shirt on!

See also: back, give

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keep your shirt on

to stay calm The meeting may be pretty unpleasant, so promise me you'll keep your shirt on.

Related vocabulary: keep your cool

See also: keep

lose your shirt

to lose all the money you put into something I lost my shirt because I didn't know anything about publishing at the time.

Usage notes: usually said about money that was invested

See also: lose