tick (redirected from ticked past)

be as full as a boot/tick (Australian, informal)

to be very drunk. Old Clive was as full as a boot when he left the hotel last night.

See also: boot, full

what makes someone tick

if you know what makes someone tick, you understand the reasons for their behaviour and personality. A good salesperson knows what makes a customer tick.

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tick someone off

to make someone angry. It just ticks me off to think that anyone who wants to can read my e-mail. It was only a suggestion, not a criticism, and she didn't think it would tick off everyone at the meeting.

tick off something

to name a list of things. She ticked off six reasons for saying no. She had lots of objections, and she ticked them off one after another.

what makes someone tick

the reasons why someone behaves the way they do. The admiral was interested in people, what made them tick and what influenced their behavior.