tick (redirected from ticks by)

*full as a tick

very full of food or drink. (Alludes to a tick that has filled itself full of blood. See also tight as a tick. *Also: as ~.) Little Billy ate and ate until he was as full as a tick. Our cat drank the cream until he became full as a tick.

See also: full

*tight as a tick 

1. very tight. (Fig. on the image of a tick swollen tight with blood or of a tick stuck tightly in someone's skin. *Also: as ~.) This lid is screwed on tight as a tick. The windows were closed—tight as a tick—to keep the cold out.

2. intoxicated. (Fig. on full as a tick. *Also: as ~.) The old man was tight as a tick but still lucid. The host got tight as a tick and fell in the pool.

3. [of a race] close, as if the racers are moving very closely together. (*Also: as ~.) This election is as tight as a tick.

4. very friendly and close; as thick as thieves. (*Also: as ~.) Those two are tight as a tick. They are always together.

See also: tight

make someone or something tick

Fig. to cause someone or something to run or function. (Usually with what. Tick refers to a watch or clock.) I don't know what makes it tick. What makes John tick? I just don't understand him. I took apart the radio to find out what made it tick.

See also: make

tick someone off

to make someone angry. That really ticks me off! Doesn't that tick off everyone?

tick away

[for seconds or minutes] to go by as the clock ticks. The seconds ticked away as the fateful time got closer. As time ticked away, the surgeons worked feverishly to repair the walls of Roger's heart.

See also: away

ticked (off)

angry. Wow, was she ticked off! Kelly was totally ticked.

what makes someone tick

Fig. something that motivates someone; something that makes someone behave in a certain way. (Fig. on what makes something tick.) William is sort of strange. I don't know what makes him tick. When you get to know people, you find out what makes them tick.

See also: make

what makes something tick

Fig. the sense or mechanism that makes something run or function. (With reference to the ticking of a clock representing the functioning of the clock.) I don't know what makes it tick. I took apart the radio to find out what made it tick.

See also: make

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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 somebody 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.

See also: make

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tick somebody off (spoken) also tick off somebody

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 also tick something off

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 somebody 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.

See also: make