storm (redirected from took by storm)

*up a storm

Fig.[doing or making] a great amount with fury or intensity. (*Typically: cook ~; gab ~; sing ~; kick ~; talk ~.) Whenever we get together, we always talk up a storm. Everyone was gabbing up a storm and didn't hear the chairman come in.

See also: up

After a storm comes a calm, and After the storm comes a calm.; The calm after a storm.

Prov. Things are often calm after an upheaval. Jill: I can't believe how peaceful the office is today, when yesterday everyone was either being fired or threatening to quit. Jane: After a storm comes a calm.

See also: after, calm, come

any port in a storm

Fig. when one is having serious trouble, one must accept any solution, whether one likes the solution or not. I don't want to live with my parents, but it's a case of any port in a storm. I can't find an apartment I can afford. He hates his job, but he can't get another. Any port in a storm, you know.

See also: any, port

come up a storm

Rur. to become stormy. It came up a storm as I was on my way home, and I got soaked to the skin.

See also: come, up

eye of the hurricane and eye of the storm 

1. Lit. the area of calm in the center of a tornado, hurricane, or cyclone. It is calm and peaceful in the eye of the storm.

2. Fig. a temporary peaceful time amidst more trouble and strife yet to come. Don't relax. This is the eye of the storm. The lunch hour rush is over, but the dinner rush will start soon.

See also: eye

kick up a fuss and kick up a row; kick up a storm

Fig. to become a nuisance; to misbehave and disturb (someone). (Row rhymes with cow. Note the variations in the examples.) The customer kicked up such a fuss about the food that the manager came to apologize. I kicked up such a row that they told me to leave. Oh, what pain! My arthritis is kicking up a storm.

See also: fuss, kick, up

lull before the storm and calm before the storm

a quiet period just before a period of great activity or excitement. (Literal in reference to weather.) It was very quiet in the cafeteria just before the students came in for lunch. It was the lull before the storm. In the brief calm before the storm, the clerks prepared themselves for the doors to open and bring in thousands of shoppers.

See also: before, lull

storm around

Fig. to go about in a fury. What is he storming around about? Martin was storming around all morning because he lost his car keys.

See also: around

storm at someone or something

Fig. to direct one's anger at someone or something. She stormed at him because he was late again. Richard was storming at the cat again.

storm in (to some place)

Fig. to burst into something or some place angrily. The army stormed into the town and took many of the citizens as prisoners. Leonard stormed in, shouting at everyone.

storm is brewing 

1. There is going to be a storm. Look at the clouds. A storm is brewing. A storm is brewing in the west.

2. There is going to be trouble or emotional upset. He looks angry. A storm is brewing.

See also: brew

storm out (of some place)

Fig. to burst out of some place angrily. Carol stormed out of the office in a rage. She got mad and stormed out.

See also: out

take someone or something by storm 

1. Fig. to conquer someone or something in a fury. The army took city after city by storm. They crashed in and took the general by storm.

2. Fig. to succeed overwhelmingly with someone, some place, or a group. The singing star took the audience in each town by storm. The star took the critics by storm.

See also: take

weather the storm 

1. Fig. to experience and survive a storm. We decided to stay in the building and weather the storm there with the other visitors.

2. Fig. to experience something and survive it. (Fig. on {2}.) The manager went on another shouting rampage and frightened his assistants. The rest of us stayed in our offices to weather the storm.

See also: weather

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[dance/sing/talk etc.] up a storm  (American informal)

to do something with a lot of energy Her dog barks up a storm every time the phone rings. They were sitting in a corner, talking up a storm.

See also: dance, up

a storm in a teacup  (British & Australian)

a situation where people get very angry or worried about something that is not important (not used with the ) I think it's all a storm in a teacup - there's probably no danger to public health at all.

See also: teacup

Any port in a storm.

something that you say which means you must accept any help you are offered when you are in a difficult situation, although you may not want to do this I don't even like him very much, but I had to move out of my flat and he offered me a place to stay. Any port in a storm, as they say.

See also: any, port

be in the eye of the storm

to be very much involved in an argument or problem that affects a lot of people International aid agencies were in the eye of the storm when war broke out in the country.

See also: eye

kick up a fuss/row/stink

to complain loudly in order to show that you are very annoyed about something Our food was cold so my father kicked up a fuss and refused to pay the service charge.

See also: fuss, kick, up

ride out/weather the storm

to continue to exist and not be harmed during a very difficult period When smaller companies were going bankrupt, the big companies with wider interests managed to ride out the storm. It remains to be seen if the President will weather the political storm caused by his remarks.

See also: out, ride

take somebody/something by storm

to suddenly be very successful in a particular place or with a particular group of people Today we're interviewing the 20-year-old fashion designer who has taken Paris by storm.

See also: take

the calm before the storm

a peaceful and quiet period before a period of activity or trouble The family are arriving this afternoon so I'm just sitting down with a cup of coffee, enjoying the calm before the storm.

See also: before, calm

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take somebody/something by storm

to be suddenly and extremely successful The Beatles took the US by storm in the early 1960s.

See also: take

the calm before the storm

a quiet period immediately before a period of great activity or trouble the lull before the storm For most teachers, the days just before the school year begins are the calm before the storm.

See also: before, calm

the eye of the storm

the center of a disagreement The man in the eye of the storm is accused of selling secrets to the enemy.

Etymology: based on the literal meaning of the eye of the storm (the middle of a mass of severe weather)

See also: eye

the lull before the storm See: the calm before the storm

See also: before, lull

up a storm

with a lot of energy Her dog barks up a storm every time the phone rings. They were sitting in a corner, talking up a storm.

Usage notes: used after action verbs, as in the examples

See also: up

weather the storm also ride out the storm

to continue to exist and not be harmed during a difficult period Johnson apparently has weathered the storm over his careless remarks.

See also: weather

weather the storm

to be all right despite experiencing serious problems or great difficulties Bob lost his job, but somehow his family weathered the storm.

See also: weather