hop, skip, and (a) jump
1. A short distance away from a certain location. My apartment's location is so convenient. It's just a hop, skip, and a jump away from the train station and the grocery store. I'm just going to run through the rain because the library is only a hop, skip, and jump from here. Don't worry, the gas station is just a hop, skip, and a jump from here.
2. Very similar (to something else). I thought you could handle this project because it's just a hop, skip, and a jump from the one you're working on now. The book is a hop, skip, and jump away from being outright military propaganda. Of course the husband did it! His damning comments are just a hop, skip, and a jump from a full confession!
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
a hop, skip, and a jump
Fig. a short distance. Bill lives just a hop, skip, and a jump from here. We can be there in two minutes. My car is parked just a hop, skip, and a jump away.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
a hop, skip, and a jump
or a hop and a skip
1. If someone or something is a hop, skip, and a jump or a hop and a skip away from someone or something else, they are very close. Wells is just a hop and skip from George Bush's place in Kennebunkport.
2. If something is a hop, skip, and a jump or a hop and a skip from something else, the two things are very similar. Of course, the Romanian language is just a hop, skip and a jump from Italian.
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012