fling (one's) arms up
To toss or jerk one's arms upward, typically to convey some emotion. As the kids ran around the room shrieking, Mom just flung her arms up and shook her head. I can't hear what they're saying, but it looks like Dad just flung his arms up in anger, so that's not a good sign. "Well, what are we going to do now?" I said as I flung my arms up in frustration.
fling (one's) arms up in (some emotion)
To toss or jerk one's arms upward to convey some emotion. As the kids ran around the room shrieking, Mom just flung her arms up in exhaustion and shook her head. I can't hear what they're saying, but it looks like Dad just flung his arms up in anger, so that's not a good sign. "Well, what are we going to do now?" I said as I flung my arms up in frustration.
fling (one's) bonnet over the windmill
To act in a deranged, reckless, or unconventional manner. Refers to the eponymous character of the novel Don Quixote, who tosses his hat over a windmill (which he imagines is a giant) as a challenge to it. Sarah is always trying to buck social conventions, flinging her bonnet over the windmill whenever possible. I know you like to take risks in business, but don't fling your bonnet over the windmill. Well, I would have a lot less to worry about if you kids didn't fling your bonnets over the windmill at every opportunity!
fling (one's) cap over the windmill
To act in a deranged, reckless, or unconventional manner. Refers to the eponymous character of the novel Don Quixote, who tosses his hat over a windmill (which he imagines is a giant) as a challenge to it. Sarah is always trying to buck social conventions, flinging her cap over the windmill whenever possible. I know you like to take risks in business, but don't fling your cap over the windmill. Well, I would have a lot less to worry about if you kids didn't fling your caps over the windmill at every opportunity!
fling (one's) hands up
To toss or jerk one's hands upward, typically to convey some emotion. As the kids ran around the room shrieking, Mom just flung her hands up and shook her head. I can't hear what they're saying, but it looks like Dad just flung his hands up in anger, so that's not a good sign. "Well, what are we going to do now?" I said as I flung my hands up in frustration.
fling (one's) hands up in (some emotion)
To toss or jerk one's hands upward to convey some emotion. As the kids ran around the room shrieking, Mom just flung her hands up in exhaustion and shook her head. I can't hear what they're saying, but it looks like Dad just flung his hands up in anger, so that's not a good sign. "Well, what are we going to do now?" I said as I flung my hands up in frustration.
fling (one's) head back
To move one's head backwards in a swift motion. I flung my head back to shake the hair out of my eyes. My son unexpectedly flung his head back over the weekend and hit me in the face—hence the fat lip. Yeah, I had whiplash after the accident. I really flung my head back when that other car hit me.
fling (someone or something) aside
To toss or shove someone or something out of one's path. Dad flung my toys aside and scolded me for not cleaning up like he'd asked me to. Hey, be careful with that stuff! Don't fling it aside just because it's mine! After the hurricane, we had to fling quite a lot of debris aside before we could even make it to our front door.
fling (someone or something) down
To toss or shove someone or something down. The bully flung the skinny boy down and threated to hit him if he didn't part with his lunch money. Billy! Don't fling your brother down like that and sit on him! The wrestler flung his opponent to the mat with a gnarly move.
fling (something) into (something)
To throw or toss something into something else. Hey, fling these paper clips into the drawer, will you? I'm trying to clear off this table. Don't just fling your toys into the toy box—you could break one of them! I can't just fling my clothes into a drawer, I have to neatly fold each item first.
fling away
1. To toss someone or something out of one's path. A noun or pronoun can be used between "fling" and "away." Dad flung my toys away and scolded me for not cleaning up like he'd asked me to. Hey, be careful with that stuff! Don't fling it away just because it's mine! After the hurricane, we had to fling quite a lot of debris away before we could even make it to our front door.
2. To discard or reject someone or something. A noun or pronoun can be used between "fling" and "away." Did you really put these drawings in the trash? Sheesh, it's like you're trying to fling away my childhood! I know she drives you nuts, but she's your mother—you'll never be able to fling her away. I had to fling away all evidence of our relationship. It was just too painful to look at after we broke up.
fling back
1. To toss or throw someone or something backwards. A noun or pronoun can be used between "fling" and "back." The force of the explosion flung us all back. She's struggling with whiplash right now, but thank goodness she had her seatbelt on, or the accident would have flung her back even more. The earthquake was powerful enough to fling us all back.
2. To return something to someone or some place by tossing or throwing it. A noun or pronoun can be used between "fling" and "back." Our neighbor wasn't happy when we hit the ball into his yard, but at least he flung it back. When you get a hit in the outfield, don't just fling the ball back—throw it to an infielder with purpose! You can politely pass the test to the people behind you. You do not need to fling it back to them.
fling in
To throw or toss something into something else. A noun or pronoun can be used between "fling" and "in." Hey, open that drawer and fling these paper clips in, will you? I'm trying to clear off this table. Yes, I want you to put your toys away in the toy box, but don't just fling them in—you could break them! I can't just fling in my clothes, I have to neatly fold each item first!
fling mud
To disparage someone, especially to the detriment of their reputation. I'm trying to maintain a fair and respectable campaign, and my opponent has no problem flinging mud! You're the one who messed up the budget, so don't fling mud at me! Once you're that famous, the tabloids just constantly fling mud.
fling off
To quickly push or pull something off of oneself. A noun or pronoun can be used between "fling" and "off." Ugh, once Mom came in, yelling that I had to get up, I had no choice but to fling the blankets off and finally get out of bed. As usual, Holly immediately started complaining about how hot it was in the house and flung off her sweater I just want to protect my dog's paws from winter chemicals, but he hates his little booties and flings them off the moment he gets into the house.
fling off (of) (someone or something)
To pull or jerk something off of someone or something. A noun or pronoun can be used between "fling" and "off." With a squeal, she flung off the fly that had landed on her arm. I pulled the blankets up over my head, but Mom just flung them off of me, yelling that it was time to get up. My jerk of a brother flung my hat off and revealed my stupid haircut to the entire class.
fling on
To quickly dress oneself in an article of clothing. A noun or pronoun can be used between "fling" and "on." A: "But I'm in my pajamas!" B: "Oh, just fling on any old thing and come meet us at the bar!" When I saw our dog slip through the fence, I flung on my coat and ran outside in my slippers to catch him. You have two minutes to fling on your school uniform, or we're going to be late!
fling out
1. To toss or throw something out (of something or some place). A noun or pronoun can be used between "fling" and "out." The baby's driving me crazy today—she just keeps flinging all of her toys out of the toy box. The living room looks like a bomb went off! He opened the car window and flung out the wrapper from his hamburger. A: "I'm going to take your cell phone and fling it out the back door one of these days." B: "Geez, Mom!"
2. To eject or expel someone out of some place or organization. A noun or pronoun can used between "fling" and "out." I flung the man out of the bar after he started making disparaging comments about the other patrons. They flung him out of med school for performing bizarre experiments on hospital patients. Of course I'd heard of CEO's involvement in the scandal, I just can't believe they actually flung him out of the company!
3. To utter something very casually or carelessly. A noun or pronoun can used between "fling" and "out." We all started flinging out random ideas at the brainstorming session. The senator is known to fling insults out at anyone who challenges his opinion. OK, go—fling out some fundraising ideas! Nothing is too big or too small.
fling out of (something)
To toss or throw something out of something else. A noun or pronoun can be used between "fling" and "out." The baby's driving me crazy today—she just keeps flinging all of her toys out of the toy box. The living room looks like a bomb went off! Ariel is inconsolable right now because she flung her favorite doll out of the stroller this afternoon, and now, we can't find it. Because we kept fighting over the ball, Dad flung it out of the yard so none of us could play with it.
fling up
slang To vomit. Geez, I thought I was going to fling up on that boat—I felt so seasick! When I had the flu, I flung up for the better part of a week. I'm so glad I can keep food down again! A: "The rookie saw blood for the first time and flung up right there at the crime scene." B: "Geez, he's gonna need a stronger stomach for this line of work."
fling up (one's) arms
To toss or jerk one's arms upward, typically to convey some emotion. As the kids ran around the room shrieking, Mom just flung up her arms and shook her head. I can't hear what they're saying, but it looks like Dad just flung up his arms in anger, so that's not a good sign. "Well, what are we going to do now?" I said as I flung up my arms in frustration.
fling up (one's) arms in (some emotion)
To toss or jerk one's arms upward to convey some emotion. As the kids ran around the room shrieking, Mom just flung up her arms in exhaustion and shook her head. I can't hear what they're saying, but it looks like Dad just flung up his arms in anger, so that's not a good sign. "Well, what are we going to do now?" I said as I flung up my arms in frustration.
fling up (one's) hands
To toss or jerk one's hands upward, typically to convey some emotion. As the kids ran around the room shrieking, Mom just flung up her hands and shook her head. I can't hear what they're saying, but it looks like Dad just flung up his hands in anger, so that's not a good sign. "Well, what are we going to do now?" I said as I flung up my hands in frustration.
fling up (one's) hands in (some emotion)
To toss or jerk one's hands upward to convey some emotion. As the kids ran around the room shrieking, Mom just flung up her hands in exhaustion and shook her head. I can't hear what they're saying, but it looks like Dad just flung up his hands up in anger, so that's not a good sign. "Well, what are we going to do now?" I said as I flung up my hands in frustration.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.