all mops and brooms
Drunk. Likely a reference to the mops and brooms needed to clean up after drunk people who vomit. I can't stand coming to this bar—it's full of college kids who are all mops and brooms for the first time. I got all mops and brooms at the party last night, and I'm paying for it today, all right. I may never drink again! Tommy really needs to stop drinking, or he'll be all mops and brooms tomorrow.
Dame Partington and her mop
Someone staunchly opposed to progress or reform, even when it is inevitable. The phrase is thought to have originated from stories in 19th-century England of a woman who kept trying to get water out of her flooded home during a storm before finally evacuating. I can't believe you're still fighting against that new tax! Stop being like Dame Partington and her mop and just accept change! Sure, she can continue to be the modern-day Dame Partington and her mop, but that won't stop anything. Change is coming. You always do this—you start out as Dame Partington and her mop, but, in the end, you come to accept whatever is happening.
mop down
To clean someone or something by wiping or mopping. A noun or pronoun can be used between "mop" and "down." I just need to mop down the floors before our guests arrive. She mopped the child down as best as she could after he vomited all over himself.
mop head
The part of a mop that the cloth or sponge is attached to. I'm going to need a new mop after all—the mop head on this one is missing!
mop off
1. To clean or dry some surface by mopping or wiping it. A noun or pronoun can be used between "mop" and "off." Here, take this cloth and mop off the windows so I can see while I'm driving. I mopped my face off with a towel after coming inside from the rain.
2. To mop or wipe something in order to remove it from a surface. A noun or pronoun can be used between "mop" and "off." I kept having to mop fog off my glasses because it was so warm in the room. It's been too long since I mopped off the dust from these shelves.
mop the floor up with (one)
1. To easily and thoroughly defeat one in a competition or contest. Primarily heard in US. Although he wasn't favored to win the race, Jack really mopped the floor up with the competition. Everyone was impressed the underdog team made it to the finals, but the returning champions mopped the floor up with them.
2. To physically beat or thrash one to the point of serious injury or incapacitation. Primarily heard in US. Tom got into a fight with some dude at the bar, but the other guy mopped the floor up with him.
mop the floor with (someone)
To easily defeat an opponent. Primarily heard in US. Although he wasn't favored to win the race, Jack really mopped the floor with his competition.
mop up
1. To clean something up, such as a spill, often literally with a mop. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "mop" and "up." Hand me a rag so I can mop up this juice.
2. To remedy problems caused by someone or something else. He needs to hire a PR person to mop up the mess he made with those comments.
3. To do the minor, final steps that complete a task. Can you mop up this filing? I have to be in a meeting right now.
4. To remove the final enemy troops from an area that has been reclaimed. There aren't many troops left for us to mop up.
mop up the floor with (one)
To easily and deftly beat up or defeat one. Primarily heard in US. Although he wasn't favored to win the race, Jack really mopped up the floor with his competition. If the two fighters were in their prime, Balboa would mop up the floor with Dixon.
mop up with (something)
1. To wash (some surface) by wiping or mopping with some cleaning implement. I hate having to mop up with this dirty old thing. Let's go to the store and buy a new mop! I didn't have any cleaning supplies, so I had to mop up with some water, dish soap, and paper towels.
2. To remove something (from some surface) by wiping or mopping it up with some cleaning implement. Don't mop up the red wine with our good towels—it'll ruin them! Make sure you mop up that goop with bleach to decontaminate the floors.
mopping-up operation
Any action or procedure meant to cleanse, eradicate, or resolve any final or lingering loose ends. We've gotten most of the hard work done for the merger—we'll just send our legal team through our accounts on a mopping-up operation to make sure everything is in order before the move is finalized. The dictator began a massive mopping-up operation after assuming total power, sending troops throughout the country to round up and execute any remaining dissidents.
moppy
1. slang Disheveled or untidy in appearance; tousled. Said especially of hair. You were cute when you were a kid. Look at that adorable moppy hair you had!
2. obsolete slang Drunk. We were a fair bit moppy coming out of the tavern.
mop-top
A hairstyle in which the hair typically extends to the eyebrows in the front and, often, to the collar in the back. The mop-top is probably most commonly associated with the early Beatles. Wow Dad, you had quite a mop-top when you were younger!
mop-up operation
Any action or procedure meant to cleanse, eradicate, or resolve any final or lingering loose ends. We've gotten most of the hard work done for the merger—we'll just send our legal team through our accounts on a mop-up operation to make sure everything is in order before the move is finalized. The dictator began a massive mop-up operation after assuming total power, sending troops throughout the country to round up and execute any remaining dissidents.
that's how the mop flops
There is nothing we can do about the way things have unfolded, especially bad ones, so there is no reason to be upset about it. (A variant of the more common "That's how the ball bounces.") I'm pretty gutted about not getting into the grad school program I wanted, but hey, that's just how the mop flops.
that's the way the ball bounces
There is nothing we can do about the way things have unfolded, especially bad things, so there is no reason to be upset about it. I'm pretty gutted about not getting into the grad school program I wanted, but hey, that's the way the ball bounces.
that's the way the mop flops
There is nothing we can do about the way things have unfolded, especially bad ones, so there is no reason to be upset about it. (A variant of the more common "That's the way the cookie crumbles.") I'm pretty gutted about not getting into the grad school program I wanted, but hey, that's just the way the mop flops.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
mop something down
to clean a surface with a mop. Please mop this floor down now. Please mop down this floor.
mop something off
to wipe the liquid off something. Please mop the counter off with paper towels. Mop off the counter.
mop something up
to clean up something, such as a spill, with a mop or with a mopping motion. Please mop this mess up. I will mop up this mess.
mop something up with something
to clean or remove something from something else using a mop, rag, towel, etc. I can mop the mess up with this old rag mop. She will mop up the mess with the rag.
mop the floor up with someone
to overwhelm and physically subdue someone; to beat someone. Stop talking like that, or I'll mop the floor up with you! Did you hear that? He threatened to mop up the floor with me!
mop up
(after someone or something) 1. Lit. to clean up with a mop a sloppy mess made by someone or something. I am the one who has to mop up after the mess you made!
2. Fig. to rectify a problem that someone or something has created. You made a fuss in the conference and upset everyone. I spent hours mopping up after you in private meetings with all in attendance.
mopping-up operation
a clean-up operation; the final stages in a project where the loose ends are taken care of. It's all over except a small mopping-up operation. The mopping-up operation from the hurricane should cost just under twenty million.
That's the way the ball bounces.
and That's the way the cookie crumbles.; That's the way the mop flops.Prov. You cannot control everything that happens to you.; You should accept the bad things that happen. Bill: I bought a hundred lottery tickets this week, but I still didn't win! Alan: That's the way the ball bounces. I was planning to have fun on my vacation, but I've been sick the whole time. I guess that's just the way the cookie crumbles. That's tough, but that's the way the mop flops.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.