out of curl

out of curl

obsolete Of hair, straight and limp; no longer curly. After spending so much time on her hair, Mary was worried that it would come out of curl if she stepped outside into the storm.

See also: curl, of, out

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

out of curl

lacking energy. British

This is an early 20th-century expression based on the idea that curly hair has vitality (as in ‘bouncy curls’). Therefore, hair which has become limp or out of curl may be thought to indicate listlessness or enervation.

See also: curl, of, out

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017