cracked up to be
(redirected from cracked up as alleged or understood to be)cracked up to be
Reputed or said to be. Typically used in the phase "isn't all it's cracked up to be." I'm so impressed with my new car—a luxury car really is all it's cracked up to be! Honestly, the movie isn't what it's cracked up to be. Maybe I'm just not the right audience for it.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
cracked up to be something
and cracked up to be; cracked up as somethingalleged or understood to be something. She was cracked up to be a pretty good player. She was cracked up as a pretty good golfer. (Used with the negative.) He is not the problem solving CEO that he was cracked up to be.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
cracked up to be
asserted to be (used to indicate that someone or something has been described too favourably). informalThis expression stems from the use of crack as an adjective to mean ‘pre-eminent’, a sense dating from the late 18th century.
1986 Willy Russell Shirley Valentine Our Brian suddenly realised that the part of Joseph wasn't as big as it had been cracked up to be.
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
cracked up to be
mod. supposed to be. This pizza isn’t what it’s cracked up to be.
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.