hook, line, and sinker
(redirected from hook line, and sinker)hook, line, and sinker
Completely and unquestioningly. The moment I met my wife, I fell for her hook, line, and sinker. I told them that I like this stupid school, and they fell for it hook, line, and sinker—I guess I'm a pretty good actress.
hook, line, and sinker.
Fig. totally. She fell for our story hook, line, and sinker. They believed every word hook, line, and sinker.
hook, line, and sinker
Without reservation, completely, as in He swallowed our excuse hook, line, and sinker. This expression, first recorded in 1865, alludes to a fish swallowing not only the baited hook but the leaden sinker and the entire fishing line between them.
hook, line, and sinker
You use hook, line, and sinker to mean that someone does something to a great degree. I was completely against nationalization. I resisted it hook, line and sinker and became quite unpopular in the process. He has a tendency to get drawn into things hook, line and sinker. Note: When fish are caught, they sometimes swallow part of the fishing line and the `sinker' or weight, as well as the hook.
hook, line, and sinker
used to emphasize that someone has been completely tricked or deceived. informalThis phrase is a fishing metaphor: all three are items attached to a fishing rod and likely to be gulped down by a greedy fish. The phrase has been in use since the mid 19th century.
1996 Colin Bateman Of Wee Sweetie Mice & Men Patricia wouldn't know what had hit her. She'd fall for me hook, line and sinker once I'd reminded her what we were all about.
hook, line and ˈsinker
if you accept something hook, line and sinker, you accept it completely, either because you have been deceived or because you believe things too easily: Are you telling me that you swallowed his absurd lies hook, line and sinker?All three words in this expression are items used for catching a fish.
hook, line, and sinker
mod. totally. They believed every word hook, line, and sinker.
hook, line, and sinker
Informal Without reservation; completely: swallowed the excuse hook, line, and sinker.
hook, line, and sinker
Completely, totally, all of it. The expression is often phrased as to swallow [something] hook, line, and sinker, alluding to the gullibility of a fish that takes in bait so completely that it swallows the fishing hook, line, and sinker as well. The term originated in the United States in the mid-nineteenth century. In the late 1980s Len Deighton used it in the titles of a series of three espionage novels involving complicated deceit, Spy Hook, Spy Line, and Spy Sinker. See also lock, stock, and barrel.