shades of

shades of (someone or something)

A reminder, reminiscence, or approximation of someone or something in the past or another person or thing. She lined up the shot and got a perfect bull's-eye—shades of her former passion for marksmanship. He took a moment to collect himself after his outburst. "Shades of my father," he muttered to himself.

See also: of, shade

shades of someone or something

Fig. reminders of someone or something; a thing that is reminiscent of someone or something. When I met Jim's mother, I thought "shades of Aunt Mary." "Shades of grade school," said Jack as the university lecturer rebuked him for being late.

See also: of, shade

shades of

A reminder of a person or situation in the past. For example, He really played a fine game for a fifty-year-old-shades of his high school triumphs, or They found themselves alone on the beach-shades of their childhood summers together. [Mid-1800s]

See also: of, shade

shades of —

used to suggest reminiscence of or comparison with someone or something specified.

The sense of shade alluded to here is ‘shadow’ or ‘ghost’.

1991 Cordelia Mansall Discover Astrology Perhaps it is shades of the way your mother had to reject her own brilliance. You have a very fine brain which you tend to put down.

See also: of, shade