shove

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Related to shoves: tugs

shove it/something up (one's) ass

A rude, vulgar invective expressing disdain, contempt, disgust, or anger to someone (about something). Primarily heard in US. I've taken enough of the boss's crap—he can shove this job up his ass! Bill: "You're acting like a fool, Dave. You need to sober up and get your life in order." Dave: "Ah, shove it up your ass, Bill! You don't know what's best for me!"

shove over

To move one's position so as to make more space available for another person. I wish this car ahead of us would just shove over a tiny bit so we could pass him! Tell John to shove over so we can fit everyone at the table.

tell (one) where to shove it

An expression of frustration or anger. The phrase encourages the person in question to shove something up their buttocks. If she assigns me one more project, I'm going to tell her where to shove it! A: "How did you end up in jail?" B: "Well, the officer tried to give me a parking ticket, and I told him where to shove it."

shove (something)/it up your arse

A rude, vulgar invective expressing disdain, contempt, disgust, or anger to someone. I've taken enough of the boss's crap, he can shove this job up his arse! Shove it up your arse, Bill! You don't know what's best for me!

shove (something) down (one's) throat

1. To compel or physically force someone to swallow an object. I hate how doctors try to shove pills down your throat for even the tiniest of colds. The government has come under fire for ordering prison staff to shove food down the hunger strikers' throats.

2. To force, compel, or attempt to make someone accept, endure, consider, or agree with/to something. I hate going to my friend's house, because his husband's always shoving conservative rhetoric down my throat. Look, I'm just browsing around for a car, quit trying to shove one down my throat!

(I) have to shove off.

and (I've) got to be shoving off.; (I've) got to shove off.; (I) have to push off.; (It's) time to shove off.

a phrase announcing one's need to depart. John: Look at the time! I have to shove off! Jane: Bye, John. Jane: Time to shove off. I have to feed the cats. John: Bye, Jane. Fred: I have to push off. Bye. Jane: See you around. Bye.

push off

and shove off

to leave. (As if one were pushing a boat away from a dock.) Well, it looks like it's time to push off. It's time to go. Let's shove off.

See also: off, push

push (oneself) off (on something)

[for someone in a boat] to apply pressure to something on the shore, thus propelling the boat and oneself away. The weekend sailor pushed himself off on the boat he had been moored to. We pushed off on the dock.

See also: off, push

push someone or something off (of) someone or something

and push someone or something off

to apply pressure to and force someone or something off someone or something. (Of is usually retained before pronouns.) He continued to come at me, but I managed to push him off me and escape. I pushed off the attacker.

See also: off, push

shove one's way (somewhere)

to make a path through a crowd by pushing. The impatient man shoved his way through the crowd. The reporter shoved her way to the front of the crowd.

shove someone around

1. Lit. to push someone around. The bigger boys shoved him around easily because he is so small, Karen shoved around the little kids until they got mad at her.

2. Fig. to harass someone. Stop shoving me around! Who do you think you are? Do you think you can shove around just anybody?

shove someone or something down someone's throat

and ram someone or something down someone's throat; force someone or something down someone's throat

1. Lit. to force someone to swallow something. The harsh nurse forced the medicine down the patient's throat. The zookeepers rammed the food down the python's throat.

2. Fig. to force someone to accept something. Don't try to force that car down my throat! I don't want it! You can't force that nonsense down my throat! I don't want any more insurance, and I don't want anyone to shove any insurance down my throat. Mary isn't invited to my party, and I don't wish for anyone to ram her down my throat!

when push comes to shove

and if push comes to shove

Fig. when things get a little pressed; when the situation gets more active or intense. When push comes to shove, you know I'll be on your side. If push comes to shove at the meeting, the front office can back you up with some statistics.

push comes to shove, if

Also, when push comes to shove. When matters must be confronted, when a crucial point is reached, as in If push comes to shove, the Federal Reserve Board will lower the interest rate, or They supposedly support equality, but when push comes to shove they always seem to promote a man instead of a woman . This term comes from rugby, where, after an infraction of rules, forwards from each team face off and push against one another until one player can kick the ball to a teammate and resume the game. Its figurative use dates from the 1950s. Also see the synonym if worst comes to worst.

push off

Also, shove off. Leave, set out, depart, as in The patrol pushed off before dawn, or It's time to shove off. This usage alludes to the literal meaning of a person in a boat pushing against the bank or dock to move away from the shore. [Colloquial; early 1900s]

See also: off, push

ram down someone's throat

Also, shove down someone's throat. Compel to accept or consider, as in That salesman tried to ram a life insurance policy down my throat, or She has a way of shoving her political views down your throat. These terms transfer forcing one to swallow something to forcing acceptance of an object or idea.

stick it

1. Continue what one is doing, endure something to the end, as in I hate large parties but I promised her I'd stick it to the end. [Early 1900s] Also see stick out, def. 2.

2. Also, stick it or shove it up one's ass . Do whatever you like with it, I don't want it, as in Do that job all over again? Why don't you stick it?, or Tell the chef he can take this fish and shove it up his ass. This vulgar slangy idiom, which uses stick in the sense of "thrust inward or upward," also functions as a variant of up yours. [Second half of 1800s]

when push comes to shove

if push comes to shove

COMMON If you talk about what someone will do when push comes to shove or if push comes to shove, you are talking about what they will do when it becomes necessary to do something difficult. They knew they could sit back, and when push came to shove I'd do all the work. They wouldn't support you, sir. If push came to shove, they wouldn't be behind you. Compare with when it comes to the crunch.

push off

1. To shove or thrust something or someone from a place: She climbed up to the roof and pushed off the snow. He pushed a glass off the table, and it shattered.

2. To set out; depart: The infantry patrol pushed off before dawn.

3. To launch or move away by pushing against a surface: I can jump higher when I push off the ground with my left foot. We got in the boat and pushed off from the dock.

See also: off, push

shove around

To give someone orders in a forceful or unpleasant way; bully someone: We refuse to allow corporate lawyers to shove us around. The restaurant management shoved around the employees.

shove off

1. To push some boat away from shore in leaving: The captain leaned over the gunwale and shoved off from the dock.

2. To leave: I had better shove off, or I will be late. Shove off!—I'm sick of your complaining!

shove

tv. to pass counterfeit money. (Underworld.) She got sent up for three years for shoving funny-money.

when push comes to shove

and if push comes to shove

phr. when things get a little pressed; when the situation gets more active or intense. If push comes to shove, the front office can help with some statistics.

if push comes to shove

verb

See when push comes to shove