lay it on with a trowel

lay it on with a trowel
lay it on thick & lay it on with a trowel & pour it on thick & spread it on thick
Fig. to exaggerate or overstate praise, excuses, or blame. •

Sally was laying it on thick when she said that Tom was the best singer she had ever heard.

After Bob finished making his excuses, Sally said that he was pouring it on thick.

Bob always spreads it on thick.


Dictionary of American idioms. 2013.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • lay it on with a trowel — 1. To spread something thickly 2. To say grossly flattering things • • • Main Entry: ↑trowel * * * lay it on with a ˈtrowel idiom (informal) to talk about sb/sth in a way that makes them or it seem much better or much worse than they really are;… …   Useful english dictionary

  • lay\ it\ on\ with\ a\ trowel — • lay it on • lay it on thick • put it on thick • spread it on thick • lay it on with a trowel • pour it on thick v. phr. informal To persuade someone by using very much flattery; flatter. Bob wanted to go to the movies. He laid it on thick to… …   Словарь американских идиом

  • lay something on with a trowel — ► lay something on thick (or with a trowel) informal grossly exaggerate or overemphasize something. Main Entry: ↑lay …   English terms dictionary

  • lay it on with a trowel — Meaning To praise or flatter in an overly generous manner. Origin From Shakespeare s As You Like It …   Meaning and origin of phrases

  • lay it on with a trowel — flatter, compliment, say nice things in order to gain favor …   English contemporary dictionary

  • lay something on thick (or with a trowel) — informal grossly exaggerate or overemphasize something. → lay …   English new terms dictionary

  • lay — Ⅰ. lay [1] ► VERB (past and past part. laid) 1) put down, especially gently or carefully. 2) put down and set in position for use. 3) assign or place: lay the blame. 4) (lay before) present (material) for consideration and action to …   English terms dictionary

  • lay, lie — Lay means to place and is a transitive verb requiring an object. Lie, in the context here, means to recline, is intransitive, and takes no object. I shall lay the rug on the floor. Please lie down here. The principal parts of lay are lay, laid,… …   Dictionary of problem words and expressions

  • lay\ it\ on — • lay it on • lay it on thick • put it on thick • spread it on thick • lay it on with a trowel • pour it on thick v. phr. informal To persuade someone by using very much flattery; flatter. Bob wanted to go to the movies. He laid it on thick to… …   Словарь американских идиом

  • lay\ it\ on\ thick — • lay it on • lay it on thick • put it on thick • spread it on thick • lay it on with a trowel • pour it on thick v. phr. informal To persuade someone by using very much flattery; flatter. Bob wanted to go to the movies. He laid it on thick to… …   Словарь американских идиом

  • lay — I v 1. put, place, set, rest, Inf. stick, leave, park, plant; set down, seat, settle; incline, lean. 2. drop, floor, lay low, prostrate; fell, knock or cut or strike down, sink. 3. lodge, submit, present, prefer, bring forward. 4. repose, impute …   A Note on the Style of the synonym finder

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”