east

An imaginary and exaggeratedly low score for some event, action, statement, or attempt deemed to be a failure or inadequate in some way. It is a reference to judges from the former country of East Germany, who were often seen as giving unfairly low scores to competitors from other countries during international sporting events. I'd say that pitiful retort would only get you 2 out of 10 from the East German judges, my friend.

To or in the eastern United States. Although its wording suggests a return, one does not have to have ever been in the eastern US to use this phrase. We're going back East for Christmas this year to visit my parents. My husband is back East for business right now.

to or from the eastern United States, especially the northeastern or New England states. (Used even by people who have never been in the East.) Sally felt that she had to get back East for a few days. Tom went to school back East, but his brother attended college in the Midwest.

Prov. Two things are so different that they can never come together or agree. (From Rud-yard Kipling's poem, "The Ballad of East and West.") I had hoped that Andrew and I could be friends in spite of our political differences. But, in our case, I'm afraid that East is East and West is West.

Prov. Home is the best place to be no matter where it is. You may think that traveling all the time is fun, but eventually you'll discover that east or west, home is best.