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fashion
fashion plate
1. An illustration advertising the newest or most current trends in style and fashion. She had a keener eye for designing attractive fashion plates than for fashion itself.
2. By extension, a person who wears the most stylish and fashionable clothing available. In this moneyed area of town, it's not uncommon to see fashion plates parading themselves along the main streets at any given moment.
in a fashion
1. dated To some extent but crudely, imperfectly, or not very well. (This phrase has largely been replaced with the phrase "after a fashion," meaning the same.) Well, I mended your pants, in a fashion. They may not look great, but at least there isn't a hole anymore!
2. dated Of a lower caliber, order, or class. (This phrase has largely been replaced with the phrase "after a fashion," meaning the same.) He might think highly of himself, but he's only a writer in a fashion if you ask me.
be a slave to (something)
To be unduly influenced by or care too much about something; to spend too much or time or energy on something. Jeremy is a total slave to fashion. He can't leave the house without making sure every part of his outfit matches perfectly. I wish Sarah would relax a bit more over the weekend. She's a total slave to her job.
fashion victim
A person who places too much value on popular trends and styles. It's one thing to have good taste in clothing, but it's another to be a fashion victim who always needs to be seen wearing popular brand names.
in soaped-pig fashion
Unclear and/or vague. The phrase refers to a now-outdated form of entertainment in which people tried to catch soaped pigs. Please make a decisive statement somewhere in your next paper because writing in this soaped-pig fashion won't get you a good grade!
the glass of fashion and the mold of form
A much-admired person. In Shakespeare's Hamlet, Ophelia refers to Hamlet as such. Look at that socialite—she is just the glass of fashion and the mold of form.
after a fashion
1. In a sufficient but rudimentary or unimpressive manner. I can ride a motorcycle, after a fashion. I wouldn't ride one on a busy highway, though. I can write, after a fashion, but my sister is a genius—she far outshines me with the written word.
2. In an inadequate or incomplete way. Tom fixed the car, after a fashion, so it's running again but still makes that terrible noise.
after the fashion of
In a manner or style imitative of someone or something else. When John F. Kennedy was president, many women dressed after the fashion of his wife, Jacqueline. I think that classical piece is after the fashion of the Baroque masters.
after a fashion
in a manner that is just barely adequate; poorly. He thanked me—after a fashion—for my help. Oh, yes, I can swim, after a fashion.
after the fashion of someone or something
and after the style of someone or somethingin the manner or style of someone or something. She walks down the street after the fashion of a grand lady. The parish church was built after the style of a French cathedral.
come into fashion
to become stylish or fashionable. Do you think that a design like this will ever come into fashion? That kind of dance will never come into fashion.
fashion something into something
to make, form, or convert something into something else. He fashioned the newspaper into a temporary rain hat. Sarah fashioned the clay into a little bowl.
fashion something on something
to model something on something else; to pattern something after something else. She fashioned her dress on something she had seen in a history book. Donna fashioned the plan on the one Robert had used.
fashion something out of something
to make something from something; to convert something into something else. He tried to fashion a dog out of balloons. Elaine was expert at fashioning a bow out of chocolate.
go out
1. to leave one's house. Call me later. I'm going out now. Sally told her father that she was going out.
2. to become extinguished. The fire finally went out. The lights went out and left us in the dark.
3. Go to go out of fashion.
go out
(for something) 1. Lit. to go outside to get something or to do something. Jill just went out for a breath of fresh air. He just went out, and should be back any minute.
2. Fig. to try out for something. (Usually refers to a sport.) Mary went out for the soccer team. Tom went out for baseball.
go out of fashion
and go out of style; go outto become unfashionable; to become obsolete. That kind of furniture went out of style years ago. I hope this kind of thing never goes out of fashion. It went out years ago.
go out
(of something) to leave something or some place. I went out of there feeling sorry for myself. I went out with a smile on my face.
go out
(with someone) 1. Lit. to go out with someone for entertainment. The Smiths went out with the Franklins to a movie. Those guys don't have much time to go out.
2. Fig. to go on a date with someone; to date someone regularly. Is Bob still going out with Sally? No, they've stopped going out.
in fashion
in style; current and socially acceptable. Is that kind of thing still in fashion? It won't be in fashion very long.
out of style
and out of fashionnot fashionable; old-fashioned; obsolete. (See also
go out of fashion.)
John's clothes are really out of style. He doesn't care if his clothes are out of fashion.after a fashion
1. to some degree but not very well I can paint after a fashion, but I'm certainly not as good as you.
2. almost but not completely What he said is true after a fashion, though a few of his facts were wrong.
go out (with somebody)
to have a romantic relationship with someone How long have you been going out with him? My husband and I worry about what we are going to do when our daughter starts going out.
a fashion victim
(humorous) an impolite way of referring to someone who buys too many fashionable clothes She's a complete fashion victim! Why else would she pay ￡100 for a pair of jeans?
after a fashion
1. if you do something after a fashion, you manage to do it although not very well I can paint after a fashion, but I'm certainly not as good as you.
2. almost, but not completely 'A vegetarian diet is much healthier.' 'That's true after a fashion, although I don't believe all meat is bad for you.'
like it's going out of fashion
(informal) if you use something like it's going out of fashion, you use large amounts of it very quickly Emma spends money like it's going out of fashion.
parrot-fashion
(British & Australian) if you learn something parrot-fashion, you are able to repeat the words, but you do not understand their meaning
Usage notes: A parrot is a bird that can repeat words and noises it has just heard.
When I went to Sunday school, we had to recite passages from the Bible parrot-fashion. after a fashion
Also,
after a sort. Somehow or other; not very well, as in
John can read music, after a fashion, or
He managed to paint the house after a sort. The first phrase, in which
fashion means "a manner of doing something," has been so used since the mid-1800s, when it replaced
in a fashion. The variant dates from the mid-1500s. Also see
in a way;
(somehow) or other.
go out
1. Be extinguished, as in All the lights went out. [c. 1400]
2. Die; also, faint. For example,
I want to go out before I become senile, or
At the sight of blood he went out like a light. The first usage dates from about 1700 and was at first put
go out of the world. For the variant, see under
out cold.
3. Take part in social life outside the home, as in We go out a lot during the holiday season. This usage dates from the second half of the 1700s and gave rise to go out with someone, meaning "to date someone."
4. Stop working, as in To show their support of the auto workers, the steel workers went out too. This expression is short for go out on strike. [Late 1800s]
5. Become unfashionable, as in Bell-bottom pants went out in the 1970s but made a comeback in the 1990s. This usage is sometimes amplified to go out of fashion or go out of style, as in This kind of film has gone out of fashion, or These boots are going out of style. [Late 1400s]
6. Cease to function as before. This sense appears in go out of print, said of a book that will no longer be printed. Also see the subsequent idioms beginning with go out.
go out of fashion
Also,
go out of style. See under
go out, def. 5.
in fashion
Also,
in style. See under
go out, def. 5.
out of fashion
Also,
out of style. See
go out, def. 5.
go out
v.1. To leave a building, region, or other place: Let's go out and look at the stars. I went out for a cigarette. The children went out to play in the snow. We went out on the porch. Instead of cooking, let's go out for dinner tonight. We ran out of rice, so I went out for some more. The seas are too rough for the ships to go out today.
2. To exit through something: Go out the back door so that no one sees you.
3. To recede from the land. Used of tides: When the tide goes out, we collect shells along the shore.
4. To leave the boundary of a game: If you kick the ball and it goes out, the other team gets control.
5. To take an active role in accomplishing something. Used with and: You should go out and get a lawyer if you want to win this case.
6. To make a trip, especially to some distant or remote location: We went out to the country to visit the dairy farm. This ferry goes out to the islands.
7. To be sent, broadcast, or disseminated: The package went out last week. The invitations went out two weeks before the party. The word went out that the couple was getting a divorce.
8. To have something, such as one's thoughts, heart, or sympathy, preoccupied with or affected by someone's suffering: Our hearts go out to the victims of the fire.
9. To take part in social life outside the home: I go out every Friday night. Let's go out tonight and see a movie. On our last date, we went out for ice cream. I'm going out to meet some friends at the mall. I went out to dinner with my parents.
10. To collapse structurally: The bridge went out after the heavy rains.
11. To become extinguished: The children were frightened when the lights went out. The power went out during the storm. We stayed up and talked until the fire went out.
12. To become unfashionable: Big collars are going out of fashion. High boots went out last year.
13. To be in a steady romantic relationship with someone: They started going out a couple of months ago, and now they are inseparable. She had been going out with him for three years before they got married.
14. go out for To undergo a competitive qualifying test for some athletic team: If you plan to go out for the basketball team this year, you had better start practicing. I've gone out for the swim team every year, but I've never made it.
dog-ways
and dog-fashion and dog-style mod. [copulation] in the manner of dogs, that is, with the male approaching from the rear. They did it dog-style, so they could both watch television. Dog-ways, mish, it’s all good!
dog-fashion
verb