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flounder

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flounder around

to struggle or wallow around. The whole company is just floundering around and getting nowhere. The horse floundered around, trying to get across the soggy pasture.

See also: around, flounder

flounder through something

 

1. Lit. to struggle through something, such as a mire, swamp, etc. The Jeep floundered through the swamp without getting stuck. The horse floundered through the muddy field.

2. Fig. to struggle awkwardly through a difficult situation. We floundered through the performance. I don't know how we did it, but we did it. We just floundered through our presentation, hoping for a lot of questions.

See also: flounder

flat as a pancake

Extremely level, especially too much so. For example, There are no hills; this terrain is flat as a pancake. This simile dates from the 1500s and has survived its contemporary, flat as a flounder. It is sometimes used, either disparagingly or ruefully, to describe a small-breasted woman.

See also: flat, pancake