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gum
black gum
A deciduous tree (Nyssa sylvatica) native to eastern North America, known for the shades of bright scarlet its leaves turn in the autumn; also known as sour gum, black tupelo, or simply tupelo. The leaves of the black gum are an amazing sight in autumn.
flap (one's) gums
To chatter or blather. Quit flapping your gums—I need some quiet so I can think! Whenever Charlie starts to flap his gums, I can't get in a word!
beat one's gums
to waste time talking a great deal without results. (As if one were toothless.) I'm tired of beating my gums about this over and over. You're just beating your gums. No one is listening.
flap one's gums
and flap one's jawsRur. to talk aimlessly. They're still out on the porch, flapping their gums. Well, I can't sit here flapping my jaws all day. Gotta get back to work.
gum something up
and gum the works upFig. to make something inoperable; to ruin someone's plans. Please, Bill, be careful and don't gum up the works. Tom sure gummed up the whole plan.
gum up something
also to cause something to stop working well Don't send any attachments or pictures, because they tend to gum up my computer.
Related vocabulary: gum up the worksEtymology: based on the idea of getting gum (a sticky substance) in a machine
walk and chew gum (at the same time)
to be able to do more than one thing at a time Officials say they have to plan for all kinds of possibilities, that they have to be able to walk and chew gum at the same time.
gum up the works
to prevent a machine or system from operating correctly The project was going really well until that software upgrade gummed up the works.
Related vocabulary: gum up somethinggum up the works
to prevent a machine or system from operating correctly In bad weather, twice as many people use their cars on the road, which really gums up the works.
See be up a gum treebe up a gum tree
(British & Australian old-fashioned) also be up a tree (American old-fashioned) to be in a very difficult situation
Usage notes: A small animal in Australia called a possum climbs up a gum tree when it is being chased.
If the insurance company won't pay for the damage, I'll be up a gum tree. gum up
Ruin or bungle something, as in The front office has gummed up the sales campaign thoroughly. This idiom is also put as gum up the works, as in John's changes in procedures have gummed up the works in the shipping department. [Slang; c. 1900]
gum up
v.1. To cover with a sticky substance: Gum up the back of the paper so it will stick to the frame. Gum the poster up so it won't fall down.
2. To become inactive or inoperable because of interference with moving parts: The cash register gummed up while it was in the attic, and now we can't open it.
3. To cause complications or inefficiency in something: These new regulations have gummed our procedures up, and we can't get anything done on time. The extra layer of bureaucracy gummed up the department's ability to process claims quickly.
beat one’s gums
tv. to waste time talking a great deal without results. I’m tired of beating my gums about this stuff.