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nowhere
arse end of nowhere
A location that is extremely remote or out of the way, hyperbolically and sarcastically identified as the farthest point away from anything. Primarily heard in UK. She lives out in the arse end of nowhere, so it's a major hassle to go and visit her.
ass end of nowhere
A location that is extremely remote or out of the way, hyperbolically and sarcastically identified as the farthest point away from anything. I don't know what they were thinking building the stadium in the ass end of nowhere. Who's going to drive this far to see a baseball game?
(something) will get (someone) nowhere
Something, typically a certain behavior, will not help someone progress or succeed in any way. Look, we can sit here arguing over who screwed up all day long, but pointing fingers at each other will get us nowhere. Being the teacher's pet will get you nowhere when the midterm exam rolls around.
lead nowhere
To ultimately yield or achieve no useful, beneficial, or successful result or outcome. This meeting is leading nowhere. We've been here for over two hours now and haven't even been able to come up with a name for our product! It appears that talks between Democrats and Republicans on a compromised spending bill have led nowhere.
at the end of nowhere
In a very distant or remote place. His new house is really at the end of nowhere—it will take us hours to get there.
be all dressed up and nowhere to go
To be ready for an event or occasion that has since been canceled. Jimmy canceled our date tonight, so I'm all dressed up and nowhere to go. Jill is all dressed up and nowhere to go because the friend she was supposed to meet got sick.
all dressed up and nowhere to go
Ready for an event or occasion that has since been canceled. Jimmy canceled our date tonight, so I'm all dressed up and nowhere to go. A: "Why is Jill is all dressed up and nowhere to go?" B: "Oh, because the friend she was supposed to meet got sick."
all dressed up and nowhere to go
and all dressed up with nowhere to go completely ready for somethingthat has been postponed or has failed to materialize. (May be literal or figurative.) Tom: I just heard that your company is closed today. Fred: Gee, I'm all dressed up and nowhere to go. The space shot was cancelled, so all the astronauts are all dressed up with nowhere to go.
at the end of nowhere
Fig. at a remote place; at some distance from civilization. (An exaggeration.) They live way out in the country at the end of nowhere. The police will never find us here, at the end of nowhere.
come from nowhere
to come as a surprise with no warning. The dogs came from nowhere and attacked my cat. The whole set of problems came from nowhere. There was no way we could have foreseen them.
Flattery will get you nowhere.
Flattering me will not increase your chances of success. A: Gee, you can do almost anything, can't you? B: Probably, but flattery will get you nowhere.
get nowhere fast
Fig. not to make progress; to get nowhere. I can't seem to make any progress. No matter what I do, I'm just getting nowhere fast. Come on. Speed up this car. We're getting nowhere fast.
*in the middle of nowhere
Fig. in a very remote place. (*Typically: be ~; drive [into] ~; put someone or something [into] ~.) To get to my house, you have to drive into the middle of nowhere. We found a nice place to eat, but it's out in the middle of nowhere.
middle of nowhere
a very isolated place. I don't want to stay out here in the middle of nowhere. I was stranded in the middle of nowhere for an hour with a flat tire.
nowhere near
not nearly. We have nowhere near enough wood for the winter. They're nowhere near ready for the game.
*out of nowhere
appearing suddenly, without warning. (*Typically: appear ~; come ~; materialize ~.) A huge bear appeared out of nowhere and roared and threatened us. Suddenly, a truck came out of nowhere. Without warning, the storm came out of nowhere.
go nowhere (fast)
to not progress This debate is going nowhere - we're no closer to a solution than we were when it started. Chlo?'s job at the health department was going nowhere fast.
in the middle of something/doing something
busy doing something We were in the middle of supper when we heard the news. When she called, I was in the middle of giving the baby a bath.
(out) in the middle of nowhere
in a place that is far away from where most people live We spent a wonderful year living on a farm in the middle of nowhere.
nowhere near
not in any way
It was a long list and it was nowhere near complete. The movie was nowhere near as bad as Erin said it was. Holzman was nowhere near the player Carey is. Usage notes: used for emphasis
nowhere to be found
not able to be seen There were several high-tech devices in the room, but the instructions were nowhere to be found.
be all dressed up and/with nowhere to go
to be dressed and ready to go somewhere nice, but not have anywhere to go Rob rang up and said he had to work late, so there I was, all dressed up with nowhere to go.
Flattery will get you nowhere.
(humorous) something that you say to someone in order to tell them that their praise will not persuade you to do anything that you do not want to do Well, I'm glad you liked the meal, but flattery will get you nowhere!
(out) in the middle of nowhere
in a place that is far away from where most people live I'll need a map to find that pub - it's out in the middle of nowhere, apparently.
get nowhere
Also,
not get anywhere. Make no progress, as in
I've tried to put this together, but I'm getting nowhere with it. This expression is sometimes intensified as
get nowhere fast, as in
I tried phoning but got nowhere fast. [Early 1900s] Also see
get somewhere;
get there.
in the middle of
1. Also,
in the midst of. During, while engaged in, as in
He stopped him in the middle of his speech, or
I'm in the midst of calculating my income tax. The first expression dates from about 1600, the second from about 1500. Also see
in the midst.
2. in the middle of nowhere. In a very remote location, as in We found a great little hotel, out in the middle of nowhere. [Early 1900s]
not anything like
Also, nothing like; not anywhere near; nowhere near. Quite different from, far from; also, not nearly. For example, The town's library isn't anything like the university's library, or His outfit was nothing like his brother's, or It isn't anything like as cold as it was last winter, or That movie isn't anywhere near as exciting as I thought it would be, or Her diamond is nowhere near as big as mine. The phrases with like date from the late 1700s, and those with near from the mid-1400s.
nowhere near
out of nowhere
Suddenly, unexpectedly, as in
That anonymous letter turned up out of nowhere. It is often put as
come out of nowhere, as in
Their team came out of nowhere and won the state championship. This term uses
out of in the sense of "from," and
nowhere in the sense of "an unknown place." For a synonym, see
out of a clear blue sky.
get nowhere fast
in. to make very poor progress. We are getting nowhere fast around here.
middle of nowhere
n. an isolated place. I don’t want to stay out here in the middle of nowhere.
nowhere
mod. bad; no good; dull. This place is really nowhere. Let’s go.
miles from nowhere
In a very remote place.
nowhere near
Not nearly: has nowhere near enough money to buy a house.