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seam
rich seam
A multifaceted topic that provides a lot of interesting material for discussion or writing. Judy's childhood experiences were a rich seam for her as she wrote her first novel.
be bulging at the seams
slang To be overly crowded. Because of all the delays this morning, the train station is bulging at the seams. Good luck finding a place to sit!
come apart at the seams
1. To be approaching failure. Boy, this party is really coming apart at the seams. First, there was the issue with the caterer, and now half the guests aren't coming.
2. To become very emotional. Poor Jane really came apart at the seams during the funeral service. I can't watch those sappy movies because I just come apart at the seams every time.
burst at the seams
1. Fig. to be very full and burst, perhaps at the seams. (Alludes to something that would burst at the seams if overfilled.) I am so full from dinner! I'm ready to burst at the seams. The room was so full it was bursting at the seams.
2. Fig. [for someone] to strain from holding in pride or laughter as if one might burst. Tom nearly burst at the seams with pride. We laughed so hard we just about burst at the seams.
fall apart (at the seams)
and come apart at the seams 1. . Lit. [for something] to break apart where its parts are joined. The dress fell apart at the seams. I wouldn't have thought that a coat that cost that much money would just come apart at the seams.
2. Fig. to break down mentally. Tom works too much and finally fell apart. Poor Ralph simply fell apart at the seams.
seam something with something
to join the edges of something together with something. The worker seamed the two parts of the carpet with a special tool. She seamed the material with a strip of cloth to strengthen the seam.
bursting at the seams
extremely full or crowded The courts are bursting at the seams and might not be able to handle more arrests. The city is absolutely bursting at the seams, and one of the biggest complaints people have is the number of cars.
fall apart
1. to stop working or fail completely
Her marriage fell apart after about ten years. The deal to sell the company fell apart last summer. Related vocabulary:
go to pieces 2. to break into pieces Cook the tomatoes until they begin to fall apart. When the roof wasn't repaired, the building really began to fall apart.
bursting at the seams
containing an unusually large number of people or things My whole family came to stay for the wedding and our house was bursting at the seams.
Etymology: from the idea that if you wear something much too small for you, it is most likely to tear at a seam (place where two pieces of material are sewn together)
come apart at the seams
to be in a bad condition and about to fail or lose control Large segments of the world economy seem to be coming apart at the seams.
Related vocabulary: come apartEtymology: from the idea that when the seams (places where two pieces of material are sewn together) in clothing come apart, it can no longer be used
a rich seam
(formal) a subject which provides a lot of opportunities for people to discuss, write about or make jokes about (often + of ) Both wars have provided a rich seam of drama for playwrights and novelists alike. His second novel mines the same rich seam of mother-son relations.
be bulging/bursting at the seams
(informal) if a place is bursting at the seams, it has a very large number of people or things in it All my family came to stay for the wedding and our little house was bursting at the seams.
be coming/falling apart at the seams
1. if a system or organization is coming apart at the seams, it is in a very bad condition and likely to fail For a while it seemed that the whole Asian economy was just coming apart at the seams.
2. if someone is coming apart at the seams, they are feeling extremely upset and have difficulty continuing to do the things they usually do It's no excuse, but we were all working really hard and none of us noticed that Rory was just falling apart at the seams.
burst at the seams
Be filled to or beyond normal capacity. For example,
On her wedding day the church was bursting at the seams, or
That was a wonderful meal, but I'm bursting at the seams. This expression alludes to rupturing the seams of a garment too tight for the wearer and is generally used hyperbolically. Also see
come apart at the seams.
come apart at the seams
Also, come unglued or unstuck . Become extremely upset; break down. For example, After he lost his job Brad seemed to come apart at the seams or The proposed bank merger is coming unglued, or When her last play flopped she became completely unstuck. This idiom transfers physical to emotional disintegration. [Slang; mid-1900s]
fall apart
Collapse, break down, either physically or mentally and emotionally. For example,
This chair is about to fall apart, or
After his wife died, he fell apart. For synonyms for the latter usage, see
come apart at the seams;
go to pieces.
fall apart
v.1. To disintegrate, collapse, or break into pieces: The rickety chair fell apart when I sat on it.
2. To suffer a nervous breakdown: The political prisoner fell apart after years in solitary confinement.
3. To lose structure or continuity: Our vacation plans fell apart because we couldn't agree on which country to visit.
seam-squirrels
n. lice. (see also pants rabbits. Contrived.) I got an itch. Must be seam-squirrels.