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thus and such
1. adjective Of or relating to a particular way, manner, or arrangement. In practical terms, it may be taken for granted that the world is thus and such, but for the sake of philosophical argument, we should not and cannot assume any such thing. I'm less interested with the thus-and-such prescriptions of religious doctrines, and more concerned with the general message of Christianity as a whole.
2. adverb phrase In such a particular way or manner; as directed or instructed. The boss is so specific about the way a report is laid out. If you don't write it thus and such each and every time, you'll be sure to hear about it from him later.
as such
1. In its current manner. Do you like this version as such, or should I make revisions?
2. Exactly. I didn't get an A as such, but I still did really well in that class!
as such
in the way something is; as someone or something is. I cannot accept your manuscript as such. It needs revisions. You are new to this job, and as such, I will have to train you.
(I) never heard of such a thing!
an expression of amazement and disbelief. (Compare this with Well, I never!) Bill: The company sent out a representative the same day I called to examine the new sofa and see what the problem was with the wobbly leg. Jane: I've never heard of such a thing! That's very unusual. Bill: The tax office is now open on Sunday! Sue: Never heard of such a thing!
Like it's such a big deal!
Inf. It really isn't all that important! (Sarcastic.) So I dropped the glass. Like it's such a big deal. Like it's such a big deal. Who cares?
such and such
someone or something whose name has been forgotten or should not be said. Mary said that such and such was coming to her party, but I forgot their names. If you walk into a store and ask for such and such and they don't have it, you go to a different store.
such as...
for example. Bill enjoys many kinds of fruit, such as apples, pears, and plums. Mary has many hobbies, such as swimming, bowling, and running.
such as it is
Cliché in the imperfect state that one sees it; in the less-than-perfect condition in which one sees it. This is where I live. This is my glorious home—such as it is. I've worked for days on this report, and I've done the best that I can do. It's my supreme effort—such as it is.
Such is life!
That is the way things happen! (Usually in reference to an unfortunate outcome.) Oh, well. Everything can't be perfect. Such is life! So I failed my test. Such is life! I can take it again some time.
There's no such thing as a free lunch.
and There ain't no such thing as a free lunch.Prov. Cliché Everything costs something. (Can imply that you should be suspicious of anything that appears to be free.) Fred: This advertisement says I can get an expensive camera for free! Jane: Don't be so gullible. There's no such thing as a free lunch. Mary gave me her sewing machine, but I had to give it $100 worth of repairs before I could even use it. There's no such thing as a free lunch.
that's life
also such is life this is the way things are
I'm disappointed that I won't be allowed to compete, but that's life. I went to two afternoon sessions and then I had to leave, which was a shame, but such is life. Usage notes: used to show that you have to accept things as they are
no such luck
(spoken) the situation or event did not develop as you hoped it would I believed that was the end of the conversation, but no such luck – he just kept on talking.
as such
1. being exactly what is mentioned or suggested There's no dining room as such, but we've made a dining area just outside the kitchen.
2. considered alone or by itself The size of their family as such is not a factor in our decision to give them financial aid.
there is no such thing
the situation you are talking about does not exist There is no such thing as a completely truthful politician, he maintained.
Such is life.
also That's life. something that you say when you are talking about bad things that happen or exist which you cannot prevent and must therefore accept In an ideal world, I'd rather have the child and the career but it's not possible. That's life.
No such luck!
something that you say in order to express disappointment that you were not able to do something that you wanted to I had hoped we'd have time for lunch somewhere. No such luck.
sink to such depths
to behave very badly I find it hard to believe that human beings could sink to such depths.
There's no such thing as a free lunch.
something that you say which means that if someone gives you something, they always expect you to give them something or to do something for them He offered me a room in his house, but he seems to expect me to do all the housework. I should have known there's no such thing as a free lunch.
See It's one thing after another!, one thing leads to another, know a thing or twoas such
1. In itself, as in The job as such was easy, but required a lot of time. [Mid-1600s]
2. In that capacity, as in In the director's absence the assistants, as such, were in charge. [c. 1700]
bricks shy of a load
Mentally impaired, either unintelligent or merely eccentric. For example, He may be handsome but he's not too bright-a few bricks shy of a load. This term, transferring a light load to lightweight mental capacity, is usually preceded by either a few or a specific number such as two . [Slang; 1960s]
no such thing
1. Nothing like that, nothing of the kind, as in We've been looking for a car without air-conditioning, but no such thing is available. [Mid-1500s]
2. On the contrary, certainly not, as in You thought I was quitting? No such thing! [Mid-1700s]
such and such
Not specified, unnamed and undetermined, as in They agreed to meet at such and such a time and place. [Mid-1500s]
such as
For example, as in She adores the English novels of manners, such as those by Austen and Trollope. [Late 1600s]
such as it is
In the form that it has, which is not very good but all that's available, as in Of course you can stay for supper, such as it is. This expression is generally used apologetically, indicating that the item in question isn't very good or worth much. [Late 1300s]
Like it’s such a big deal
phr. You are making an incredible fuss over some minor issue. So I broke the table. Like it’s such a big deal.
There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch
and TANSTAAFL sent. & comp. abb. Careful, nothing is really free of charge. Of course, you have to pay extra for the data file. There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch.
There’s no such thing as a stupid question
and TNSTAASQ sent. & comp. abb. Go ahead and ask your question without referring to it as stupid. There’s no such thing as a stupid question. But keep trying, you’re getting close.
such as
For example: rodents such as field mice and voles.