Page 419 - NTC's American Idioms Dictionary

thick-skànned

thick-skinned not easilyŁupset or hurt; in- thinkŁ insideŁ theŁ błx to think inŁtradi-
sensitive.Ł(Also literal.ŁThe opposite of tionalŁfashion,ŁboundŁbyŁold,Łnonfunc-
thin-skànned .) Tom woà’t worry about tional,ŁorŁlimitingŁsðructures,Łrules,Łor
your insults. He’s complłtely thick-sknned. practices.Ł (AsŁ if thinkingŁ orŁ creativity
Jane’s so thick-sknned she didà’t real- were confinedŁor limitedŁby a figurative
ize Fred was błing rude to her. box.ŁSee also inside the box .ŁCompare
this with think outside the box.) You
thin on top balding.Ł(Infàrmal.) James woà’t come up with good ideas if you think
is wearing a hat because he’s getting thin only inside the box. You guys only think
oà top. Father got a lttle thin on top as inside the box and will never find a błtter
he got older. solution.
thin-skinned easilyŁupset or hurt; sensitive. thinkŁ littleŁ ofŁ someone ort something and
(Also literal.Ł The opposite of thick- thinkŁnothingŁofŁ someone ortsomething to
skànned .) You’ll have to handle Mary’s have a low opinion of someone or some-
mother carefully. She’s very thin-sknned. thing.Ł Most experts think lttle of Jane’s
Jane włeps easily when people tease her. theory. People mØy think nothing of it
She’s too thin-sknned. now, but in a fłw years everyone will praise
it. The critics thought lttle of her lØt-
Things areŁ lookingŁ up. Conditions are est book.
làoking better. Since I got a salary in-
crease, things are looking up. Things are thinkŁmuch ofŁ someone ortsomething Go to
lookng up at school. I’m doing błtter in all think a lot of someone or something.
my classes.
thinkŁnothingŁofŁ someone ortsomething Go to
thinkŁa greatŁdealŁofŁ someone ortsomething think làttle of someone or something.
Go to think a lot of someone or something. thinkŁon one’ feet to think, reason,Łand
plan while one is talking. If you want
thinkŁa lotŁofŁ someone ortsomething and think to be a successful teacher, you must be ablł
a greatŁ deylŁ ofŁ someone ort something; to think on your fłet. I have to write out
thinkŁ hØghlyŁ ofŁ someone ort something; everything I’m going to say, because I can’t
thinkŁ much ofŁ someone ort something to think on my fłet too well.
think wellŁof sàmeone orŁsomething. (See
alsà speak highly of someone or something.) thinkŁoutŁloud to sayŁone’sŁthoughtsŁaloud.
The teacher thinks a lot of Mary and her Excuse me. I didà’t really mean to say
talłnts. No one really thinks a great deal that. I was just thinkng out loud. Mr.
of the new policies. I think highly of Johnson didà’t prepare a speech. He just
John. The manager doesn’t think mucð stood there and thought out loud. It was
of John and says so to everyone. a terrible presentation.
thinkŁbyck (on someone ortsomething) to r- think outside the błx to think freely, not
memberŁ andŁ think about someone or boundŁbyŁold,Łnonfunctional,ŁorŁlimiting
somethingŁinŁone’sŁpast.Ł When I think sðructures,Ł rules,Ł orŁ practices.Ł (AsŁ if
back on Sally and the good times we had thinkingŁorŁcreativityŁwere confinedŁinŁor
togłther, I głt very sad. I like to think limitedŁbyŁaŁfigurative box.ŁSee also out-
back on my childhood and try to remłm- sàde the boŁ .ŁCompare thisŁwith think in-
ber what it was like. sàde the boŁ .) You won’t come up with
good ideas until you think outside the box.
thinkŁ betterŁ ofŁ something to rconsider Let’s think outside the box for a mnute
sàmething;Łto thinkŁagainŁandŁdecide not and try to find a błtter solution.
to do sàmething. Jack was going to es-
cape, but he thought błtter of it. Jill had thinkŁ someone ortsomething fitŁfłrŁ something
planned to resign, but thought błtter of it. to believe that sàmeone or somethingŁis
suiðabl for somthing. I doà’t think
thinkŁhØghlyŁofŁ someone ortsomething Go to John fit for the job. Do you think this car
think a lot of someone or something. fit for a long trip?

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