hind

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(as) crooked as a dog's hind leg

Very unscrupulous and deceptive. Paul's never run an honest business in his life—that guy is as crooked as a dog's hind leg. I've always known Ben to be crooked as a dog's hind leg, so I'd steer clear of him if I were you. The company is likely doomed now thanks to this exposé that their CEO is crooked as a dog's hind leg.

20/20 hindsight

Knowledge of what one should have done, because it is easier to clearly reevaluate past actions or decisions than when they are being made or done. A reference to the visual acuity of normal eyesight (20/20 vision). With 20/20 hindsight, I can see now that having my brother as my legal counsel was unwise. A: "I can't believe I was ever interested in such a self-absorbed jerk." B: "Don't blame yourself. We all have 20/20 hindsight." Of course, with 20-20 hindsight, it's easy to laugh at the quack doctors of the early 19th century, but back then, even legitimate medicine was still largely rooted in superstition and pseudoscience.

can talk the hind leg(s) off a donkey

Is very (perhaps overly) talkative. Don't start a conversation with Stu if you want to leave on time tonight—that guy can talk the hind leg off a donkey. I love my Aunt Lily, but she sure can talk the hind legs off a donkey if you let her! A: "How was your date?" B: "He spent the whole night talking about his model train hobby. Like, if you can talk the hind leg off a donkey, at least pick an interesting topic!"

get up on its hind legs

Of a four-legged animal, to stand on its back legs. If you're trying to teach the dog to get up on its hind legs, why don't you use treats as an incentive? My startled horse got up on his hind legs and threw me to the ground. I froze when I saw the bear get up on its hind legs.

hind end

euphemism The buttocks. Does my hind end look big in these pants? Hey kids, dinner's getting cold, so get your hind ends in here! Now, sit your hind end down and listen to me, before you do something you really regret.

hind tit

The worst, least valuable, or discarded part or portion of something; that which is unwanted and has been leftover. The job market is so desperate these days that I've had to take any hind tit work I can find. I know you think this is just hind tit junk, but your Grandpa saw these odds and ends as valuable treasures. These are just hind tit scraps, that's why I didn't cook them.

hindside first

Backwards. Because Liz was carrying so many things, she used her bottom to open the door and came outside hindside first. Why are you kids walking hindside first? Somebody's gonna get hurt! No, I'm OK. I was walking hindside first and tripped over the sprinkler.

hindsight is (always) 20/20

It is easier to clearly reevaluate past actions or decisions than when they are being made or done; things are clearer or more obvious when they are reflected upon. A reference to the visual acuity of normal eyesight (20/20 vision). I can see now that having my brother as my legal counsel was unwise, but I guess hindsight is always 20/20. A: "I can't believe I was ever interested in such a self-absorbed jerk." B: "Don't blame yourself. Hindsight is 20/20, after all." Hindsight is always 20/20, so it's easy to laugh at the quack doctors of the early 19th century. But, back then, even legitimate medicine was still largely rooted in superstition and pseudoscience.

on (one's) hind legs

Standing upright, especially to deliver a speech. Come on then, stand up on your hind legs and say a few words about this company you've helped create! Forgive me if I seem nervous, but I'm not used to standing on my hind legs in front of a large group of people.

suck hind tit

1. Of an animal in a litter, to get the least amount of milk from the mother. The weakest animals end up sucking hind tit, and that ends up stunting their growth for the rest of their lives.

2. To be last or nearly last in an order or ranking. Our team has been sucking hind tit in the division all season. There's no way they'll make the playoffs! They once led the pack when it came to mobile phone sales, but they're sucking hind tit in recent years.

3. To receive smallest, least valuable, or least wanted part or portion of something. Our department always sucks hind tit when it comes to budgets. I'm really low on the totem pole at the newspaper, so while everyone else gets really interesting assignments, I always end up sucking hind tit.

talk the bark off a tree

To talk endlessly and exhaustingly. I love my Aunt Lily, but she'd talk the bark off a tree if you let her! Don't start a conversation with Stu if you want to leave on time tonight—that guy could talk the bark off a tree.

talk the hind leg(s) off a donkey

To talk endlessly and exhaustingly. I love my Aunt Lily, but she'd talk the hind legs off a donkey if you let her!

talk the hind leg(s) off a horse

To talk endlessly and exhaustingly. I love my Aunt Lily, but she'd talk the hind legs off a horse if you let her! Don't start a conversation with Stu if you want to leave on time tonight—that guy could talk the hind leg off a horse.

talk the hind leg(s) off a mule

To talk endlessly and exhaustingly. I love my Aunt Lily, but she'd talk the hind legs off a mule if you let her!

the devil take the hindmost

Each person must work independently toward their own success, as in competitive situations. The phrase is sometimes preceded by "Every man for himself." Increasingly, it seems like it's the devil take the hindmost during election season.

the hind end of creation

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 hind end of creation. Who's going to drive this far to see a baseball game? My cousin offered me a place to stay while I was in Michigan, but she lives in the hind end of creation so it wasn't really worth considering.

the hind 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 hind end of nowhere. Who's going to drive this far to see a baseball game? My cousin offered me a place to stay while I was in Michigan, but she lives in the hind end of nowhere so it wasn't really worth considering.

twenty-twenty hindsight

The ability to determine how some mistake or failure in the past could have been avoided. Often used ironically or sarcastically; sometimes stylized as "20/20 hindsight." I can see now that having my brother as my legal counsel was unwise, but I guess twenty-twenty hindsight isn't much use right now. A: "I can't believe I was ever interested in such a self-absorbed jerk." B: "Don't beat yourself about it. We all have 20/20 hindsight."

*crooked as a barrel of fish hooks

and *crooked as a fish hook; *crooked as a dog's hind leg

very dishonest. (*Also: as ~.) Don't play cards with him. He's as crooked as a barrel of fish hooks. Mary says all politicians are crooked as a dog's hind leg.

See also: barrel, crooked, fish, hook, of

get up on one's hind legs

Fig. to get angry and assertive. (Alludes to the action of a horse when it is excited or frightened.) She got up on her hind legs and told them all to go to blazes. She has a tendency to get up on her hind legs and tell people off.

hind end

Rur. the rump of someone or an animal. If you say that again, I'll swat you right across the hind end. The mule slipped and came down right on her hind end.

the hind end of creation

Rur. a very remote place. I wish I lived in the city. I'm tired of living here in the hind end of creation. Joe moved out to a little shack at the hind end of creation.

hindside first

Rur. backwards. You've got your shirt on hindside first. The horse came out of the trailer hindside first.

suck someone's hind tit

Sl. to be forced to do someone's bidding no matter how unpleasant or impossible. (Fig. on the idea of the last of a litter of animals to get its mother's milk. Potentially offensive. Use only with discretion.) What am I supposed to do—suck his hind tit? She acts like everybody has to suck her hind tit to keep their jobs.

talk someone's arm off

Also, talk someone's ear or head or pants off ; talk a blue streak; talk until one is blue in the face; talk the bark off a tree or the hind leg off a donkey or horse . Talk so much as to exhaust the listener, as in Whenever I run into her she talks my arm off, or Louise was so excited that she talked a blue streak, or You can talk the bark off a tree but you still won't convince me. The first four expressions imply that one is so bored by a person's loquacity that one's arm (or ear or head or pants) fall off; they date from the first half of the 1900s (also see pants off). The term like a blue streak alone simply means "very quickly," but in this idiom, first recorded in 1914, it means "continuously." The obvious hyperboles implying talk that takes the bark off a tree, first recorded in 1831, or the hind leg off a horse, from 1808, are heard less often today. Also see under blue in the face.

twenty-twenty hindsight

Knowledge after the fact, as in With twenty-twenty hindsight, I wouldn't have bought these tickets. This idiom uses twenty-twenty in the optometrist's sense, that is, "indicating normal vision," and hindsight in the sense of "looking back" or "reconsidering." [First half of 1900s]

the devil take the hindmost

OLD-FASHIONED

If you say the devil take the hindmost, you mean that you should do what is best for you, without considering anyone else. Just get your laughs any way you can and the devil take the hindmost. Note: The whole saying every man for himself and the devil take the hindmost is sometimes also used. We do not believe in the theory of every man for himself and the devil take the hindmost. Note: `Hindmost' is an old word meaning furthest back or last.

talk the hind leg off a donkey

BRITISH

If you say that someone could talk the hind leg off a donkey, you mean that they talk a lot. You won't be short of conversation with Adrian. He could talk the hind leg off a donkey.

on your hind legs

standing up to make a speech. British informal

talk the hind leg off a donkey

talk incessantly. British informal

In 1808 talking a horse's hind leg off was described as an ‘old vulgar hyperbole’ in Cobbett's Weekly Political Register , but the version with donkey was current by the mid 19th century. In 1879 Anthony Trollope mentioned talk the hind legs off a dog as an Australian variant.

1970 Nina Bawden The Birds on the Trees Talk, talk—talk the hind leg off a donkey, that one.

talk the hind leg(s) off a ˈdonkey

(informal, humorous) (usually used with can or could) talk for a long time: He would make a good politician — he could talk the hind legs off a donkey!

suck someone’s hind tit

and kiss someone’s hind tit

tv. to be obsequious to someone. (Usually objectionable.) What does he want me to do, suck his hind tit or something?

kiss someone’s hind tit

verb

See suck someone’s hind tit

twenty-twenty hindsight

and 20/20 hindsight

n. an ability to figure out what one should have done after it is too late to do it. Everybody has twenty-twenty hindsight!

20/20 hindsight

verb

See twenty-twenty hindsight

the devil take the hindmost

Let each person follow self-interest, leaving others to fare as they may.