skate over (something)
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skate over (something)
1. Literally, to glide over some surface on an ice skate, roller skate, or inline skate. Sometimes I just like to sit here in the winter and watch people skating over the frozen pond. The ref skated over to make sure the hockey player wasn't injured.
2. By extension, to deal with or touch upon something hastily, superficially, or evasively. His presentation really highlighted and focused on the positives of the year and only skates over the problems he encountered. Stop skating over this, Tom, it's a real problem that we need to address!
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
skate over something
1. Lit. to move over something, skating. I love to be the first one to skate over newly frozen ice. I skated over the pond too soon and the ice cracked while I was on it.
2. Fig. to move over or deal with something quickly. The speaker skated over the touchy issues with discretion. I will skate over the things that I am not sure about.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
skate over
Treat superficially or hurriedly, avoid mentioning, as in He concentrated on the main points of the contract and skated over the details. This idiom transfers the gliding motion of skating to dealing with something in a cursory way. [Mid-1900s]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.