inking Idiom

no shrinking violet

a bold woman, not a timid woman Barb will defend her rights. She's no shrinking violet.

shrinking violet

(See no shrinking violet)

sinking feeling

"feeling of failure; despair" When I saw the ambulance at our house, I got a sinking feeling.

wishful thinking

believing it is true because you wish it was true Roy says that he is going to marry Dawn, but it's wishful thinking.

blinking

used as an intensifier, but a particularly mild expression: "Your blinkin' washing machine has broken down again" or"It's blinkin' heavy, this washing machine"

to one's way of thinking

Idiom(s): to one's way of thinking

Theme: OPINION

in someone's opinion.
• This isn't satisfactory to my way of thinking.
• To my way of thinking, this is the perfect kind of vacation.

put one's thinking cap on

Idiom(s): put one's thinking cap on

Theme: THOUGHT

to start thinking in a serious manner. (Usually used with children.)
• It's time to put our thinking caps on, children.
• All right now, let's put on our thinking caps and do some arithmetic.

desert a sinking ship

Idiom(s): desert a sinking ship AND leave a sinking ship

Theme: ABANDONMENT

to leave a place, a person, or a situation when things become difficult or unpleasant. (Rats are said to be the first to leave a ship that is sinking.)
• I hate to be the one to desert a sinking ship, but I can't stand it around here anymore.
• There goes Tom. Wouldn't you know he'd leave a sinking ship rather than stay around and try to help?

leave a sinking ship

Fuzzy thinking

Thinking or ideas that do not agree with the facts or information available

Like a rat deserting a sinking ship

If people leave a company because they know that it's about to have serious problems, or turn their back on a person about to be in a similar situation, they are said to be like rats deserting a sinking ship.

put on one's thinking cap|cap|put|put on|thinking

v. phr. To think hard and long about some problem or question. Miss Stone told her pupils to put on their thinking caps before answering the question.

put on one's thinking cap

put on one's thinking cap
Think or reflect seriously, as in A new slogan? I'll have to put on my thinking cap for that. This term originated in the late 1800s and replaced considering cap, which dates from the early 1600s.

shrinking violet, a

shrinking violet, a
An extremely shy person, as in She was a shrinking violet until she went away to college. This metaphoric idiom refers to the flower, but the precise allusion is unclear, since violets thrive under a variety of conditions and often are considered a garden weed. [Early 1900s]

sinking feeling, a

sinking feeling, a
A sense of dread or apprehension, as in I had a sinking feeling that I'd forgotten my ticket. This expression employs sink in the sense of “become depressed,” a usage dating from the early 1600s.

thinking

thinking
put on one's thinking cap
to begin careful thinking about a problem

thinking cap

thinking cap
see put on one's thinking cap.