as fine as Dick's hatband
- idiom
- UK
:
elegante
- She arrived at the ball looking as fine as Dick's hatband, turning everyone's heads.
Examples
-
That suit looks as fine as Dick's hatband on him!
-
The new curtains are as fine as Dick's hatband and brighten up the entire room.
-
After his makeover, he felt as fine as Dick's hatband and walked with confidence.
-
Her dress was as fine as Dick's hatband for the gala.
-
After his makeover, he felt as fine as Dick's hatband and walked with confidence.
-
She arrived at the ball looking as fine as Dick's hatband, turning everyone's heads.
-
That suit looks as fine as Dick's hatband on him!
Synonyms
∞
1.0
Very good in quality, appearance, or skill
165
3.3
Having an attractive, stylish look that shows good taste
21
2.0
Having an attractive appearance
20
3.7
Having a neat, stylish appearance from careful grooming
Very small, delicate, and of excellent quality
Antonyms
How Fine
Surface Forms
Morphology
as + fine + as + Dick's + hatband
The comparative pattern 'as ... as' together with 'fine' and 'hatband' lets a learner infer a meaning like 'very fine' or 'smart-looking' from the constituents, so part of the sense is predictable. However, 'Dick's hatband' is a conventionalized cultural reference (and somewhat archaic/idiomatic), so the precise evaluative nuance and why that referent signals exceptional fineness are not deducible without prior exposure.
Etymology
As fine as Dick's hatband may come from long ago when men wore tall hats with bright ribbons, and if Dick's had a shiny hatband everyone would notice how smart and showy he looked. So, saying someone is as fine as Dick's hatband means they look 'very elegant' or 'very smart'.