to be a clipcock
- idiom
- Offensive
:
ser un idiota (informal, ofensivo)
- Don't be a clipcock during the presentation!
Examples
-
Why would you be a clipcock in front of the boss?
-
She warned her friend not to be a clipcock when dealing with the important documents.
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He didn't want to be a clipcock during the meeting, so he prepared in advance.
-
If you be a clipcock with your finances, you'll end up broke.
-
He didn't want to be a clipcock during the meeting, so he prepared in advance.
-
If you be a clipcock with your finances, you'll end up broke.
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She warned her friend not to be a clipcock when dealing with the important documents.
Synonyms
2
8.1
To act in a silly, embarrassing way to make people laugh
1
9.9
To behave in a silly or clumsy way
1
9.9
To behave in a rude, stupid way
To behave in a foolish, clumsy way that makes people laugh
To behave in a foolish and clumsy way
Behave in a silly, clumsy way
To behave foolishly or clumsily
Behave in a silly, not very smart way
Behave in a silly or foolish way
To do something silly without thinking
Act in a foolish, clumsy way
Act in a silly or stupid way
To behave in a rude or foolish way that annoys other people
Act in a silly, embarrassing way
Behave in a silly, clumsy way to make people laugh at you
To behave rudely or foolishly in a way that annoys others
To behave in a stupid and rude way
Antonyms
Surface Forms
Morphology
be + a + clipcock
The phrase contains the rare/nonce lexical item 'clipcock' which is not analyzable from the grammatical words 'be' + 'a'; the semantic content therefore depends on an idiosyncratic word rather than a transparent combination of known meanings. A B1 learner who only knows the surface constituents would not be able to derive the meaning 'to act foolish or incompetent', so the expression is idiomatic and unpredictable.
Etymology
The saying be a clipcock may come from an old image of a small tap with parts called clip and cock that sometimes jumped or leaked when you used it. If a person was like that loose tap—clumsy and making a mess—they were called a 'clipcock', so the phrase means 'to act foolish or incompetent'.