nook and cranny
10
3.8
- noun
- /nʊk ənd ˈkræni/
- Informal
:
rincón y recoveco
- Find and clean out nooks and crannies in the studio to store clay and chemicals.
He's run just about every kind of drug you can think of from every nook and cranny corner of the world.
- He's run just about every kind of drug you can think of from every nook and cranny corner of the world.
Examples
-
So, Greta, I've checked every nook and cranny of this very lovely, very weird and large house.
-
Aglow with light and warmth, every nook and cranny is filled with the colorful, crazy collections of the eccentric owner.
Blog text (14) -
I know every nook and cranny, every secret spot.
-
Then guide him through every nook and cranny.
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Now they were looking in every nook and cranny.
Fiction book (2000) -
And the stuff in their home, it filled every nook and cranny.
-
The old man walks down the aisle, examining the vehicle's nooks and crannies.
Fiction book (1995) -
She's been out searching every nook and cranny for her lost baby.
-
Perrin went up to the topmost part of the lighthouse, carefully searched every nook and cranny down to the outside entrance.
Fiction book (1992) -
The detective searched every nook and cranny of the old mansion for evidence.
Synonyms
7
4.1
Every small or hidden part of a place where things can hide
3
4.2
Small hidden places that are hard to find or reach
How Thorough
Surface Forms
Morphology
Both constituents denote small or hidden parts of a place ('nook' = corner, 'cranny' = small opening), and the coordinating 'and' signals inclusion of both types so the combined meaning ‘every small or hidden part’ is directly derivable. This compositional relationship is common cross-linguistically and follows a straightforward additive pattern that a B1 learner who knows the words would readily understand.
Etymology
Nook and cranny paints a picture of tiny hiding places: a nook is a small corner and a cranny is a little crack or gap where dust or lost things can hide. So, saying nook and cranny means 'every small or hidden part' of a place.