poor man's orchid
- noun
- UK
:
orquídea de pobre
- Many gardeners choose the poor man's orchid as an affordable alternative to true orchids.
Examples
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The poor man's orchid adds vibrant color to gardens thanks to its striking flowers.
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I planted a poor man's orchid in my garden.
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In spring, the poor man's orchid blooms with clusters of delicate, multi-colored petals.
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The poor man's orchids bloom beautifully in spring.
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In spring, the poor man's orchid blooms with clusters of delicate, multi-colored petals.
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Many gardeners choose the poor man's orchid as an affordable alternative to true orchids.
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The poor man's orchid adds vibrant color to gardens thanks to its striking flowers.
Synonyms
A small garden plant with thin divided leaves and bright flowers with different colours
A flowering plant from Chile with bright flowers that look like orchids
Surface Forms
Morphology
The pattern 'poor man's X' is a productive English construction meaning a cheaper or inferior substitute, so a learner who knows 'poor', 'man' and 'orchid' can likely infer this refers to a plant resembling an orchid but not a true orchid. However, the possessive idiom 'poor man's' is somewhat conventionalized and its exact nuance (inferior/substitute) may not be fully predictable to a B1 learner without prior exposure, so the transparency is partial.
Etymology
Poor man's orchid The name poor man's orchid comes from gardeners who thought its bright, showy flowers looked like real orchids. Because it was much cheaper and easier to grow, people called it a 'poor man's' version of the expensive plant, so the name now means a cheaper choice instead of true orchids.
