through the wazoo
- idiom
- Offensive
:
hasta el culo (vulgar)
- They spent money through the wazoo on their wedding.
Examples
-
They've got complaints through the wazoo after that botched event.
-
The party had decorations through the wazoo!
-
Our team has resources through the wazoo this quarter, so there's no excuse for delays.
-
She received gifts through the wazoo on her birthday.
-
Our team has resources through the wazoo this quarter, so there's no excuse for delays.
-
They've got complaints through the wazoo after that botched event.
-
She received gifts through the wazoo on her birthday.
Synonyms
84
2.1
To a very great degree
57
2.7
To a very great degree
47
3.4
To a great degree
22
4.8
In very large amounts, often more than needed
14
8.0
To a very great degree
7
7.5
To a much greater degree than is normal
6
7.4
To a very large degree
4
9.9
In very large amounts
1
3.7
In a very large and clearly visible way
Very large in size or amount
Antonyms
How Much
Surface Forms
Morphology
through + the + wazoo
The expression is informal/slang and the meaning 'in extremely large quantities' is idiomatic and not predictable from 'through' + 'the' + 'wazoo' even if a learner knows each word; 'wazoo' (slang for butt) gives no transparent cue to abundance. This bodily-image metaphor and regional slang use make the sense language-specific and unpredictable for a B1 learner, so it should be classed as opaque.
Etymology
Through the wazoo is rude slang that gives a loud image: imagine so much of something going through the wazoo, a crude word for the behind, that it seems to overflow. So, it means 'a lot' or 'in very large amounts'.