broth of a man
- idiom
- Irish
:
hombre excepcional
- She admired her father—a true broth of a man, with a heart of gold.
Examples
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Everyone agreed that Seamus was a real broth of a man, always ready to lend a hand.
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My grandfather was a real broth of a man.
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He's the very broth of a man, strong, kind, and full of spirit.
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He is a true broth of a man!
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Everyone agreed that Seamus was a real broth of a man, always ready to lend a hand.
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He's the very broth of a man, strong, kind, and full of spirit.
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She admired her father—a true broth of a man, with a heart of gold.
Synonyms
1
8.0
A man many other men respect and admire for his character and actions
A lively, very clever boy who is kind and fun
How Admirable
Surface Forms
Morphology
broth + of + a + man
The literal constituent 'broth' (a thin soup) has no clear semantic relation to 'outstanding' or 'admirable', and the structure 'broth of a man' is an idiomatic/affectionate appraisal rather than a compositional description. This dialectal/archaic figurative use would not be predictable to a B1 learner who merely knows the individual words, so the meaning is not transparently derivable.
Etymology
Broth of a man may come from the image of broth as a warm, strong soup that gives energy and comfort. So calling someone that meant they were 'strong, kind, and full of good qualities', which is why it now means 'an outstanding or admirable man'.