like a dirty shirt
- idiom
- Informal
:
como un rayo
- He left the meeting like a dirty shirt!
Examples
-
When the fire alarm went off, everyone ran out like a dirty shirt.
-
He jumped into the conversation like a dirty shirt, not waiting his turn.
-
After the final whistle, the fans filed out like a dirty shirt.
-
The cat bolted out the door like a dirty shirt when it saw the open window.
-
When the fire alarm went off, everyone ran out like a dirty shirt.
-
After the final whistle, the fans filed out like a dirty shirt.
-
He jumped into the conversation like a dirty shirt, not waiting his turn.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
Quickly and without warning
987
2.7
Very quickly and without warning
145
3.3
In a sudden way that gives no warning
8
3.0
Immediately without delay
1
9.9
Leave a place very quickly
Antonyms
How Abrupt
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'very abruptly or without hesitation' is not derivable from the literal constituents 'like a dirty shirt' — the image of a soiled garment does not logically imply suddenness or rapid departure. This is an informal, culture-specific figurative use rather than a straightforward compositional pattern, so a B1 learner who knows the words would not reliably predict the idiomatic sense.
Etymology
Like a dirty shirt may come from the simple picture of taking off a dirty shirt quickly and without care; people do it fast because they want it away immediately. So, the phrase means 'very quickly' or 'without hesitation', like leaving fast or jumping into something at once.