tight as Dick's hatband
- idiom
- Archaic
:
muy ajustado
- With so many unexpected expenses, their budget became tight as Dick's hatband this year.
Examples
-
She laughed nervously, saying she was tight as Dick's hatband waiting for her test results.
-
Her finances are tight as Dick's hatband after the holidays.
-
After losing his job, money was tight as Dick's hatband for several months.
-
The budget is tight as Dick's hatband this quarter.
-
After losing his job, money was tight as Dick's hatband for several months.
-
With so many unexpected expenses, their budget became tight as Dick's hatband this year.
-
She laughed nervously, saying she was tight as Dick's hatband waiting for her test results.
Synonyms
150
6.0
A situation that is hard to deal with
8
4.2
In a difficult situation that is hard to get out of
1
7.2
In a difficult situation with little time or money
Made narrower or tighter by pressure
Antonyms
How Tight
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is a straightforward simile: it compares tightness to a hatband, and a learner who knows 'tight', 'as', 'Dick' (a name) and 'hatband' can infer that a hatband is closely fitted. The proper name and colloquial tone do not obscure the compositional meaning, so the expression is immediately understandable from its parts.
Etymology
The saying tight as Dick's hatband may come from a simple picture: a man named Dick pulls his hatband so tight it squeezes his head. That clear image is why people use the phrase to mean very 'tight', either 'short of money' or 'nervous'.