thumb one's nose

English

Etymology

See thumb, nose.

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU):

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Verb

A Confederate sailor thumbing his nose (gesture)

thumb one's nose

1. To place a thumb upon the tip of the nose, typically with the fingers spread and while simultaneously wiggling one's fingers, in a gesture of disrespect.

   My brother thumbed his nose in reply to my snide remarks.

2. (figuratively) To act disrespectfully, especially by flouting the object of disrespect.

   Richard Feynman delighted in thumbing his nose at bureaucracy.

Synonyms

• (place a thumb upon the tip of the nose in a gesture of disrespect): cock a snook

Translations

to place a thumb upon the tip of the nose in a gesture of disrespect

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 嘲笑我的鼻子

• Finnish: näyttää pitkää nenää
• French: faire un pied de nez
• German: eine lange Nase machen, eine Nase drehen
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• Italian: fare marameo
• Korean: 조롱하다 (ko) (joronghada)
• Polish: zagrać na nosie (pl)
• Russian: показа́ть нос (pokazátʹ nos)

to act disrespectfully, especially by flouting the object of disrespect

• Hungarian: fittyet hány
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}