This page was last edited on 21 June 2020, at 21:47. by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd. People are starting to come out of the woodwork to talk about fraudulent practices Of course, what we call “woodwork” a variety of unwelcome guests (mice, insects, etc.) The online version of the Collins Dictionary has just been updated again, with another batch of new words and meanings inspired by the events of the summer. Copyright © 2010 by Radio astronomy is a branch of science in which radio telescopes are used to receive and analyse radio waves from space. Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary, With the fall of the fascist regime, Italy was virtually overrun by several political parties who, https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=come_out_of_the_woodwork&oldid=59584266, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. When he won the lottery, all sorts of distant relatives came out of the woodwork. People are starting to come out of the woodwork to talk about fraudulent practices in the industry. Our new online dictionaries for schools provide a safe and appropriate environment for children. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 'Collop' and 'kenspeckle' are among the most frequently looked-up words in August. come out of the woodwork. Ever since Liam won the lottery, his so-called relatives have been coming out of the woodwork. in the industry. Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. ‘And another thing - you should have seen all the obscure relatives that came out of the woodwork for this funeral.’. Create an account and sign in to access this FREE content. ‘The nights are fair drawing in’ is a trope about the weather that applies powerfully as you read this. Ever since Liam won the lottery, his so-called relatives have been coming out of the woodwork. The phrase to crawl, or to come, out of the woodworkmeans, of an unpleasant or unwelcome person or thing, to come out of hiding, to emerge from obscurity. All rights reserved. These idioms refer to the fact that insects or small animals, especially unpleasant ones, often hide in holes in wooden parts of a room or building. come out of the woodwork. All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. Since I've had this column, several people from my past have come out of the woodwork. : anyone know where the phrase "out of the woodwork" originated? From moonshoot to balconing: discover the latest words added to the Collins Dictionary. Since mortgage rates declined, prospective buyers have been coming out of the woodwork, Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. come out of the woodwork (third-person singular simple present comes out of the woodwork, present participle coming out of the woodwork, simple past came out of the woodwork, past participle come out of the woodwork) (idiomatic, disapproving) to appear or emerge unexpectedly or inexplicably, frequently in large numbers or quantity. People are starting to come out of the woodwork to talk about fraudulent practices in the industry. We have almost 200 lists of words from topics as varied as types of butterflies, jackets, currencies, vegetables and knots! Amaze your friends with your new-found knowledge! To appear unexpectedly, or from unexpected places. There are too many girlfriends coming out of the woodwork claiming a little. What the Funk is the deal with Uptown slurs? The forms bring out of the woodwork and pull out of the woodwork are sometimes used. "Coming out of the woodwork" as in roaches and other bugs making their crawly appearance. phrase. In our recent blogs about which words are most commonly looked for on the Collins dictionary website, we have tended to stress how the searches reflect the changes in society brought about by the various stages of the global Covid-19 epidemic. No one had anything negative to say when I first pitched this idea, but now people are coming out of the woodwork to criticize it. (of an unpleasant person or thing) emerge from obscurity; be revealed. The image is of vermin or insects crawlingout of crevices or other hidden places in a building. And best of all it's ad free, so sign up now and start using at home or in the classroom. https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/come+out+of+the+woodwork. come out of the woodwork (third-person singular simple present comes out of the woodwork, present participle coming out of the woodwork, simple past came out of the woodwork, past participle come out of the woodwork). From the idea of insects crawling out from inside the woodwork in a house. Running from stardom: Joseph Fiennes's star is on the rise again, thanks to a role as the real-life lover of author Augusten Burroughs in this fall's Running With Scissors, Building boom marks prosperous road ahead, come out in favor of (someone or something), come out on the side of (someone or something), come out toward(s) (someone or something). This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. The nights certainly are drawing in, and indeed, half past two in the afternoon on Tuesday 22 September this year marks the autumn equinox, when day and night are exactly equal in length. No one had anything negative to say when I first pitched this idea, but now people are coming out of the woodwork to criticize it. All the latest wordy news, linguistic insights, offers and competitions every month. ‘would-be informants came crawling out of the woodwork’. Let there be anything said about anyone famous from Liverpool in the media then they all, I've got a terrifying feeling he's going to, Influenced by low-interest rates, many potential home-purchasers have, It would be a major surprise if something were to, Steven Rockmore, president of Residential Realty Advisors, said "It's amazing, a year after the time was right they. call “home,” so “to come out of the woodwork” is a popular phrase meaning “to emerge from obscurity” or “to come out of hiding,” much as mice or cockroaches creep out when the lights are turned off. Modified entries © 2019 Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - The Free Dictionary, pull the carpet (out) from under (one's) feet, pull the carpet/rug out from under somebody's feet, the webmaster's page for free fun content. to suddenly start publicly doing something or saying something, when previously you did nothing or kept quiet. The worst aspect of their decision for Britain is that it will now bring anti-Europeans crawling out of the woodwork once more. Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. More example sentences. Download our English Dictionary apps - available for both iOS and Android. To appear unexpectedly, or from unexpected places.