Fail to find or remember something, as in He looks familiar but I’ve drawn a blank on his name. This expression alludes to drawing a lottery ticket with nothing on it (so one cannot win a prize). [
Where does draw a blank come from?
The expression draw a blank is derived from an Elizabethan practice. During the 1500s, lotteries were held to fund the state. The drawings were conducted by writing the name of each participant on a slip of paper and putting those slips of paper in a pot.
How do you use draw blank in a sentence?
be unable to remember.
- So far, the police investigation has drawn a blank.
- All his investigations have drawn a blank so far.
- He asked me for my phone number and I drew a blank – I just couldn’t remember it.
- They drew a blank in their search for the driver.
- He used the word discreet and drew a blank.
- No, I draw a blank.
What does the idiom on the blink mean?
phrase. If a machine goes on the blink, it stops working properly. [informal] …an old TV that’s on the blink. Synonyms: not working (properly), faulty, defective, playing up More Synonyms of on the blink.
What is the meaning of the idiom cut corners?
Do something in the easiest or least expensive way; also, act illegally. For example, Cutting corners in production led to a definite loss in product quality, or If the accountant cuts corners the auditors are sure to find out.
What does the idiom fill in the blanks mean?
1 : to put information into blank spaces : to provide missing information Please fill in the blanks on the questionnaire. —sometimes used figuratively At the end of the movie, the narrator goes back and fills in (all) the blanks.
How do you play draft?
The object of the game is to capture all of your opponent’s pieces or block them so they cannot be moved. Pieces are always moved diagonally, 1 square at a time, towards the opponent’s side of the board. You play the entire game on the black squares, you do not need the white ones.
What is a fill in the blank test?
A Fill in the Blank question consists of a phrase, sentence, or paragraph with a blank space where a student provides the missing word or words. You can also create a question with multiple blanks. Example: [Patriarchy] translates to “rule by the father.”
Why use fill in the blank questions?
The primary goal of Fill in the Blank questions is to encourage learners to apply knowledge they have already acquired. Fill in the Blank questions are not opinion-based, which means that learners must be able to use information they have mastered during the lesson to correctly answer the question.
What does it mean to draw a blank on a name?
Fail to find or remember something, as in He looks familiar but I’ve drawn a blank on his name. This expression alludes to drawing a lottery ticket with nothing on it (so one cannot win a prize). [Early 1800s] The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust.
Where did the idiom’drawing a blank’come from?
When people have trouble remembering things, they might use the idiom ‘drawing a blank’ to express as much. But where did this idiom come from? This phrase is believed to come from old lotteries that took place around, or during, the 16th century. How so?
Why do we forget people’s names when we draw a blank?
You can remember their face but their name escapes you — so what is happening inside your head when you draw a blank? Dr Fiona Kerr, a neural and systems complexity specialist at the University of Adelaide, said a lot of things were actually happening in our brains when it stalled.
What does the word blank mean in English?
A blank was originally a lottery ticket that did not win a prize. not find something that you are looking for: There was no sign of the murder weapon. The police searched every inch of the forest but drew a blank. To fail to find or remember something. American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition.
