count noses

1. Also, count heads. Reckon up the number of those present. For example, The theater seemed only half-full, so the producer decided to count noses, or Our tour leader was always careful to count heads before the bus started off. This idiom was originally put as tell noses. [Mid-1600s]

Related Words

• calculate 
• itemize 
• recite 
• specify 
• spell out 
• take account of