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]

Example Sentences

Like the Toronto researchers’ report, the new Portland chamber study uses cellphone data to count noses.

Read more on Seattle Times

“If you were just trying to count noses, I think you would think there are more votes to be skeptical of these programs now than ever before.”

Read more on Washington Post

"Scalia once said there's only one reason politicians do or say anything, it's to get reelected, and that might not be what President Trump wants. So Mitch McConnell better count noses before he does anything. He's already lost two Republicans. He can only afford to lose one more. If he loses two more, his nomination isn't going to come to the floor."

Read more on Salon

He hadn’t remembered to count noses when he came down the gangplank, and didn’t notice, until the gangplank was pulled in, that Dan was missing.

Read more on Literature

"If you look at Nixon, and tried to count noses in terms of who was in favor of impeachment at the beginning, it would have been close to zero," Fein said.

Read more on Fox News

Related Words

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