not all it's cracked up to be
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It is disappointing, it does not live up to its reputation, as in The restaurant wasn't all it's cracked up to be. This term uses crack up in the sense of “to praise,” which survives only in this expression. [Colloquial; early 1800s]
QUIZ
WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?
Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!
Question 1 of 7
Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.
Words nearby not all it's cracked up to be
not a Chinaman's chance, not a hope in hell, notaire, not a leg to stand on, not a living soul, not all it's cracked up to be, not all that, not all there, not anything like, notaphily, notarial
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.