smell a rat
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To sense foul play: “They claim they will honor the terms of the contract, but I smell a rat.”
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Words nearby smell a rat
smeddum, Smedley, smeech, smegma, smell, smell a rat, smeller, smell fishy, smellies, smelling bottle, smelling salts
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Other Idioms and Phrases with smell a rat
smell a rat
Suspect something is wrong, especially a betrayal of some kind. For example, When I didn't hear any more from my prospective employer, I began to smell a rat. This expression alludes to a cat sniffing out a rat. [c. 1550]
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.