PhrasesHub

Skin and blister

    Definitions

      • family relationship
        Refers to a sibling or close relative

      • friend or close acquaintance
        Refers to a close friend or acquaintance

    Examples of Skin and blister

    • The tour of the factories left me with skin as thick as a rhinoceros and blisters on my feet.

      This idiom is used to describe a situation where a person endures a lot of uncomfortable or difficult circumstances, resulting in thick skin (a metaphor for being tough or unbothered by adversity) and blisters (a physical outcome of excessive friction or pressure).

    • The critic's harsh words about the play left the actors with skin as thick as a hippopotamus and blisters on their egos.

      This variation of the idiom uses a different animal for thick skin and switches the bodily location to the ego, representing how comments can wound a person's self-esteem.

    • After weeks of rehearsals, the dancer's feet were rough and calloused, with skin as tough as a crocodile's and blisters as big as marbles.

      This example highlights the physical toll dancing can take on a person's feet, using the idiom in a specific context.

    • The team's new strategy required them to switch positions, leading to skin as delicate as a hummingbird's and blisters on their learning curves.

      This use of the idiom adds depth to the phrase by illustrating how adapting to new situations can be both tender and challenging, requiring patience and persistence.

    • The sales marketing campaign was a huge skin and blister strategy, with a lot of trial and error involved.

      The idiom "skin and blister" refers to an experimental and potentially uncomfortable approach to accomplishing a goal. It's often used in business contexts to describe a process that requires a lot of testing and adjustment before it becomes successful. In this example, "skin and blister" is being used to describe a sales marketing campaign that involved a lot of trial and error, where the success of the campaign was not immediately clear.

    • The startup's product was met with a lot of skin and blister at first, but it eventually gained traction.

      This example uses the idiom to describe the initial reaction to a new product or service. It implies that there was a lot of uncertainty or skepticism about whether the product would succeed, but through persistence and refinement, it eventually gained acceptance and popularity.

    • The speaker had a skin and blister shoot with a photographer, resulting in some stunning images.

      This example uses the idiom to describe a photo shoot that involved a lot of experimentation with different lighting, poses, and styles. It implies that the shoot was not predictable or straightforward, but rather required a lot of effort and creativity to achieve the desired results.

    • The artist's new album was a skin and blister affair, with many of the songs going through multiple iterations before they were finalized.

      This final example uses the idiom to describe the creative process behind making an album. It implies that there was a lot of experimentation and refinement involved in crafting the songs, possibly including changes to the lyrics, music, or production style. The use of the idiom highlights the fact that making music is not always a straightforward or easy process, but rather requires a lot of hard work and persistence to make something truly special.


    Conclusion

    The idiom "skin and blister" is used to refer to either a family relationship, particularly a sibling or close relative, or to a friend or close acquaintance. It is a colloquial way of expressing a close bond or connection with someone, often used in a lighthearted or affectionate manner.

    Origin of "Skin and blister"

    The origin of the idiom "skin and blister" can be traced back to Cockney rhyming slang, a type of slang that originated in the East End of London. In Cockney rhyming slang, words are replaced with phrases that rhyme with the original words. In this case, "sister" rhymes with "blister," leading to the creation of the phrase "skin and blister" to refer to a sibling.

    Over time, the use of Cockney rhyming slang spread beyond London, and certain phrases became more widely recognized and adopted into everyday language. "Skin and blister" is one such example, now used in various English-speaking regions to refer to close family members or friends. While the original rhyming association may have been lost on many, the idiom continues to be used to express a sense of closeness and familiarity with someone.