thin as a rake

English

Etymology

Alteration of earlier lean as a rake, from Middle English lene as a rake; the last element in is potentially an modification of either Middle English *rak (“skinny animal”) (from Old Norse hrak) or rak (“rack”) after rake (“rake”), though it might merely represent that word.

Pronunciation

• Audio (Australia):

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Adjective

thin as a rake (not comparable)

1. (simile) Incredibly thin; at an unhealthy-looking level of thinness.

Translations

incredibly thin

• Finnish: laiha kuin tikku, laiha kuin kukkakeppi
• French: maigre comme un clou (fr)
• Galician: delgado coma un espicho
• Italian: magro come un chiodo
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: tynn som en strek (no)

• Russian: худо́й как ще́пка (xudój kak ščépka), то́щий как жердь (tóščij kak žerdʹ)
• Swedish: smal som en sticka, smal som en pinne, trådsmal (sv)