ENGLISH
REFERENCE

notch on one's bedpost

idiom
Meaning

A sexual conquest; a casual sexual partner.


Origin

disputed origin

From the practice of keeping track of the number of one's sexual liaisons by carving notches into the post of one's bed.

Examples
SIMPLE

He views every new date as just another notch on his bedpost.

CONTEXTUAL

She felt insulted when she realized he treated their relationship as nothing more than a notch on his bedpost.

COMPLEX

The protagonist boasted of his romantic exploits, treating each woman he encountered as a mere notch on his bedpost rather than a person.

Anchors to
Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    a notch above

    superior to; of a higher quality than

  2. 02

    abound in one's own sense

    To follow one’s own inclinations and opinions.

  3. 03

    ace up one's sleeve

    A surprise advantage of which others are not aware.

  4. 04

    act one's age

    To behave in a manner appropriate to one's age.

  5. 05

    act one's age, not one's shoe size

    Synonym of act one's age (“to behave in a mature manner; to avoid being childish”).

  6. 06

    afraid of one's own shadow

    Exceptionally timid.

  7. 07

    air one's dirty laundry in public

    To reveal one's sordid secrets to the public.

  8. 08

    air one's dirty linen in public

    Synonym of air one's dirty laundry in public.

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