what was someone thinking
Used to express disappointment about someone's uncharacteristic or abnormal past actions.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“What was he thinking when he bought that ugly car?”
“When I saw the terrible mess they made of the kitchen, I really wondered what they were thinking.”
“Looking back at the disastrous investment that cost them their savings, the partners often asked themselves what they were thinking at the time.”
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ain't what it used to was
Is not what it used to be; (expressing nostalgia).
- 02
as if someone owns the place
Alternative form of like someone owns the place.
- 03
beat someone round the ears
To beat (a person) with blows about the head.
- 04
bless someone with
To give or bestow, as a gift from God.
- 05
blue-sky thinking
A form of thinking that is not grounded or in touch with the realities of the present, and can thus benefit from creative imagination.
- 06
bring someone to their knees
To defeat and make submit to orders.
- 07
call someone every name in the book
To call someone many abusive names.
- 08
call someone everything but a child of God
To call someone many abusive names.
Last updated August 10, 2026