nothing but
fixed phr..fixed phr.. only one thing and nothing else. You use this to emphasize that a situation or person is completely one way.
fixed phr.. an adverbial or adjectival phrase used for emphasis to indicate exclusivity or a total lack of variety.
The trip was nothing but trouble from the start.
He eats nothing but junk food, so it is no surprise he feels tired all the time.
The critic's review contained nothing but praise for the lead actor's nuanced performance, despite the film's otherwise lackluster script.
usually followed by a noun, an adjective, or a bare infinitive verb.
explain that 'but' here functions as a preposition meaning 'except', which helps students understand why the phrase means 'only'.
It was nothing but of a lie.It was nothing but a lie.do not use 'of' after 'but' in this phrase; the noun follows the phrase directly.