in one's birthday suit
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective phrase:
- Completely naked; without any clothing: The phrase "in one's birthday suit" is a humorous and euphemistic idiom meaning to be in a state of complete nudity, as one was at the moment of birth.
Usage
- This phrase is used as a predicate adjective, typically following a linking verb like "be" or "find oneself." It describes a person's state of undress in a lighthearted or informal way to soften the directness of saying "naked."
- It is almost always used in the possessive form: "in my/your/his/her/our/their birthday suit."
Examples
- After the wave knocked him over, he found himself in his birthday suit on the beach.
- The toddler ran through the sprinkler in her birthday suit, laughing with joy.
- In the classic painting, the figure is depicted in his birthday suit.
Advanced Usage
- The phrase is inherently idiomatic and euphemistic. Its primary advanced use is stylistic, serving as a playful or less blunt alternative to "naked" or "nude."
- It can be used in various tenses by conjugating the linking verb:
- They were caught in their birthday suits. (Past)
- I might be in my birthday suit when you call, so let it ring. (Future conditional)
Variants and Related Words
- Naked (adj): Having no clothing on the body; nude. (More direct and common)
- Nude (adj): Being without clothing or covering; naked. (Often used in artistic or formal contexts)
- In the buff (idiom): Another informal idiom meaning completely naked.
- Au naturel (adj/phrase): A French borrowing used in English to mean in a natural state, often implying nakedness.
Synonyms
- Naked
- Nude
- Unclothed
- Stark naked
- In the buff
- Au naturel
Related Idioms
- In the altogether: Another humorous idiom meaning completely naked.
- The sauna requires you to be in the altogether.
- Not a stitch on: Emphasizes the absence of any clothing.
- He answered the door with not a stitch on.
Adjective
- as naked as at birth