Download the app
educalingo
Search

Meaning of "know one's onions" in the English dictionary

Dictionary
DICTIONARY
section

PRONUNCIATION OF KNOW ONE'S ONIONS

know one's onions play
facebooktwitterpinterestwhatsapp

WORDS THAT BEGIN LIKE KNOW ONE'S ONIONS

know
know a hawk from a handsaw
know backwards
know better than to
know by name
know by sight
know one´s place
know something inside out
know the ropes
know what one is talking about
know what´s what
know-all
know-how
know-it-all
know-nothing
knowable
knowableness
knower
knowing
knowingly

WORDS THAT END LIKE KNOW ONE'S ONIONS

communications
conditions
congratulations
connections
directions
dominions
frequently asked questions
instructions
limitations
Lions
millions
occasions
Onions
pickled onions
pickling onions
print unions
relations
sessions
telecommunications
transactions

Synonyms and antonyms of know one's onions in the English dictionary of synonyms

SYNONYMS

Translation of «know one's onions» into 25 languages

TRANSLATOR
online translator

TRANSLATION OF KNOW ONE'S ONIONS

Find out the translation of know one's onions to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.
The translations of know one's onions from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «know one's onions» in English.

Translator English - Chinese

知道一个人的洋葱
1,325 millions of speakers

Translator English - Spanish

conocer las propias cebollas
570 millions of speakers

English

know one´s onions
510 millions of speakers

Translator English - Hindi

एक प्याज पता
380 millions of speakers
ar

Translator English - Arabic

تعرف البصل واحد
280 millions of speakers

Translator English - Russian

Знать свои лук
278 millions of speakers

Translator English - Portuguese

conhecer uma de cebolas
270 millions of speakers

Translator English - Bengali

এক পেঁয়াজ জানি
260 millions of speakers

Translator English - French

connaître ses oignons
220 millions of speakers

Translator English - Malay

Kenal bawang
190 millions of speakers

Translator English - German

kennen die Zwiebeln
180 millions of speakers

Translator English - Japanese

自分のタマネギを知っている
130 millions of speakers

Translator English - Korean

하나 의 양파 를 알고
85 millions of speakers

Translator English - Javanese

Ngerti bawang siji
85 millions of speakers
vi

Translator English - Vietnamese

biết hành của một người
80 millions of speakers

Translator English - Tamil

ஒரு வெங்காயம் தெரியும்
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Marathi

कांद्याची माहिती
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Turkish

Birinin soğanlarını bil
70 millions of speakers

Translator English - Italian

conoscere i propri cipolle
65 millions of speakers

Translator English - Polish

znać swoich cebuli
50 millions of speakers

Translator English - Ukrainian

Знати свої цибулю
40 millions of speakers

Translator English - Romanian

știu ceapa cuiva
30 millions of speakers
el

Translator English - Greek

γνωρίζουν τα κρεμμύδια κάποιου
15 millions of speakers
af

Translator English - Afrikaans

weet ´n mens se uie
14 millions of speakers
sv

Translator English - Swedish

vet sina lökar
10 millions of speakers
no

Translator English - Norwegian

vet ens løk
5 millions of speakers

Trends of use of know one's onions

TRENDS

TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «KNOW ONE'S ONIONS»

The term «know one's onions» is barely ever used and occupies the 203.919 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.
0
100%
FREQUENCY
Unused
5
/100
The map shown above gives the frequency of use of the term «know one's onions» in the different countries.
Principal search tendencies and common uses of know one's onions
List of principal searches undertaken by users to access our English online dictionary and most widely used expressions with the word «know one's onions».

FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «KNOW ONE'S ONIONS» OVER TIME

The graph expresses the annual evolution of the frequency of use of the word «know one's onions» during the past 500 years. Its implementation is based on analysing how often the term «know one's onions» appears in digitalised printed sources in English between the year 1500 and the present day.

Examples of use in the English literature, quotes and news about know one's onions

EXAMPLES

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «KNOW ONE'S ONIONS»

Discover the use of know one's onions in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to know one's onions and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.
1
The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms, Second Edition
[Late 1500s] Also see PUT sOMEONE IN HIs OR HER PLACE. know one's stuff Also, know one's onions. Be experienced or knowledgeable in one's field or in the matter at hand. For example, Patrice knows her stuffwhen it comes to Mexican  ...
Christine Ammer, 2013
2
A Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English
(PB) know (one's) life: late C.19~early 20. Contrast know life, q.v. know more than (one's) prayers; ...than the priest spoke on Sunday: to be worldly-wise. See prayers, 5, and priest, 3. know (one's) onions: 5. > coll.: adopted ex US mide1930s.
Eric Partridge, 2006
3
Bloomsbury Dictionary of Idioms
... know one's onions/stuff be expert. Your car has broken down? Take it to MacAndrew – he is an excellent mechanic who really knows his onions. know/ learn the ropes be/become well informed. It was a good office to train in, but it took me ...
Gordon Jarvie, 2009
4
Talking Turkey: A Food Lover's Guide to the Origins of ...
know one's onions. Onions aren't widely known by variety, though the Vidalia and Hawaiian varieties are among several that are well known. Therefore, to speakof someone “who knows his apples,”a later variant on the above phrase, would ...
Robert Hendrickson, 2013
5
Oxford Dictionary of Modern Slang
... pointy-head; sharpie; smart-arse; smarty-boots; smarty-pants; wiseass; wise guy; wisenheimer To be knowledgeable know beans; know one's onions To behave in a smugly clever way (towards) smart-ass To lack knowledge ask me another ...
John Ayto, John Simpson, 2010
6
How Carrots Won the Trojan War: Curious (but True) Stories ...
the 1930s, “to know one's onions” has meant to be well informed, on top of things, competent, and equal to the odd emergency. Taken literally, however, knowing one's onions is much easier said than done. Clearly it has driven taxonomists ...
Rebecca Rupp, 2011
7
The Wordsworth Dictionary of Idioms
... them. know (someone) by sight see sight. know-how (in/) the practical knowledge and skill to deal with something: / didn 't have the know-how to be able to benefit from the situation. know one's onions see onion. know one's place see place.
Elizabeth McLaren Kirkpatrick, C. M. Schwarz, 1993
8
Chambers Idioms
... to trust them. know (someone) by sight see sight. know-how (inf) the practical knowledge and skill to deal with something: / didn't have the know-how to be able to benefit from the situation. know one's onions see onion. know one's place see  ...
9
English-German Dictionary of Idioms: Supplement to the ...
sagen/murmeln/... onions to know one's onions Barthel: wissen, wo Bar- thel (den ) Most holt • eff-eff: etw. aus dem eff-eff beherrschen ♢ Geschäft: sein Geschäft verstehen/was von seinem Geschäft verstehen to pickle herrings/onions/...
Hans Schemann, 1997
10
Sugar and Spice... Exploring Food and Drink Idioms in English
Laura Pinnavaia. HOT CAKES , NOT BE ABLE TO DO ANYTHING FOR NUTS , FULL OF BEANS , A BROTH OF A BOY , OFF ONE'S OATS , OFF ONE'S ONION , OLD CHESTNUT , OLD TROUT , TALK TURKEY , EAT THE BREAD OF ...
Laura Pinnavaia, 2010

2 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «KNOW ONE'S ONIONS»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term know one's onions is used in the context of the following news items.
1
Giggle Water and Other 1920s Slang
It's absolutely vital for you to know one's onions so you can avoid becoming a dew dropper and get spifflicated all day long. Get out there and ... «The Raw Food World News, Apr 15»
2
Eating our words: How food found its way into our conversation
KNOW one's onions. This saying was first recorded in 1922 and means to be astute in one's field. An old joke has the esteemed lexicographer ... «Express.co.uk, Mar 14»

REFERENCE
« EDUCALINGO. Know one's onions [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/know-ones-onions>. Apr 2024 ».
Download the educalingo app
en
English dictionary
Discover all that is hidden in the words on
index
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z