"on it like a car bonnet" meaning in English

See on it like a car bonnet in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Prepositional phrase

Audio: en-uk-on_it_like_a_car_bonnet.opus [Received-Pronunciation], en-au-on it like a car bonnet.ogg [Australia]
Etymology: English on it with the fanciful elaboration like a car bonnet, the latter part chosen because it rhymes with the first part. Etymology templates: {{cog|en|on it}} English on it, {{l|en|bonnet}} bonnet Head templates: {{head|en|prepositional phrase|head=on it like a car bonnet}} on it like a car bonnet
  1. (simile, humorous) Synonym of on it (“actively working to solve a problem, etc.”) Tags: humorous Categories (topical): Auto parts Synonyms: on it [synonym, synonym-of]

Download JSON data for on it like a car bonnet meaning in English (4.2kB)

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "on it"
      },
      "expansion": "English on it",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "bonnet"
      },
      "expansion": "bonnet",
      "name": "l"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "English on it with the fanciful elaboration like a car bonnet, the latter part chosen because it rhymes with the first part.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "prepositional phrase",
        "head": "on it like a car bonnet"
      },
      "expansion": "on it like a car bonnet",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "hyphenation": [
    "on"
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "prep_phrase",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with language name categories using raw markup",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with topic categories using raw markup",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with topic categories using raw markup",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English similes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
          "parents": [
            "Terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Auto parts",
          "orig": "en:Auto parts",
          "parents": [
            "Automobiles",
            "Automotive",
            "Vehicles",
            "Transport",
            "Machines",
            "All topics",
            "Technology",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2015, Jeff Gill, Will Medd, Get Sorted: How to Make the Most of Your Student Experience, Palgrave, page 49",
          "text": "Students have described being focused like... / ... An eagle watching its prey ... a footballer with their eye on the ball ... ‘on it like a car bonnet’ ... catching a wave ... ‘just do it’ ... rolling your sleeves up ... keeping the rhythm in a band ... in the zone ... in a bubble ...a tiger",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2015, Peter James, You Are Dead, New York, N.Y.: Minotaur Books",
          "text": "‘I had my researchers check the files on all the mispers and cold cases five years either side of that date estimate, on females of that approximate age. This is what they found. Fill your boots.’ He took a large gulp of his drink. / ‘I’m impressed, you've been moving fast.’ / ‘On it like a car bonnet, mate.’",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2016 July, J. L. Merrow, Blow Down: The Plumber's Mate, Cincinnati, Oh.: Samhain Publishing",
          "text": "We'll spin it that you and me were having a friendly chat over a pint, and you just happened to mention the victim hiring you to find a necklace. Whereupon I, seeing as how I knew stuff you didn't, was on it like a car bonnet and got you to sing like a canary what's won the X Factor and got top billing at the Royal Opera House.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Synonym of on it (“actively working to solve a problem, etc.”)"
      ],
      "id": "en-on_it_like_a_car_bonnet-en-prep_phrase-ssN1JErs",
      "links": [
        [
          "humorous",
          "humorous"
        ],
        [
          "on it",
          "on it#English"
        ]
      ],
      "qualifier": "simile",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(simile, humorous) Synonym of on it (“actively working to solve a problem, etc.”)"
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "extra": "actively working to solve a problem, etc.",
          "tags": [
            "synonym",
            "synonym-of"
          ],
          "word": "on it"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "humorous"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "en-uk-on_it_like_a_car_bonnet.opus",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/9/92/En-uk-on_it_like_a_car_bonnet.opus/En-uk-on_it_like_a_car_bonnet.opus.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/9/92/En-uk-on_it_like_a_car_bonnet.opus/En-uk-on_it_like_a_car_bonnet.opus.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (RP)"
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-au-on it like a car bonnet.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/b/b6/En-au-on_it_like_a_car_bonnet.ogg/En-au-on_it_like_a_car_bonnet.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b6/En-au-on_it_like_a_car_bonnet.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "word": "on it like a car bonnet"
}
{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "on it"
      },
      "expansion": "English on it",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "bonnet"
      },
      "expansion": "bonnet",
      "name": "l"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "English on it with the fanciful elaboration like a car bonnet, the latter part chosen because it rhymes with the first part.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "prepositional phrase",
        "head": "on it like a car bonnet"
      },
      "expansion": "on it like a car bonnet",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "hyphenation": [
    "on"
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "prep_phrase",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
        "English entries with topic categories using raw markup",
        "English humorous terms",
        "English lemmas",
        "English multiword terms",
        "English prepositional phrases",
        "English rhyming phrases",
        "English similes",
        "English terms with audio links",
        "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "en:Auto parts"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2015, Jeff Gill, Will Medd, Get Sorted: How to Make the Most of Your Student Experience, Palgrave, page 49",
          "text": "Students have described being focused like... / ... An eagle watching its prey ... a footballer with their eye on the ball ... ‘on it like a car bonnet’ ... catching a wave ... ‘just do it’ ... rolling your sleeves up ... keeping the rhythm in a band ... in the zone ... in a bubble ...a tiger",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2015, Peter James, You Are Dead, New York, N.Y.: Minotaur Books",
          "text": "‘I had my researchers check the files on all the mispers and cold cases five years either side of that date estimate, on females of that approximate age. This is what they found. Fill your boots.’ He took a large gulp of his drink. / ‘I’m impressed, you've been moving fast.’ / ‘On it like a car bonnet, mate.’",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2016 July, J. L. Merrow, Blow Down: The Plumber's Mate, Cincinnati, Oh.: Samhain Publishing",
          "text": "We'll spin it that you and me were having a friendly chat over a pint, and you just happened to mention the victim hiring you to find a necklace. Whereupon I, seeing as how I knew stuff you didn't, was on it like a car bonnet and got you to sing like a canary what's won the X Factor and got top billing at the Royal Opera House.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Synonym of on it (“actively working to solve a problem, etc.”)"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "humorous",
          "humorous"
        ],
        [
          "on it",
          "on it#English"
        ]
      ],
      "qualifier": "simile",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(simile, humorous) Synonym of on it (“actively working to solve a problem, etc.”)"
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "extra": "actively working to solve a problem, etc.",
          "tags": [
            "synonym",
            "synonym-of"
          ],
          "word": "on it"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "humorous"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "en-uk-on_it_like_a_car_bonnet.opus",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/9/92/En-uk-on_it_like_a_car_bonnet.opus/En-uk-on_it_like_a_car_bonnet.opus.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/9/92/En-uk-on_it_like_a_car_bonnet.opus/En-uk-on_it_like_a_car_bonnet.opus.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (RP)"
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-au-on it like a car bonnet.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/b/b6/En-au-on_it_like_a_car_bonnet.ogg/En-au-on_it_like_a_car_bonnet.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b6/En-au-on_it_like_a_car_bonnet.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "word": "on it like a car bonnet"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-05-05 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-05-02 using wiktextract (f4fd8c9 and c9440ce). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.