bells and whistles
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
English
Pronunciation
Audio (General Australian): (file)
Noun
bells and whistles pl (plural only)
- (idiomatic) Extra features added for show rather than function; fancy additions or features.
- Synonyms: gadgetry, trivialities, frills and furbelows
- Antonyms: plain, no-frills, normal, ordinary, simple, unadorned
- His new car has all the bells and whistles, but it doesn't move through traffic jams any faster.
- The bells and whistles do not impress me.
- I need a new phone, but I don’t want all those fancy bells and whistles on it!
- 2023 May 6, James Poniewozik, “Charles III Was Crowned King. But Can He Ever Be the Star?”, in The New York Times[1]:
- Charles’s coronation was a full-color spectacle, showing off the peacocked glory of British tradition and the bells and whistles of 21st-century TV. Britain brought out its finest garments, its finest relics, its finest rain.
Translations
extra features added for show rather than function
|