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Kitchen sink
Definitions
- 1 Of or pertaining to a mid-20th-century realist style of painting in Britain characterized by scenes of dull or untidy domestic interiors such as kitchens in the homes of urban working-class people; also, of or pertaining to an artist or group of artists painting in this style. UK, not-comparable
"It is evident that neither objectivity nor abstraction is the aim of the young painters of the kitchen-sink school."
- 2 Of or pertaining to a mid-20th-century (especially 1950s–1960s) genre of drama, fiction, etc., in Britain depicting the harsh lives of working-class people; also, of or pertaining to a film, novel, play, etc., of this genre. UK, broadly, not-comparable
- 1 A sink in a kitchen used for washing crockery, cutlery, utensils, food, etc., and disposing of waste.
"The kitchen sink was piled high with dirty dishes."
- 2 a sink in a kitchen wordnet
- 3 A miscellaneous item or a miscellany, especially exemplifying an indiscriminate profusion. also, attributive, figuratively
"They threw the kitchen sink at the problem, but still couldn’t fix it."
- 4 In chained or tied to the kitchen sink, etc.: domestic chores or housework, especially when regarded as menial and tedious. figuratively, metonymically
- 5 A thing regarded as defiled due to corruption, immorality, etc. figuratively, obsolete
"Jack used to be a clever man, though I say so who shouldn't. Government has eaten him up. All his ideas and powers of conversation—he really used to be a good talker, even to his wife, in the old days—are taken from him by this—this kitchen-sink of a Government. That's the case with every man up here who is at work."
- 1 To make (something) overly complicated or elaborate; to overcomplicate, to overwork. UK, transitive
- 2 To raise to (someone) unrelated complaints and other matters during an argument. UK, transitive
- 3 To release (a large amount of information about the poor financial results of a company) in one go, in the hope that there will be less impact. UK, transitive
- 4 To raise unrelated complaints and other matters during an argument. UK, intransitive
Etymology
The noun is derived from kitchen + sink. Noun sense 2.1 (“miscellaneous item or miscellany”) is probably from everything but the kitchen sink. The adjective is derived from the noun. Adjective sense 1 (“of or pertaining to a realist style of painting characterized by scenes of dull or untidy domestic interiors of urban working-class people”) was coined by the British art critic David Sylvester (1924–2001) in a December 1954 article entitled “The Kitchen Sink”: see the quotation. The verb is a back-formation from kitchen-sinking (noun), which is derived from the noun.
The noun is derived from kitchen + sink. Noun sense 2.1 (“miscellaneous item or miscellany”) is probably from everything but the kitchen sink. The adjective is derived from the noun. Adjective sense 1 (“of or pertaining to a realist style of painting characterized by scenes of dull or untidy domestic interiors of urban working-class people”) was coined by the British art critic David Sylvester (1924–2001) in a December 1954 article entitled “The Kitchen Sink”: see the quotation. The verb is a back-formation from kitchen-sinking (noun), which is derived from the noun.
The noun is derived from kitchen + sink. Noun sense 2.1 (“miscellaneous item or miscellany”) is probably from everything but the kitchen sink. The adjective is derived from the noun. Adjective sense 1 (“of or pertaining to a realist style of painting characterized by scenes of dull or untidy domestic interiors of urban working-class people”) was coined by the British art critic David Sylvester (1924–2001) in a December 1954 article entitled “The Kitchen Sink”: see the quotation. The verb is a back-formation from kitchen-sinking (noun), which is derived from the noun.
See also for "kitchen sink"
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