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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

bells and whistles en · NOUN

Pronunciation

Meanings

  1. (idiomatic, plural, plural-only) Extra features added for show rather than function; fancy additions or features.
    • 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. 2023 May 6, James Poniewozik, “Charles III Was Crowned King. But Can He Ever Be the Star?”, in The New York Times:
    • I need a new phone, but I don’t want all those fancy bells and whistles on it!
    • 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.

Antonyms

simple · plain · ordinary · normal · no-frills · unadorned

Relateds

nice-to-have · everything · form over function · all singing, all dancing

Synonyms

trivialities · frills and furbelows · gadgetry

Translations (23)

bg финтифлюшки (extra features added for show rather than function) · ru навороты (extra features added for show rather than function) · it facezia riempitiva (extra features added for show rather than function) · fi hienoudet (extra features added for show rather than function) · pl wodotryski (extra features added for show rather than function) · pl bajery (extra features added for show rather than function) · es lujos y accesorios (extra features added for show rather than function) · es ful extras (extra features added for show rather than function) · fr frivolités (extra features added for show rather than function) · es ringorrangos (extra features added for show rather than function) · de Schnickschnack (extra features added for show rather than function) · fr fanfreluche (extra features added for show rather than function) · fr futilités (extra features added for show rather than function) · nl toeters en bellen (extra features added for show rather than function) · de Klimbim (extra features added for show rather than function) · es ful equipo (extra features added for show rather than function) · ru прибамбасы (extra features added for show rather than function) · cmn 花哨的附加功能 (extra features added for show rather than function) · fr tralala (extra features added for show rather than function) · he רַעַשׁ וְצִלְצוּלִים (extra features added for show rather than function) · de Zierrat (extra features added for show rather than function) · ru свистелки и перделки (extra features added for show rather than function) · fr fioritures (extra features added for show rather than function)