Dictionary

more than one can shake a stick at en · ADJ

Etymology

Unknown. American English, in use since about 1800.

Meanings

1. (comparative-only) Occurring in abundance; of a large quantity; many.
   • Q: How much grain did they harvest last month? A: Almost six thousand tons, which is more grain than you can shake a stick at.
   • "I've got more companies than you can shake a stick at. There's the Alameda & Contra Costa Land Syndicate, the Consolidated Street Railways, the Yerba Buena Ferry Company, the United Water Company, the Piedmont Realty Company, the Fairview and Portola Hotel Company, and half a dozen more that I've got to refer to a notebook to remember." 1910, Jack London, chapter 16, in Burning Daylight:
   • Q: I wonder how much water that company uses in a month. A: Probably more of it than you can shake a stick at.
   • "[L]aziness, cousin, laziness,—which ruins more souls than you can shake a stick at." 1851 June – 1852 April, Harriet Beecher Stowe, chapter 16, in Uncle Tom’s Cabin; or, Life among the Lowly, volume (please specify |volume=I or II), Boston, Mass.: John P[unchard] Jewett & Company; Cleveland, Oh.: Jewett, Proctor & Worthington, published 20 March 1852, →OCLC:
   • There are more billionaires than you can shake a stick at. 2004 August 15, Ben Stein, “For Sale: The Ultimate Status Symbol”, in New York Times, retrieved 12 Jun 2014:
   • Q: How many units did they complete last month? A: Almost two hundred, which is more than you can shake a stick at.
   • "[H]e's laid out more 'Federates dan he can shake a stick at." 1883, Edward Payson Roe, chapter 39, in His Sombre Rivals: A Story of the Civil War:

Forms

Translations (6)

it più di quanto tu possa immaginare (occurring in abundance) · ru пруд пруди́ (occurring in abundance) · de eine ganze Menge (occurring in abundance) · ru куры не клюю́т (occurring in abundance) · fi paljon (occurring in abundance) · hu mint égen a csillag (occurring in abundance)