- Home
- Idioms
- crowd
crowd
play to the crowd
To act, behave, or perform in such a way as to receive as much approval from an audience or group of spectators as one can get, especially the lowest common denominator therein. The band still puts on a great performance, even after all these years. I do wish, though, that they played more of their new material and didn't just play to the crowd with their greatest hits the whole night. Rather than acting in a way that best suits the role and the play as a whole, he prefers to play to the crowd and soak up the spotlight when he can. She's a great basketball player, but she spends more time playing to the crowd than playing to win the game.
the wrong crowd
A group of people, typically peers, who partake in and elicit immoral, criminal, and/or dangerous behavior and attitudes. Mary had been a model student all her life, but when she got to senior year of high school, she started hanging out with the wrong crowd, and her grades suffered as a result. Because there is no sort of network in place to keep young people active and engaged in this part of the city, it's all too easy for them to fall in with the wrong crowd.
work the crowd
To excite or entertain an audience. Man, that singer sure knows how to work a crowd! They're going wild for him! The keynote speaker was late, so I had to work the crowd for a while to stall.
crowd pleaser
Something that many people like. I hope you'll bring your famous spinach dip to the party—it's such a crowd pleaser! We need to work on a fun cover song for this upcoming gig, something that's a real crowd pleaser!
crowd-puller
Something or someone that is popular and attracts a large audience. Primarily heard in UK, Australia. The critics are saying that this film is going to be a real crowd-puller, so we should buy our tickets before they sell out!
crowd around someone or something
to flock or swarm around someone or something. The children crowded around the department store Santa, eager for their chance at talking to him. Everyone crowded around the radio to listen.
crowd in (on someone or something)
to press or crush around someone or something. Please don't crowd in on the guest of honor. Can you keep them back from me? I don't like it when they crowd in. The people crowded in on us and frightened us a little bit. Don't crowd in on the display case. It is an antique.
crowd in(to) some place
and crowd into push or squeeze into some place. Please don't try to crowd into this place. Too many people are trying to crowd in.
crowd someone or something in(to) something
and crowd someone or something into push or squeeze someone or something into a place or a container. They tried to crowd a dozen people into that tiny room. Then they crowded in one more. They all tried to crowd themselves into the same room.
crowd someone or something out of something
and crowd someone or something outto push or force someone, something, or an animal out of something. Don't crowd your brother out of line! Don't crowd out my favorite plants with all your rosebushes!
crowd someone or something together
to push or squeeze people or things together. See if you can crowd them together and get more in the row. I am afraid that I crowded the plants together too much.
crowd something with someone or something
to pack too many people or things into something. The ushers crowded the room with visitors. Aunt Victoria had crowded the room with the busy trappings of a bygone era.
crowd through (something)
[for a number of people] to push through something. The little group of revelers crowded through the door. They all tried to crowd through.
crowd together
to pack tightly together. The tenants crowded together in the lobby. All the kittens crowded together to keep warm.
far from the madding crowd
in a quiet, restful place. (From Thomas Gray's poem, "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard.") Julia sat daydreaming at her desk, wishing she were far from the madding crowd. Jane: Where shall we go this weekend? Alan: Anywhere, as long as it's far from the madding crowd.
follow the crowd
to do what everyone else is doing. I am an independent thinker. I could never just follow the crowd. When in doubt, I follow the crowd. At least I don't stand out like a fool.
play to the gallery
and play to the crowdto perform in a manner that will get the strong approval of the audience; to perform in a manner that will get the approval of the lower elements in the audience. John is a competent actor, but he has a tendency to play to the crowd. When he made the rude remark, he was just playing to the gallery.
Two is company, (but) three's a crowd.
and Two's company(, three's a crowd).Prov. A way of asking a third person to leave because you want to be alone with someone. (Often implies that you want to be alone with the person because you are romantically interested in him or her.) When Lucy followed Mark and Nora into the drawing room, Nora turned to her and said, "Two's company, but three's a crowd." Bill: Can I go to lunch with you and Tom? Jane: Two's company, three's a crowd, Bill.
stand out from the crowd
to be very obvious or unusual We try to stand out from the crowd by producing movies and TV programs that no one else would produce.
a crowd-puller
(British & Australian) something or someone that many people are keen to go and see This year's final will be a major crowd-puller -- Manchester United and Liverpool are two of the country's most popular teams and are also fierce rivals.
play to the gallery
to spend time doing or saying things that will make people admire or support you, instead of dealing with more important matters Politicians these days are more interested in playing to the gallery than exercising real influence on world events.
follow the crowd
Go along with the majority, do what most others are doing. For example, Make your own decision-don't just follow the crowd.
play to the gallery
Appeal to spectators for maximum approval, as in He peppers his speeches with humor and wisecracks about his opponent, clearly playing to the gallery . In this term gallery refers to the cheapest seats in a British theater and hence the least sophisticated audience. [Late 1800s]
three's a crowd
Also,
two's company, three's a crowd. A third person spoils the ideal combination of a couple, as in
No, I won't join you-three's a crowd. This expression, alluding to a third person spoiling the privacy of a pair of lovers, was already a proverb in 1546. For a synonym, see
fifth wheel.
crowd
1. tv. to pressure or threaten someone. Frank began to crowd Sam, which was the wrong thing to do.
2. tv. to gang up on someone. They moved in from all sides, carrying clubs, and began to crowd us.
crowd (on) sail
Nautical To spread a large amount of sail to increase speed.