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mirror

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do it with mirrors

1. To do or perform something (especially a magic trick) by using an optical illusion. Everyone was astounded when he appeared to levitate off the ground, but I'm pretty sure he just did it with mirrors.

2. To do something in a highly secretive, illusory, or inexplicable way, likened to that of a magic trick. The military operation was completely unseen, completely unnoticed by anybody, as if they did it with mirrors. The company's CEO managed to swindle his clients out of millions of dollars, doing it with mirrors so that no one would notice the disappearance of the money until it was too late.

See also: mirror

able to fog a mirror

Alive, perhaps barely. (If one holds up a mirror to one's nose or mouth, the breath will cause fog to appear.) I spent the whole day moving furniture, so I'm barely able to fog a mirror now. He'll date any woman who's able to fog a mirror.

See also: able, fog, mirror

able to fog a mirror

Fig. Inf. alive, even if just barely. (Usually jocular. Alludes to the use of a small mirror placed under the nose to tell if a person is breathing or not. (Able to can be replaced with can.) Look, I don't need an athlete to do this job! Anybody able to fog a mirror will do fine!

See also: able, fog, mirror

smoke and mirrors

deception and confusion. (Said of statements or more complicated rhetoric used to mislead people rather than inform. Alludes to the way a magician uses optical illusion to create believability while performing a trick. Fixed order.) Most people know that the politician was just using smoke and mirrors to make things look better than they really were. Her report was little more than smoke and mirrors. No one will believe any of it.

See also: and, mirror, smoke

smoke and mirrors

something that is meant to confuse or deceive people Is this crisis just so much smoke and mirrors, or is it true that the government will run out of money?

Usage notes: usually involving a large organization rather than only one person

See also: and, mirror, smoke

smoke and mirrors

  (American & Australian)

something which is intended to confuse or deceive people, especially by making them believe that a situation is better than it really is Smoke and mirrors made the company seem bigger and healthier than it really was. It was just clever marketing.

See also: and, mirror, smoke

done by mirrors

and done with mirrors

mod. illusory; accomplished in a way that is purposefully deceptive. He’s not really smart. It’s all done by mirrors. The whole budgetary process is done with mirrors.

See also: done, mirror

done with mirrors

verb

See done by mirrors

See also: done, mirror

smoke and mirrors

n. a strategy of deception and cover up. Her entire report was nothing but smoke and mirrors. Who could believe any of it?

See also: and, mirror, smoke

smoke and mirrors

Something that deceives or distorts the truth: Your explanation is nothing but smoke and mirrors.

See also: and, mirror, smoke