more than one can shake a stick at



more someone or something than one can shake a stick at

Rur. a lot; too many to count. There were more snakes than you could shake a stick at. There are lots of flowers in the field—more than one can shake a stick at.
See also: can, more, one, shake, stick

more than one can shake a stick at

A large quantity, more than one can count, as in Our town has more banks than you can shake a stick at. This idiom presumably refers to brandishing a stick as a weapon, but the precise allusion is unclear. [Colloquial; c. 1800]
See also: can, more, one, shake, stick

Common Names:

NameGenderPronouncedUsage
MilburnMIL-bərnEnglish
RadomiŁrah-DAW-meewPolish
Tizianatee-TSYAH-nahItalian
Hutton['hʌtn]
Tobiasto-BEE-ahs (German), tə-BIE-əs (English)Biblical, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, English, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek
RadboudRAHT-bowtDutch