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stink to high heaven

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stink to high heaven

 and smell to high heaven

Fig. to smell very bad. What happened? This place stinks to high heaven. This meat smells to high heaven. Throw it away!

See also: heaven, high, stink

stink to high heaven

Also, smell to high heaven. Be of very poor quality; also, be suspect or in bad repute. For example, This plan of yours stinks to high heaven, or His financial schemes smell to high heaven; I'm sure they're dishonest. This expression alludes to something so rank that it can be smelled from a great distance. [c. 1600]

See also: heaven, high, stink