What does that mean? I don't think it has to do with cleaning.
is this an idiom: to clean up nicely
When someone that you're used to seeing looking casual, sloppy, or unkempt shows up on rare occasions looking surprisingly handsome, well-groomed, and sharply-dressed then that person cleans up nicely.
To do anything 'nicely' means that you would do it well and in a pleasent manner.
ie Speak nicely to your mother
ie Speak nicely to your mother
<<To do anything 'nicely' means that you would do it well and in a pleasent manner.
>>
This phrase "clean up (nicely)" is confusing even for native speakers. I had to think about it for several seconds the first time I heard it in order for it to make much sense.
When we say a person 'cleans up (well/nicely)', the verb here is used in a synthetic passive tense (like German heissen - to be called), therefore it actually means> the person *is cleaned up nicely*/ *the person becomes cleaned-up nicely* / *comes to be nicely cleaned up*, so the nicely refers to how the person looks (i.e. is cleaned up) and not to the process of cleaning (i.e. to clean [trans. vb.] something nicely)
It is a redneck expression for sure (--I believe--that's the context in which I first heard it) but seems to be stedily gaining ground in mainsteam US speech.
>>
This phrase "clean up (nicely)" is confusing even for native speakers. I had to think about it for several seconds the first time I heard it in order for it to make much sense.
When we say a person 'cleans up (well/nicely)', the verb here is used in a synthetic passive tense (like German heissen - to be called), therefore it actually means> the person *is cleaned up nicely*/ *the person becomes cleaned-up nicely* / *comes to be nicely cleaned up*, so the nicely refers to how the person looks (i.e. is cleaned up) and not to the process of cleaning (i.e. to clean [trans. vb.] something nicely)
It is a redneck expression for sure (--I believe--that's the context in which I first heard it) but seems to be stedily gaining ground in mainsteam US speech.
...cont .
it can also be thought of as a reflexive verb: i.e. to clean [one's self] up (nicely)...
that just came to me :|)
it can also be thought of as a reflexive verb: i.e. to clean [one's self] up (nicely)...
that just came to me :|)
It does not seem like an idiom. Its literal meaning is pretty easy to understand.
<<I don't think it has to do with cleaning.>>
It does. "He cleans up nicely'' refers to himself.
When a person normally looks very unkempt, but on a rare occasion, looks nice, to your suprise, people say "Wow! He cleans up nicely".
Meaning that they never expected that he could look as good as he does after having dressed up and/or cleaned himself up nicely.
It does. "He cleans up nicely'' refers to himself.
When a person normally looks very unkempt, but on a rare occasion, looks nice, to your suprise, people say "Wow! He cleans up nicely".
Meaning that they never expected that he could look as good as he does after having dressed up and/or cleaned himself up nicely.
<<It does not seem like an idiom. Its literal meaning is pretty easy to understand. >>
No, it is not.
<<"Wow! He cleans up nicely". >>
When I hear this, I think: Wow he cleans *what* up nicely? His room? His garage?
Clean has traditionally always been a transitive verb, so if it's himself that's being cleaned up, it really belongs in the sentence: Wow, he cleans himself up nicely.
No, it is not.
<<"Wow! He cleans up nicely". >>
When I hear this, I think: Wow he cleans *what* up nicely? His room? His garage?
Clean has traditionally always been a transitive verb, so if it's himself that's being cleaned up, it really belongs in the sentence: Wow, he cleans himself up nicely.
The idiom is used to express the suprise in how good something looks after being fixed up in some way. ''To clean up nicely'' is an unexpected outcome- and it can be anything, not just a person.
Hypothetical scenarios:
1)Somebody has old rusted out nasty looking car, that most believe to be beyond repair. The car, after being being sent to a repair shop, comes back looking pristine, to everybodys astonishment.
"Wow! That sure cleans up nicely! I never imagined that this car could look this good."
2)An unatractive woman, gets a makeover, and comes back looking like a knock-out.
" *Gasp* Woah! She cleans up nicely! "
Hypothetical scenarios:
1)Somebody has old rusted out nasty looking car, that most believe to be beyond repair. The car, after being being sent to a repair shop, comes back looking pristine, to everybodys astonishment.
"Wow! That sure cleans up nicely! I never imagined that this car could look this good."
2)An unatractive woman, gets a makeover, and comes back looking like a knock-out.
" *Gasp* Woah! She cleans up nicely! "
It is at least a partially literal statement, just with a different use of the verb "to clean".
In this case to clean, means to have the ability to be cleaned, repaired or fixed up.
If something can't be cleaned and made to look nice - like say for example a waffle iron thats impossible to wash thoroughly- you can say that ''the waffle iron doesn't clean well''.
Things that can easily be washed and make to look brand new, "clean well" or nicely.
In this case to clean, means to have the ability to be cleaned, repaired or fixed up.
If something can't be cleaned and made to look nice - like say for example a waffle iron thats impossible to wash thoroughly- you can say that ''the waffle iron doesn't clean well''.
Things that can easily be washed and make to look brand new, "clean well" or nicely.
<<''the waffle iron doesn't clean well''>>
yeah, and that's where I go "Wha-???Huh???"
Irons can't clean (i.e. perform cleaning)
I do not ever use 'clean' in this manner...
<<I may not be a ten but the boys say i clean up good>>
This is a lyric from Redneck singer Gretchen Wilson
when I first heard this, I thought: "D@mn, is she their maid???"
Used in this manner, it is VERY ambiguous
yeah, and that's where I go "Wha-???Huh???"
Irons can't clean (i.e. perform cleaning)
I do not ever use 'clean' in this manner...
<<I may not be a ten but the boys say i clean up good>>
This is a lyric from Redneck singer Gretchen Wilson
when I first heard this, I thought: "D@mn, is she their maid???"
Used in this manner, it is VERY ambiguous
The picture had a lot of noise (because it was underexposed and pushed in post processing), but it cleaned up nicely with noiseware.
The Gretchen Wilson song is not ambiguous. She's obviously referencing this line. If someone "cleans up nicely/well/good/etc."
Someone may have already given a sufficient description, but I don't want to read through all the posts... If someone cleans up nicely (usually referring to women, but this is not necessarily always the case, I'm going to use "she" for the sake of example) it means she may normally wear sweatpants or dirty jeans, no makeup, and unstyled hair, but when she does make an effort with her appearance, she looks hot. This is often exhibited by sorority girls in US universities; my assumption would be that they are frequently hungover and thus wear cheerleading shorts and sweatshirts to class with makeup from the night before, but then get dressed up to go out and look quite attractive.
Someone may have already given a sufficient description, but I don't want to read through all the posts... If someone cleans up nicely (usually referring to women, but this is not necessarily always the case, I'm going to use "she" for the sake of example) it means she may normally wear sweatpants or dirty jeans, no makeup, and unstyled hair, but when she does make an effort with her appearance, she looks hot. This is often exhibited by sorority girls in US universities; my assumption would be that they are frequently hungover and thus wear cheerleading shorts and sweatshirts to class with makeup from the night before, but then get dressed up to go out and look quite attractive.
<<The Gretchen Wilson song is not ambiguous. She's obviously referencing this line. If someone "cleans up nicely/well/good/etc." >>
Not Ambiguous??
I clean up nicely = I tidy [things] nicely / clean [things] nicely
& now
I clean up nicely = I look nice when I dress up
hmm, here Skippy--> I sure do clean up nicely! Do you know which one I mean?
Not Ambiguous??
I clean up nicely = I tidy [things] nicely / clean [things] nicely
& now
I clean up nicely = I look nice when I dress up
hmm, here Skippy--> I sure do clean up nicely! Do you know which one I mean?