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The meaning and origin of interesting English phrases

Plain as the nose on your face

Meaning

Extremely obvious and easy to see or understand, requiring no further explanation.

Origin

Imagine a bustling 17th-century English market, where truths and deceptions were often laid bare not by complex arguments but by simple, undeniable facts. In such a world, the phrase "plain as the nose on a man's face" emerged, later evolving to "your face." It wasn't born from a grand event or obscure ritual, but from the most fundamental human observation: your nose is an undeniably prominent feature, always there, impossible to overlook. This earthy, straightforward comparison quickly rooted itself in language, becoming the go-to expression for anything so obvious it required no explanation, just like the inescapable presence of one's own nose.

Examples

  • The solution to the puzzle was plain as the nose on your face once I stopped overthinking it.
  • Her disinterest in the topic was plain as the nose on your face; she kept checking her watch and yawning.
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