nooks and crannies

Meanings

1. 1phrasefixed phrase

   All the small, tucked-away corners and gaps of a place, including spots that are easy to miss.

   Grammar: Almost always plural and used with every or all: explore every nook and cranny, or all the nooks and crannies.

   Patterns

   • explore the nooks and crannies of something
   • search every nook and cranny

   The kids explored every nook and cranny of the old farmhouse.

   Dust had settled in all the nooks and crannies of the bookshelf.

   The detective searched the nooks and crannies of the apartment for the missing key.

2. 2phrasefixed phrasefigurative

   The small, little-known details of a subject, system or place that only careful study reveals.

   Grammar: Figurative; usually followed by of and a topic: the nooks and crannies of the law.

   Patterns

   • the nooks and crannies of something

   Our guide knew the nooks and crannies of the city's history.

   The lawyer studied the nooks and crannies of the contract.

   Over the years she learned the nooks and crannies of the company's accounting system.

Common combinations

explore every nook and cranny

We explored every nook and cranny of the castle.

search every nook and cranny

I searched every nook and cranny for my glasses.

in the nooks and crannies

Crumbs hid in the nooks and crannies of the sofa.

clean the nooks and crannies

A narrow brush helps clean the nooks and crannies of the keyboard.

know the nooks and crannies of

She knows the nooks and crannies of the old town better than anyone.

Synonyms and how they differ

corners

Corners is plainer and less vivid, and it does not suggest small hidden gaps.

recesses

Recesses is more formal and often describes deep or hidden parts, while nooks and crannies sounds cozy and informal.

every detail

Every detail is about information, whereas nooks and crannies pictures physical hiding places even when used figuratively.

Opposites

Word family

nook noun

a small, sheltered corner, such as a reading nook

cranny noun

a narrow crack or gap

crannied adjective

full of cracks or gaps

Commonly confused: nooks and crannies or nooks and crooks?

Practice

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Write a sentence using “nooks and crannies”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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