Meaning & use
pointy elbows
Last updated
Meanings
phrasepluralinformalhumorous
A humorous way of saying that someone is thin, especially so thin that their elbows stick out sharply.
Grammar: Used as a plural noun phrase; it describes a person, so it often follows have or with.
Patterns
- have pointy elbows
- someone with pointy elbows
- be all pointy elbows
He's all pointy elbows and knees, even after eating three plates of pasta.
She laughed and said her little brother was just a bag of pointy elbows.
The photo made him look like a scarecrow, all pointy elbows and sharp shoulders.
phrasepluralinformalhumorous
A teasing description of someone whose arms and elbows seem awkward and bony when they move.
Grammar: Often used after a linking verb such as be, look, or seem.
Patterns
- look pointy elbows
- be pointy elbows
On the dance floor he looked like pointy elbows, but he was having a great time.
Give the kid a few years; right now he's pointy elbows and not much else.
Common combinations
- all pointy elbows
- The new puppy is all pointy elbows and big paws.
- a bag of pointy elbows
- Her cousin teased her, calling her a bag of pointy elbows.
- pointy elbows and knees
- He was tall and thin, with pointy elbows and knees.
- look like pointy elbows
- In that jacket he looked like pointy elbows.
Synonyms and how they differ
- skinny
- This is the plain, general word for being very thin; pointy elbows is a playful image rather than a neutral description.
- bony
- Bony describes a body with bones that show clearly; pointy elbows is a joking phrase that focuses on the elbows in particular.
- lanky
- Lanky means tall and thin with long, loose limbs; pointy elbows only mentions the sharp elbows, not height.
Word family
Commonly confused: pointy elbows or bony elbows? pointy elbows or sharp elbows?
pointy elbows vs bony elbows
Bony elbows is a plain description of elbows with little fat on them; pointy elbows is a humorous phrase used to tease someone about being thin.
pointy elbows vs sharp elbows
Sharp elbows is a different idiom about being aggressive and pushing others aside to get ahead; pointy elbows is only about being thin.
Practice
Which sentence uses "pointy elbows" in the usual humorous way?
Choose one answer.
"Pointy elbows" is a joking way to describe someone who is very thin. Option 1 describes aggressive behavior, which belongs to the idiom "sharp elbows"; option 3 treats it as a physical part of furniture; option 4 confuses it with sports aggression.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “pointy elbows”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.