Meaning & use
slow as Christmas
Last updated
Meanings
phrasefixed phraseinformalhumorousAustralian
Extremely slow, because the wait for Christmas feels endless to an impatient person.
Grammar: Use it after 'be' or a linking verb, or after verbs like 'move' and 'go': The bus is slow as Christmas. It does not take an object.
Patterns
- be slow as Christmas
- move slow as Christmas
- go slow as Christmas
The queue at the bank was slow as Christmas, so we left and came back later.
My old laptop is slow as Christmas when I open more than two programs.
The traffic on the highway was slow as Christmas, and we missed the start of the film.
phrasefixed phraseinformalhumorousAustralian
Used to describe a person who acts or works very slowly.
Grammar: Often used playfully about someone you know. It can sound critical, so be careful in formal situations.
Patterns
- someone is slow as Christmas
- someone works slow as Christmas
My brother is slow as Christmas in the morning; he takes an hour just to eat breakfast.
She's slow as Christmas when she's tired, but she always gets the job done.
Common combinations
- slow as Christmas
- The internet connection here is slow as Christmas.
- be slow as Christmas
- Don't wait for him—he'll be slow as Christmas getting ready.
- move slow as Christmas
- The line at the airport moved slow as Christmas.
- slow as Christmas in the morning
- I'm slow as Christmas in the morning before I've had my coffee.
Synonyms and how they differ
- slow as molasses
- Very similar, but more common in American English and often used for things, not people.
- slow as a snail
- A more general comparison used in many varieties of English; it does not have the Christmas image.
- sluggish
- A single adjective meaning slow and without energy; it is more formal and not a fixed phrase.
Opposites
Commonly confused: slow as Christmas or slow as a wet week?
slow as Christmas vs slow as a wet week
Another Australian expression meaning very slow or dull; it is even more informal and can sound old-fashioned.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'slow as Christmas' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Option 0 is correct because 'slow as Christmas' describes something that moves or happens very slowly. Option 1 is wrong because the phrase is not used with 'to' + verb; you would say 'He is slow as Christmas at finishing his homework.' Option 2 is wrong because it suggests she was slow yet won, which is contradictory. Option 3 is wrong because 'slow' does not describe taste.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “slow as Christmas”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.