Shake a stick at Meaning in English

expression

US

SHAYK uh STIK at

UK

SHAYK uh STIK at

Definition

An informal way to say there are a lot of something—more than you can easily count or imagine.

Usage & Nuances

'More than you can shake a stick at' appears in humorous, casual, or folksy conversation. Used only for large amounts. Outdated for some, but still found in the US and UK. Common structure: 'more X than you can shake a stick at.' Never for negative quantities.

• Spanish: tantos como para contar - más de los que puedes imaginar
• Portuguese (BR): mais do que se pode contar - mais do que imagina
• Portuguese (PT): mais do que se pode contar - mais do que imagina
• Chinese (Simplified): 数不胜数 - 太多了
• Chinese (Traditional): 數不勝數 - 太多了
• Hindi: गिनती से ज़्यादा - जितना सोच सकते हैं उससे ज़्यादा
• Arabic: أكثر مما يمكنك عده
• Bengali: গোনার চেয়েও বেশি - কল্পনার চেয়ে বেশি
• Russian: больше, чем можно пересчитать
• Japanese: 数えきれないほど - 想像以上に多い
• Vietnamese: nhiều không đếm xuể - nhiều hơn bạn tưởng
• Korean: 셀 수 없이 많다 - 상상 이상이다
• Turkish: sayamayacağından fazla - hayal edebileceğinden çok
• Urdu: گننے سے زیادہ - جتنا سوچ سکتے ہیں اس سے زیادہ
• Indonesian: lebih banyak dari yang bisa dihitung - lebih banyak dari yang kamu bayangkan

Example Sentences

There are more books here than you can shake a stick at.

basic

The farm has more animals than you can shake a stick at.

basic

We have more problems than you can shake a stick at right now.

basic

There were more snacks at the party than anyone could shake a stick at.

natural

That store has more shoes than you can shake a stick at—I got totally lost!

natural

I've gotten more emails today than I can shake a stick at.

natural