turn up one's nose

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• Received-Pronunciation: /ˌtɜːn‿ʌp wʌnz ˈnəʊz/
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• General-American: /ˌtɜɹn‿ʌp wʌnz ˈnoʊz/
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• Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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• rhymes with -əʊz
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From turn (verb) + up (preposition) + one’s + nose (noun), describing a gesture possibly universally understood as indicating contempt, disgust, or scorn which has existed at least since Ancient Greek times: see Ancient Greek ἐκμυκτηρίζω (ekmuktērízō, “to hold in derision”), from ἐκ- (ek-, prefix expressing completion or totality) and μυκτηρίζω (muktērízō, “to turn up the nose, sneer at”) (from μῠκτήρ (mŭktḗr, “nostril”)).

28 source translations are retained for this English entry.

• Finnish: nostaa nokkaansa — to tilt one’s face upwards slightly, and often to look downwards at someone, as a sign of contempt, disgust, or scorn
• Finnish: nyrpistää nenäänsä — to tilt one’s face upwards slightly, and often to look downwards at someone, as a sign of contempt, disgust, or scorn
• French: faire la fine bouche — to tilt one’s face upwards slightly, and often to look downwards at someone, as a sign of contempt, disgust, or scorn
• French: lever le nez — to tilt one’s face upwards slightly, and often to look downwards at someone, as a sign of contempt, disgust, or scorn
• German: die Nase rümpfen — to tilt one’s face upwards slightly, and often to look downwards at someone, as a sign of contempt, disgust, or scorn
• Chinese Mandarin: 嗤之以鼻 (chīzhīyǐbí) — to refuse something offered, especially with contempt, disgust, or scorn
• Czech: ohrnovat nos — to refuse something offered, especially with contempt, disgust, or scorn
• Finnish: nyrpistää nenäänsä — to refuse something offered, especially with contempt, disgust, or scorn
• Finnish: viis veisata — to refuse something offered, especially with contempt, disgust, or scorn
• French: faire la fine bouche — to refuse something offered, especially with contempt, disgust, or scorn
• French: lever le nez — to refuse something offered, especially with contempt, disgust, or scorn
• German: die Nase rümpfen — to refuse something offered, especially with contempt, disgust, or scorn
• Icelandic: fúlsa við — to refuse something offered, especially with contempt, disgust, or scorn
• Italian: arricciare il naso — to refuse something offered, especially with contempt, disgust, or scorn
• Polish: kręcić nosem — to refuse something offered, especially with contempt, disgust, or scorn
• Romanian: strâmba din nas — to refuse something offered, especially with contempt, disgust, or scorn
• Turkish: burun kıvırmak — to refuse something offered, especially with contempt, disgust, or scorn
• Finnish: nyrpistää nenäänsä — to regard or treat someone with contempt or scorn; to disregard or ignore someone in a contemptuous or scornful way
• Finnish: ylenkatsoa — to regard or treat someone with contempt or scorn; to disregard or ignore someone in a contemptuous or scornful way
• French: faire la fine bouche — to regard or treat someone with contempt or scorn; to disregard or ignore someone in a contemptuous or scornful way
• French: lever le nez — to regard or treat someone with contempt or scorn; to disregard or ignore someone in a contemptuous or scornful way
• German: die Nase rümpfen — to regard or treat someone with contempt or scorn; to disregard or ignore someone in a contemptuous or scornful way
• Icelandic: fitja upp á nefið — to regard or treat someone with contempt or scorn; to disregard or ignore someone in a contemptuous or scornful way
• Icelandic: setja upp hundshaus — to regard or treat someone with contempt or scorn; to disregard or ignore someone in a contemptuous or scornful way
• Italian: arricciare il naso — to regard or treat someone with contempt or scorn; to disregard or ignore someone in a contemptuous or scornful way
• Portuguese: torcer o nariz — to regard or treat someone with contempt or scorn; to disregard or ignore someone in a contemptuous or scornful way
• Romanian: strâmba din nas — to regard or treat someone with contempt or scorn; to disregard or ignore someone in a contemptuous or scornful way
• Russian: задирать нос (zadiratʹ nos) — to regard or treat someone with contempt or scorn; to disregard or ignore someone in a contemptuous or scornful way