take the gilt off the gingerbread (English, verb)
expansion: take the gilt off the gingerbread (third-person singular simple present takes the gilt off the gingerbread, present participle taking the gilt off the gingerbread, simple past took the gilt off the gingerbread, past participle taken the gilt off the gingerbread)
Senses:
glosses: To take away the most attractive or appealing qualities of something; to destroy an illusion.
tags: idiomatic
Forms:
form: takes the gilt off the gingerbread
tags: present
singular
third-person
form: taking the gilt off the gingerbread
tags: participle
present
form: took the gilt off the gingerbread
tags: past
form: taken the gilt off the gingerbread
tags: participle
past