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square peg in a round hole
Idioms and Phrases
Also, round peg in a square hole . A misfit, especially a person unsuited for a position or activity. For example, Ruth doesn't have the finesse for this job; she's a round peg in a square hole . This idiom, with its graphic image of something that cannot fit, dates from about 1800.Example Sentences
The unwieldy best-of-three format, on the other hand, fits like a square peg in a round hole.
By 2018, Bigham was on the Great Britain cycling team but found he was the square peg in a round hole.
âHe was such a square peg in a round hole,â Gluck said in an interview the day after Carrâs death.
I donât know exactly what that might look like, but it does feel like a little bit of a square peg in a round hole the way weâre trying to deal with it right now.
âIâve always been a square peg in a round hole, and I was well aware of that, but when I drove into town I realized Iâd found where Iâm going to stay until I die.â
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More About Square Peg In A Round Hole
What does square peg in a round hole mean?
The phrase square peg in a round hole refers to a person who is in a position, such as a job, that they are unsuited for, as in Jeffâs allergy to cats made him a square peg in a round hole as the vetâs assistant.Â
Square peg in a round hole can also refer to someone who is very uncomfortable in a certain situation. If you donât like classical music, you might feel like a square peg in a round hole at a symphony performance.
The phrase round peg in a square hole is used to mean the same thing.
Often, the phrase square peg in a round hole is used with verbs like fit, stick, or push to emphasize the idea that the peg and the hole donât match.
Example: Our schoolâs French teacher was a square peg in a round hole when she was accidentally assigned to teach my chemistry class.Â
Where does square peg in a round hole come from?
The first records of the phrase square peg in a round hole come from around 1836. A peg is a pin, usually made of wood, that is placed inside something. Square peg in a round hole figuratively compares a person who doesnât fit in a situation or role to a square peg that literally doesnât fit into a round hole.
Square peg in a round hole is commonly used to refer to a person filling the wrong role or being assigned the wrong position. For example, a professional baseball player would likely be called a square peg in a round hole if they were forced to play basketball instead.
Although it is most often used to refer to people, square peg in a round hole may also be used to refer to objects that donât belong somewhere or things that are inappropriate in a certain situation, such as a 20-story building among two-story houses.
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What are some other forms related to square peg in a round hole?
- round peg in a square hole
What are some synonyms for square peg in a round hole?
What are some words that share a root or word element with square peg in a round hole?Ěý
What are some words that often get used in discussing square peg in a round hole?
How is square peg in a round hole used in real life?
Square peg in a round hole is used to describe people who donât fit their jobs or roles or to describe something as being inappropriate or a bad idea.
Last year, I said Matt Ryan in Kyle Shanahan's offense was a "square peg in a round hole." I didn't think that relationship would workâŚ
â JennaLaineESPN (@JennaLaineESPN)
Iâm always amazed by people who decide to use a social media platform the way they see fit rather than learn how itâs used by the community.
Itâs painful watching someone try to fit a square peg in a round hole.
â Jenny Li Fowler, ě´ę˛˝ě¤ (@TheJennyLi)
Getting haircut advice from my husband is about as productive as sticking a square peg in a round hole.
â Sarah Foss (@SarahEFoss)
Try using square peg in a round hole!
Is square peg in a round hole used correctly in the following sentence?
As a professional chef, Felix is like a square peg in a round hole whenever he is in a kitchen.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Š Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American HeritageŽ Idioms Dictionary copyright Š 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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