Meaning: This idiom is usually used to refer to men who don't want to get married, when they can get all the benefits of marriage without getting married.Country: International English | Subject Area: Animals | Usage Type: Both or All Words UsedAll idioms have been editorially reviewed, and submitted idioms may have been edited for correctness and completeness.
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"My mom already left for the diner and dad went to the 7-Eleven to get scratchers. I guess he won, 'cause that was six years ago." — Harley Keener, Iron Man 3 A form of Parental Abandonment that is often Played for Laughs but can also be Played for Drama. When a parent decides to leave their family or breaks up with their partner they'll make the excuse of Going to the Store to buy cigarettes/milk/whatever, but they never actually come back. Other times it's a excuse made by the child's family in order to soften the trauma or shield the kid from the issue. If the child is young or naive enough they will believe that their parent really did go to the store and are just taking a really, really long time coming back. If the parent in question really did go to the store and never came back because they died, it's often much more Played for Drama. A Played for Laughs variation of this is having it be that they really did go to the store, are still alive, and really are taking that long to come back. Compare to Released to Elsewhere and Dog Got Sent to a Farm, as well as to When You Coming Home, Dad? for when a dad is busy but not completely absent. Contrast Family Man, who probably never would do this. Examples:open/close all folders Anime & Manga
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