a one-trick pony
/ə ˌwʌn trɪk ˈpəʊni/INFORMAL · C1
Meaning
someone or something skilled at only one kind of task
Examples
- 1The app is a one-trick pony: it crops photos but cannot make any other changes.
- 2Don't call Malik a one-trick pony; he sings, dances and writes his own music.
- 3As a comedian, Joel is a one-trick pony; every routine relies on exactly the same impression.
- 4This kitchen gadget is a one-trick pony; it peels apples and cannot handle any other task.
- 5Unlike her versatile colleagues, the designer is a one-trick pony, producing the same logo style for every brief.
Grammar
Countable; plural one-trick ponies. Keep the hyphen in one-trick; often used after be with people or things.
Similar in meaning
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English Idioms400 idioms in 20 topics — with reviews that keep them from fading
Here you get a couple of questions. The app gives you 16 practice modes, native equivalents and spaced repetition that tells you when it’s time to refresh.
