General
more than you can shake a stick at
What does more than you can shake a stick at mean?
An abundance—so many you couldn't point them all out.
"They've got more tomatoes than you can shake a stick at."
Origin
American idiom, early 1800s, of debated origin; denotes a large, uncountable quantity.
Frequently asked questions
What does "more than you can shake a stick at" mean?
It means a very large number of something—so many you couldn't count or point them all out.
How do you use it?
To emphasize abundance, e.g. "There were more deals than you can shake a stick at."
Where does it come from?
It's an American idiom from the early 1800s; the exact origin is debated, but it's long meant an uncountable quantity.
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