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Phrase(s): *a whiff of something
1. Lit. the smell or odor of something. (*Typically: get ~; catch ~; have ~; take ~; give someone ~.) • Did you get a whiff of the turkey roasting? Yummy. • I caught a whiff of something rather unpleasant in the attic. I think there is a dead mouse up there. 2. Fig. a bit of knowledge of something. (*Typically: get ~; catch ~; give someone ~.) • The boss got a whiff of the problems in the accounting department. • No one will get a whiff of your trouble with the police. I’ll see to that.
McGrawhill's American Idioms And Phrasal Verbs