counting noses

Verb

count noses (third-person singular simple present counts noses, present participle counting noses, simple past and past participle counted noses)

1. (idiomatic) To count people one at a time.
   • While I have never counted noses, it is utterly preposterous to estimate that 40 per cent of the total, or 383,658 Federal civil jobs, are held by Jews.1941 September 1, Emanuel Celler, Louis Finkelstein, Frances Strauss, “Americans: Jew and Christian”, in The Atlantic, archived from the original on 03 Jan 2023

   Synonyms:

   tell noses

2. (idiomatic) To determine the number of supporters of a particular politician or issue.
   • The last time we met — only three days ago — his great project was coming up before Parliament, and he told me, in confidence, that he was sure of a favorable result, — that he had counted noses, and had the most comfortable assurances from all the great leaders of the day, — and in short, between...1867 August 1, John Neal, “London Forty Years Ago: From the Memoranda of a Traveller”, in The Atlantic, archived from the original on 14 Aug 2022