Definitions
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun Used in an attributive manner to describe anything ingenious but absurdly impractical
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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As he points out, "the patterns of light that fall on the retina do not correspond with our mental image of the universe"; that image is formed through a marvellously intricate and awkward process that might have been dreamed up by Heath Robinson.
Nocturne: A Journey in Search of Moonlight by James Attlee – review 2011
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The lens systems he designs and builds might look very Heath Robinson, with all their buttons and dials, but they serve a purpose: they have allowed us to see new behaviours in the wild.
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The rise of the CCs also gave engineers a chance to show off with their origami-like folding mechanisms, competing with each other to get their Heath Robinson contraptions to open in under 20 seconds.
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This fourth family espionage yarn by versatile Texas-based writer, producer, composer, cinematographer and director Robert Rodriguez has the same fascination with gadgetry of both a Bond and a Heath Robinson kind but lacks the star power that gave a particular edge to its three predecessors.
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His films conjure worlds which run like creaky Heath Robinson contraptions; from the orgasmic plumbing of Delicatessen (later cutely echoed in Amelie), to the Gilliamesque fantasy of City of Lost Children, and the watchmaker's plot mechanics of A Very Long Engagement.
The Princess and the Frog; Alice in Wonderland; Mimacs; Extraordinary Measures; The Last Station 2010
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The eccentric with his Heath Robinson contraption looks neither boastful nor mad, just properly interested; the children appear plausibly grumpy or blithe.
Camille Silvy: Photographer of Modern Life; Fiona Banner: Duveens Commission 2010 2010
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I was going to say that cockpit looks like Caractacus Potts or Heath Robinson designed it but of course they both would have incorporated an extendi-finger for the shifters.
Pull My Strings: The New Puppetry BikeSnobNYC 2010
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Heath Robinson, “I really have a secret satisfaction in being considered rather mad”.
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Heath Robinson was also name of the precursor to the Colossus computer that helped break the Enigma code.
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Heath Robinson was also name of the precursor to the Colossus computer that helped break the Enigma code.
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