come out of the woodwork

Meaning: (idiomatic,derogatory)toappearoremergeunexpectedlyorinexplicably, frequently in largenumbersorquantity.Antonym:blend into the woodworkHe won the lottery last year and he has had old "friends" and distant relativescoming out of the woodworkever since.1947May, Colonel S. Legree, “We Must Get Together”, inInfantry Journal‎[1], volume60, number 5,page26:[...] 90-day wonders [...] were kicked around by harassed Regulars who were [...] just too busy to take time to spare the feelings of those strange creatures whocame out of the woodworkand wanted the privileges of officers, without being fully prepared to do the work of officers.1992, Robert P. Newman, chapter 0, inOwen Lattimore and the “Loss” of China‎[2], page227:Would-be informantscame crawling out of the woodwork, drawn to McCarthy as moths to light, each peddling a new version of Lattimore's evil deeds.2006,John Marsden,Circle of Flight: The Ellie Chronicles: 3,unnumbered page:And suddenly theycame out of the woodwork. I don't actually know what that expression means. What come out of the woodwork? Cockroaches maybe. Mice?2012, Enzo Centofanti, chapter 0, inOut of Africa and into America: The Odyssey of Italians in East Africa‎[3], page136:With the fall of the fascist regime, Italy was virtually overrun by several political parties whocame out of the woodworkto fill in the vacuum.

Examples:

EN: With $15 million at stake, my dear, relatives come out of the woodwork, you'll find.
ES: Con 15 millones en juego, querida, verá que salen parientes de debajo de las piedras.
EN: No matter how many Dago Guinea greaseballs come out of the woodwork!
ES: iYo no me bajo los pantalones por muchos italianos que vengan a joder!
ES: ¡No me importa cuántos vengan a intimidarme!
EN: That's what's called a bookie. At racetracks they come out of the woodwork.
ES: ¿Ves el tipo de la chaqueta a cuadros?
EN: All the saps come out of the woodwork.
ES: Todos salen de quién sabe dónde.
EN: Look who's just come out of the woodwork.
ES: Mira quién acaba de aparecer.
EN: But if you just so happen to jaywalk, 10 of them will come out of the woodwork.
ES: Pero si cruzas mal, de pronto aparecen 10 de ellos.
EN: Told you someone would come out of the woodwork.
ES: Les dije que alguien aparecería después de un largo letargo.
EN: This has caused other super-people to come out of the woodwork.
ES: Y esto ha causado que otras súper-personas aparecieran después de un letargo.
EN: You, of course, predictably throw a disgusting party... all the freaky freakies come out of the woodwork to protest... and you're out ofhere.
ES: Uds, por supuesto, como lo predijimos hacen una asquerosa fiesta... todos los fenomenos salen del bosque a protestar... y se van de aqui.
EN: Absolutely! ... They all come out of the woodwork, at times like this.
ES: Por supuesto, en momentos así es cuando más se habla.
EN: I bet she's bloody Inland Revenue, come out of the woodwork.
ES: Será de Hacienda. Salen de debajo de las piedras.
EN: Especially after your stupid, fucking economy collapses all around you and the terrorist come out of the woodwork and you'll have anthrax in your water supply and serine gas in your air conditioners.
ES: ¡En especial, cuando la puta economía se venga abajo! ¡Por todas partes! ¡Y los terroristas saldrán de las estructuras!
EN: People come out of the woodwork.
ES: La gente sale de la nada.
EN: Who knows who else will come out of the woodwork and tell me who I am?
ES: ¿Quién sabe quién más aparecerá para decirme quién soy?
EN: Copycats come out of the woodwork every time there's an execution.
ES: Los imitadores aparecen cada vez que hay una ejecución.

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