in the altogether

Idioms and Phrases

Also, in or stripped to the buff ; in the raw . Naked, nude, as in The art class wanted a model to pose in the altogether , or She was stripped to the buff when the doorbell rang , or He always sleeps in the raw . The first of these colloquial terms dates from the late 1800s. In the buff , a seemingly modern locution dates from the 1600s, buff alluding to a soft, undyed leather, buffskin , that also gave its name to the color. The use of raw , presumably also alluding to raw (undressed) leather, dates from the early 1900s.

Example Sentences

It’s true that, decor-wise, the joint looks more like a budget dental surgery than somewhere you would feel comfortable in the altogether.

From The Guardian

Again I flashed back to college, this time to a clothing-optional beach where my friends and I spent a day together in the altogether, frolicking in our own naked Garden of Eden.

From Salon

The more compelling nakedness on display is that of people revealed in the altogether of their atavistic impulses: the will to keep living and the fear of dying.

From New York Times

Something transcendent occurred that’s truly rare when performers keep moving while in the altogether.

From New York Times

Working from soft-core magazines, Picabia painted a whole series of buxom blondes in the altogether, sometimes with men, in one case chilling in bed with a bulldog.

From The Guardian

Related Words

• bare
• defenseless
• exposed
• helpless
• nude