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What is the meaning bat an eye?
Showing no emotion, acting as though nothing were unusual. For example, Richard ate the snails without batting an eye. A related phrase is not bat an eye, as in He didn’t bat an eye when she told him he was being laid off. These expressions, which use bat in the sense of “blink,” date from about 1900.
What does it mean to bat an eye lid?
[British] to not be shocked or offended by something that would shock or offend most people. I thought Sarah and David would be acutely embarrassed. But they didn’t bat an eyelid. to not be nervous or worried about something that would worry most people.
Where did the term bat an eye come from?
In the 19th century, and presumably for some period earlier, batting ones eyes or eyelashes was a similar fluttering, like rapid serial winking. It was used in the negative to indicate a lack of emotion or indifference (“without batting an eyelash”), or in the positive one might say it of a coquette.
Is it bat an eye or eyelash?
Meaning: to not show any shock or surprise. Example: When the Court pronounced the prisoner guilty of murder, the accused stood there without batting an eyelid.
What does take 5 means?
Relax, take some time off from what one is doing, as in We’ve been at it long enough; let’s take five. This term is short for “take five minutes off.” [Slang; first half of 1900s] For a synonym, see take a break.
What is the meaning of to look without blinking?
without (even) blinking an eye Without having or displaying any sort of emotional response, especially to that which would normally elicit such a reaction. When we were traveling, Janet used to eat things like crickets and jellyfish without blinking an eye.
What does I don’t give a fig mean?
not care
Definition of not care/give a fig informal + old-fashioned. : to not care anything at all He doesn’t care a fig about what others think. I don’t give a fig whether he comes or goes.
How do you bat your eyes?
bat (one’s) eyes To flirt with or feign romantic interest in someone, either by literally fluttering one’s eyelashes or merely in general. Usually, but not exclusively, refers to women. She kept batting her eyes at me each time I talked to her, so I’m thinking of asking her out on a date.
What is the meaning of blue blood in idioms?
phrase. If you say that someone has blue blood, you mean that they are from a family that has a high social rank.
What is the past tense of bat?
batted
bat Definitions and Synonyms
| present tense | |
|---|---|
| he/she/it | bats |
| present participle | batting |
| past tense | batted |
| past participle | batted |
What does “to not bat an eye” mean?
idiom: to not bat an eye. I have another idiom for you this week. The expression is “to not bat an eye”. It is used when we want to talk about someone who is not shocked or surprised when most people would be shocked or surprised by a certain situation. If someone bats their eyes, it basically means that they blink.
How do you use bat an eye in a sentence?
He handed over the money without batting an eye. Note: The usual British expression is not bat an eyelid. Note: Bat is from a French word meaning to beat or flutter and is used of a bird’s wings.
Would you cater for a hundred people without batting an eyelid?
Mum would cater for a hundred people without batting an eyelid. Note: The usual American expression is not bat an eye. Bat in this sense is perhaps a dialect and US variant of the verb bate meaning ‘lower or let down’. The variant not blink an eye is also found.
What does it mean to not bat an eyelash?
not bat an eyelash. mainly BRITISH. COMMON If someone does not bat an eyelid or does not bat an eyelash when something happens, they do not appear at all shocked or surprised by it. Even when told that a room in the hotel cost £235 per night, he didn’t bat an eyelid.