Words and Their Stories: All about Eyes
someone's eye and get someone's eye
Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.
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Today’s program is all about eyes. When it comes to relationships, people’s eyes can be a window into their hearts. This means that their eyes can tell a lot about how they feel. We will tell a story about a man and woman who are teachers at the same school. The woman is interested in the man. She uses many methods to catch his eye, or get him to notice her. Once he sets eyes on her, or sees her, she might try to get him interested in her by acting playful. In other words, she might try to make eyes at him or give him the eye.
Let us suppose that this man gets hit between the eyes. In other words, the woman has a strong affect on him. He wants to spend time with her to get to know her better. He asks her out on a date.
She is so happy that she may walk around for days with stars in her eyes. She is extremely happy because this man is the apple of her eye, a very special person. She might tell him that he is the only person she wants, or “I only have eyes for you.”
On their date, the couple might eat a meal together at a restaurant. If the man is really hungry, his eyes might be bigger than his stomach. He might order more food than he can eat. When his food arrives at the table, his eyes might pop out. He might be very surprised by the amount of food provided. He might not even believe his own eyes. If fact, all eyes would be watching him if he ate all the food. This might even cause raised eyebrows. People might look at the man with disapproval.
During their dinner, the couple might discuss many things. They might discover that they see eye to eye, or agree on many issues. They share the same beliefs and opinions. For example, they might agree that every crime or injury should be punished. That is, they firmly believe in the idea of an eye for an eye. They might also agree that it is wrong to pull the wool over a person’s eyes. This means to try to trick a person by making him believe something that is false. But the man and woman do not believe in the evil eye, that a person can harm you by looking at you.
The next day, at their school, the woman asks the man to keep an eye on, or watch the young students in her class while she is out of the classroom. This might be hard to do when the teacher is writing on a board at the front of the classroom. To do so, a teacher would need to have eyes in the back of his head. In other words, he would know what the children are doing even when he is not watching them.
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WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, in VOA Special English, was written by Jill Moss. I’m Faith Lapidus.
catch
1. Fig. to establish eye contact with someone; to attract someone's attention. The shiny red car caught Mary's eye. When Tom had her eye, he smiled at her.
2. Fig. to appear and attract someone's interest. A small red car passing by caught my eye. One of the books on the top shelf caught my eye, and I took it down to look at it.
set eyes on someone or something and lay eyes on someone or something
Fig. to see someone or something for the first time. I knew when I set eyes on that car that it was the car for me. Have you ever laid eyes on such a beautiful flower?
someone the eye
Fig. to look at someone in a way that communicates romantic interest. Ann gave John the eye. It really surprised him. Tom kept giving Sally the eye. She finally got disgusted and left.
someone (right) between the eyes
1. Lit. to strike someone between the eyes. The baseball hit her right between the eyes.
2. Fig. to become completely apparent; to surprise or impress someone. Suddenly, it hit me right between the eyes. John and Mary were in love. Then—as he was talking—the exact nature of the evil plan hit me right between the eyes. The realization of what had happened hit me between the eyes.
Fig. an obsession with celebrities, movies, and the theater. (Alludes to movie stars. *Typically: get ~; have ~; give one ~.) Many young people have stars in their eyes at this age. Anne has stars in her eyes. she wants to go to Hollywood.
your eyes
someone who has stars in their eyes is very excited and hopeful about the future and imagines they are going to be very successful and famous She was a girl with stars in her eyes and dreams of becoming famous.
Fig. one has taken more food than one can eat. I can't eat all this. I'm afraid that my eyes were bigger than my stomach. Try to take less food. Your eyes are bigger than your stomach at every meal.
(of something)
to jump out of something; to burst out of something. Suddenly, a little mouse popped out of the drawer. I opened the drawer and a mouse popped out.
and raise a few eyebrows
Fig. to shock or surprise people mildly (by doing or saying something). (Some can be replaced with a few, someone's, a lot of, etc.) What you just said may raise some eyebrows, but it shouldn't make anyone really angry. John's sudden marriage to Ann raised a few eyebrows.
something that you say which means if someone does something wrong, they should be punished by having the same thing done to them
Usage notes: This phrase comes from the Bible.
If you murder someone you deserve to die. An eye for an eye.
someone's eyes
Fig. to deceive someone. You can't pull the wool over my eyes. I know what's going on. Don't try to pull the wool over her eyes. She's too smart.
pull the wool over