a low blow

Meaning: An unfair or cruel attack.

Language: English

Literally: (Already vivid in English)

Example: “Mentioning his divorce in the debate was a low blow.”

Category: Body & Senses

Origin: From boxing, where hitting below the belt is against the rules (compare "below the belt"). The figurative use is from the 20th century.

Equivalents in other languages

it's all fun and games until someone loses an eye — Rough play may seem harmless but can end in injury.
a dab hand — Someone very skilled at something.
cry one's eyes out — To cry very hard and for a long time.
hale and hearty — Healthy and strong, especially in old age.
break a leg — Good luck, said to a performer before going on stage.
an eye for an eye — Punishment should match the injury; revenge in kind.

the judgment of Solomon — A wise decision that cleverly settles a difficult dispute.
six of one, half a dozen of the other — Two options are essentially the same.
to the letter — Exactly and precisely, following every detail.
get the boot — To be dismissed from a job or thrown out.
don't wash your dirty linen in public — Keep private problems and quarrels private.
can't see the forest for the trees — Too focused on details to understand the whole situation.

How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? — A 'w/ch/ck' drill that accelerates comically — and nobody really knows the answer.
The sixth sick sheikh's sixth sheep's sick. — Believed by Guinness to be among the hardest in English — 'six/sick/sheikh/sheep' blur in…
Betty Botter bought some butter, but she said the butter's bitter. — A 'b / t / tt' plosive drill that bounces between Betty, butter, and bitter.