a road to Damascus moment
Meaning: A sudden, life-changing realization or conversion.
Language: English
Literally: (Already vivid in English)
Example: “Seeing the plastic on the beach was her road to Damascus moment.”
Category: Daily Life
Origin: From the Acts of the Apostles: on the road to Damascus, Saul, a persecutor of Christians, was blinded by a light from heaven and became the apostle Paul.
Equivalents in other languages
- German: sein Damaskus erleben — literally: to experience one's Damascus
- French: Trouver son chemin de Damas — literally: To find one's road to Damascus
More idioms — Daily Life
- the sword of Damocles — A constant threat of disaster hanging over someone.
- the deck is stacked — The situation is unfairly arranged so that someone will lose.
- after me, the deluge — I don't care what happens after I am gone.
- slow on the uptake — Slow to understand.
- kiss something goodbye — To accept that one has lost something or will never get it.
- set one's sights on — To decide to try to get or achieve something.
More English idioms
- lie through one's teeth — To lie openly and shamelessly.
- God forbid — Used to say that one hopes something bad will not happen.
- kill them all and let God sort them out — A grim or joking call to act ruthlessly without distinguishing innocent from guilty.
- a little bird told me — I learned it from a secret source I won't name.
- put one's feet up — To relax and rest.
- blow a gasket — To lose one's temper completely.
From our false friends
- Lectura — Actually means 'reading'. A lecture is una conferencia.
- Compromiso — Actually means 'commitment', 'obligation', or 'engagement'. For a negotiated compromise,…
- Gracioso — Actually means 'funny' or 'amusing'. For gracious (kind and polite), say amable.