IdiomAnimals
French
FrenchAvoir des yeux de lynx
Meaning: To have extremely sharp eyesight, or to notice everything.
Literally: To have lynx eyes
Example: “La correctrice a des yeux de lynx : aucune faute ne lui échappe.” — The proofreader has eyes like a hawk: no typo gets past her.
English equivalent: To have eyes like a hawk
Equivalents in other languages
English: have eyes like a hawk
Origin: The lynx's night vision was proverbial in antiquity, and Pliny credited it with seeing through solid objects. The Accademia dei Lincei, Galileo's academy, took its name from the same reputation.
More French idioms
- À la fortune du pot Taking potluck; sharing whatever happens to be cooking.
- Séparer le bon grain de l'ivraie To distinguish what is valuable from what is worthless.
- Se demander si c'est du lard ou du cochon To be unable to tell what something is or how it is meant.
- Une autre paire de manches A different matter entirely; a far harder proposition.
- Faire du lèche-vitrine To go window shopping.
- L'huile de coude Hard physical effort; elbow grease.
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