burst someone's bubble
Meaning: To destroy someone's illusion or happy belief.
Language: English
Literally: (Already vivid in English)
Example: “I hate to burst your bubble, but the concert was canceled.”
Category: The Absurd
Origin: A bubble stands for something fragile and empty. "Burst the bubble" is recorded from the early 19th century (1810), and the personal form is found by the mid-19th century. A link to the South Sea Bubble crash of 1720 is sometimes suggested but not established.
Equivalents in other languages
- French: péter une baloune — literally: to burst a balloon
More idioms — The Absurd
- none of your beeswax — A playful way of saying "none of your business."
- thick as a brick — Very stupid.
- the die is cast — A decision has been made and cannot be undone.
- sell one's soul to the devil — To give up one's principles in exchange for money, power or success.
- a Tower of Babel — A noisy scene where many people speak different languages, or a confusion of voices.
- like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic — Doing something pointless while a disaster happens.
More English idioms
- prick up one's ears — To suddenly start listening closely.
- rise from the ashes — To be reborn or rebuilt after destruction or failure.
- one's blood runs cold — To be filled with sudden fear or horror.
- stir up a hornet's nest — To cause a lot of trouble or anger, often by provoking people.
- poke one's nose into — To pry or interfere in matters that do not concern one.
- rot one's brain — To dull one's mind through mindless activity.