IdiomThe Absurd
English
Englishburst someone's bubble
Meaning: To destroy someone's illusion or happy belief.
Example: “I hate to burst your bubble, but the concert was canceled.”
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 la balloune Literally: To burst the balloon
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.
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Words that look familiar in another language but mean something else entirely.
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