IdiomBody & Senses
English
Englishlose face
Meaning: To lose respect or be humiliated in public.
Example: “He'd rather keep arguing than admit the mistake and lose face.”
Origin: A translation of Chinese expressions about "face" as social standing, adopted in English in the late 19th century.
Equivalents in other languages
Polish: stracić twarz Literally: To lose face
More English idioms
- play for time To delay deliberately in the hope of improving one's position.
- gild the lily To spoil something already perfect by adding to it.
- borrow trouble To worry about problems that may never happen.
- act like one owns the place To behave with arrogant disregard for others.
- once in a lifetime So rare that it will probably happen only once.
- cook the books To falsify figures, especially accounts.
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