lose one's head
Meaning: To stop thinking clearly because of panic, anger or passion.
Language: English
Literally: (Already vivid in English)
Example: “Don't lose your head; we still have an hour to catch the flight.”
Category: Body & Senses
Origin: The head as the seat of reason. The figurative sense has long lived alongside the literal one of beheading, and is common from the 17th century.
Equivalents in other languages
- Polish: stracić głowę — literally: to lose one's head
More idioms — Body & Senses
- lose face — To lose respect or be humiliated in public.
- shoulder the burden — To take on a heavy responsibility.
- give one's eyeteeth for something — To want something very badly.
- blush to the roots of one's hair — To go very red with embarrassment.
- not see beyond the end of one's nose — To have a narrow outlook and ignore anything beyond one's immediate concerns.
- many hands make light work — A job is easier when many people share it.
More English idioms
- manna from heaven — Something good that arrives unexpectedly just when it is needed.
- play for time — To delay deliberately in the hope of improving one's position.
- even Homer nods — Even the most skilled people sometimes make mistakes.
- 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.