only have eyes for
Meaning: To be interested in or attracted to one person only.
Language: English
Literally: (Already vivid in English)
Example: “The party was full of interesting people, but Maya only had eyes for the drummer.”
Category: Body & Senses
Origin: Widely popularized by the 1934 song "I Only Have Eyes for You," by Harry Warren and Al Dubin. Similar phrasing existed before the song.
Equivalents in other languages
- French: Avoir les yeux de Chimène pour quelqu'un — literally: To have Chimène's eyes for someone
More idioms — Body & Senses
- shoot oneself in the foot — To damage one's own interests through a foolish action.
- set tongues wagging — To cause people to gossip.
- twiddle one's thumbs — To do nothing while waiting or out of boredom.
- have a free hand — To have freedom to act as one sees fit.
- take a load off someone's mind — To relieve someone of a worry.
- hand in hand — Closely together; in close association.
More English idioms
- lose sleep over — To worry a lot about something.
- like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic — Doing something pointless while a disaster happens.
- make a pass at — To make a sexual or romantic advance toward someone.
- overstep the mark — To go beyond what is acceptable.
- come down on someone like a ton of bricks — To criticize or punish someone very severely.
- shoot down in flames — To reject or destroy an idea or argument completely.
From our compliments & insults
- Más terco/a que una mula — Hopelessly obstinate — no argument, fact, or force of nature will shift their position.
- Pareces un pulpo en un garaje — You're completely out of place — flailing around uselessly in an environment that makes n…
- Che rompiscatole — What an insufferable pest — someone who endlessly pesters and never lets you be.