
IdiomBody & Senses
English
To turn a blind eye
Meaning: To deliberately ignore something you know is wrong.
Example: “The manager turned a blind eye to the long lunch breaks as long as the work got done.”
Origin: Legend says Admiral Nelson, ordered to withdraw at Copenhagen in 1801, raised the telescope to his blind eye and declared he saw no signal.
Other ways to say this
Italian: Fare orecchie da mercante Literally: To make merchant's ears
Dutch: in de wind slaan Literally: To strike in the windEnglish: turn a deaf ear
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- By the skin of your teeth By the narrowest possible margin.
- To rain on someone's parade To spoil someone's plans or happy moment.
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