turn the other cheek
Meaning: Not to retaliate; not to pay back bad behavior with more bad behavior.
Language: English
Literally: (Already vivid in English)
Category: Body & Senses
Origin: TURN THE TABLES {THE TABLES HAVE TURNED} to reverse a situation Turn the tables originates from tabletop board games such as backgammon. During the game, players would turn the table (game) so they played from their opponent's position.
More idioms — Body & Senses
- turn up one's nose at something or someone — To scorn, snub, or reject something.
- under someone's thumb — Under someone's control.
- with bated breath — Hardly breathing at all because of fear, excitement, or other strong emotion.
- Tomber dans les pommes — Suddenly losing consciousness — possibly derived from the older expression 'être dans les…
- Avoir la moutarde qui monte au nez — To be getting angry.
- Couper les cheveux en quatre — To over-analyze or split hairs.
More English idioms
- when hell freezes over — Never.
- beat about the bush — To speak or write evasively; to talk around an issue.
- beat the bushes — To search exhaustively.
- between the devil and the deep blue sea — Facing two difficult outcomes for the same situation.
- down to earth — Practical and rational; unpretentious.
- fair-weather friend — A person who is loyal in good times but not when times are difficult.
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