IdiomAnimals
English
Englishyou could have knocked me down with a feather
Meaning: I was extremely surprised.
Example: “When she said she was marrying my brother, you could have knocked me down with a feather.”
Origin: So stunned that even a feather could knock one over. The phrase is found from the 19th century.
Equivalents in other languages
Spanish: Quedarse de piedra Literally: To be left as stone
Greek: Μου έφυγε το καφάσι Literally: My crate flew off
French: En rester comme deux ronds de flan Literally: To be left like two rounds of custard
More English idioms
- swing the lead To avoid work, especially by pretending to be ill.
- get on someone's nerves To annoy someone.
- a fat lot of good that does me That is of no use to me at all.
- knock someone's socks off To impress or amaze someone greatly.
- no sweat No problem; that's easy.
- dumb as a box of rocks Very stupid.
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