In the 17th century, the verb to bate and the likely related verb, to bat, were used in falconry to mean “to flap wildly.” By the 19th century, to bat was also part of the phrase to bat one’s eyelashes. This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “To Bat Wings and Eyes”
You know that expression to bat one’s eyes?
Yeah, something you might do to be attractive or alluring.
Yeah, alluring, right, and you’re sort of fluttering your eyelids.
Yeah, do you ever wonder where that came from?
Is it bat wings? No.
Is it like swinging?
I know, right? You start thinking about it and you just think, what in the heck is that about?
It’s a term from falconry.
Okay.
Batting or to bat is, according to a 1614 text, when a hawk fluttereth with her wings, either from the perch or the man’s fist, striving as if it were to fly away.
Striving as if to fly away.
Yeah, you know, I mean, it’s that same kind of thing.
So it means to flutter.
Yeah.
So it comes from it or it’s related to it?
No, that was the original sense of to bat and then to bat one’s eyes is to move your eyelids like wings.
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