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Discussion Forum—A Way with Words, a fun radio show and podcast about language

A Way with Words, a radio show and podcast about language and linguistics.

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Keeping your eye peeled
dhenderson
Sunnyvale, CA
70 Posts
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1
2007/12/13 - 9:14am
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What's the origin of the idiom "to keep one's eye peeled" as a statement of visual vigilance? Inquiring minds...

Dan

I'd give my right arm to be ambidextrous.

Martha Barnette
San Diego, CA
820 Posts
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2
2007/12/13 - 6:11pm
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I've not researched this, but mightn't the image be that of the eyelid peeled back? Metaphorically, of course.

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3
2007/12/13 - 6:31pm
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Sounds like you're on the right track, Martha. Michael Quinion has written about this phrase here.

There's also this alternate idiom: "keep one's eyes skinned."

Martha Barnette
San Diego, CA
820 Posts
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4
2007/12/13 - 8:16pm
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Eeeeeuw.

Of course, now you have me thinking about the fact that the uvea of the eye takes its name from the Latin word for "grape."

Here's fruit in yer eye!

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