Turning a blind eye 🔕👀
Meaning
To deliberately ignore something that you know is wrong or illegal.
Origin
The phrase paints a vivid picture, doesn't it? Imagine a wary lookout, on patrol, perhaps scanning the horizon for approaching ships or some other danger. When a specific threat appears, or even a signal indicating trouble, being ordered to 'turn a blind eye' means physically averting one's gaze, pretending not to see, thus allowing the undesirable event to proceed without intervention or official notice. This deliberate act of omission, of feigned ignorance, became a powerful metaphor for willful inaction in the face of wrongdoing.
Turning a blind eye represented with emoji🔕👀
This playful pairing of a bell with crossed-out notification symbol (🔕) and watchful eyes (👀) functions as a charming visual riddle. It playfully suggests a deliberate act of not seeing, or perhaps a staged ignorance, inviting us to consider moments when we've all perhaps decided to turn a blind eye to the obvious. It's a wink and a nod to our own selective perception, making the mundane act of ignoring something into a curious, almost theatrical performance.
Examples
- The manager was accused of turning a blind eye to the employees' constant lateness.
- It's hard to believe the government could just turn a blind eye to such obvious corruption.
- The king, known for turning a blind eye to minor mischief, usually let the jesters get away with their pranks, though this time a flaming pie had gone too far.
- The townspeople, accustomed to the wizard turning a blind eye to the occasional dragon fly-by, were more concerned about the unusual lack of marshmallows for their hot chocolate.
Frequently asked questions
'Turning a blind eye' is an idiom. Idioms are figurative phrases where the meaning cannot be deduced from the individual words, unlike proverbs which often offer a piece of advice or wisdom.
The opposite of 'turning a blind eye' is 'paying attention' or 'keeping a watchful eye'. These phrases imply paying close attention and not ignoring or allowing wrongdoing to occur.
Yes, in some legal contexts, deliberately ignoring wrongdoing or a crime can lead to legal consequences, such as being charged as an accessory or for negligence. This is particularly true in professional settings or positions of authority where a duty to act exists.
Yes, Admiral Horatio Nelson famously 'turned a blind eye' during the Battle of Copenhagen. He raised his telescope to his blind eye to ignore signals from his superior officer, Admiral Sir Hyde Parker, to disengage from the battle, allowing him to achieve victory.