in the eye of
In the center or focal point of something, as in They were right in the eye of this controversy. This term employs eye in the sense of “a central spot,” a usage dating from the mid-1700s.
in the eyes of. In the view or opinion of, from the standpoint of. For example, In the eyes of his fans Elvis could do no wrong, or In the eyes of the law he was a fugitive. The eyes here allude to their function, seeing. [Late 1500s]
QUIZZES
DISCOVER THE INFLUENCE OF PORTUGUESE ON ENGLISH VIA THIS QUIZ!
We’ve gathered some interesting words donated to English from Portuguese … as well as some that just don’t translate at all. Do you know what they mean?
Question 1 of 11
Which of the following animal names traces its immediate origin to Portuguese?
Words nearby in the eye of
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.