What Your Eyes Can See

The most common idioms we use in our daily life?

Have/Keep your eye on somebody.
To be carefully watching everything that someone does, especially because you do not trust them to do things properly.
I have got my eye on you now, so you do as you’re told.

Clap/Lay/Set eyes on somebody/something
An expression meaning to see someone or something, used especially when you are surprised or shocked.
I had never clapped eyes on him before in my life.

The naked eye.
If you can see something with the naked eye, you can see it without using any artificial help such as a telescope or microscope.
On a cleared night these stars can be seen with the naked eye.

Be all eyes.
Especially spoken to watch carefully what is happening or someone is doing.
We were all eyes as he slowly walked towards the stags.

In front of/before your (very) eyes.
An expression meaning happening so that you can see it clearly. Used especially when what you see is surprising or shocking.
Ladies and gentlemen, before your eyes, I will now make this rabbit disappear.

Catch somebody’ eye.
a)    To attract someone’s attention and make them look at something:
All of a sudden something red caught his eye.
b)    To look at someone at the same moment that they are looking at you.
I caught his eye in the rear-view mirror and knew what he was thinking.

Eye contact.
If you have eye contact with someone, you look directly at them and they look directly at you.
Always establish eye contact with the customer; it inspires confidence.

Cannot take your eyes off somebody/something.
To be unable to stop looking at someone or something, especially because they are very attractive or interesting.
She was so beautiful, I simply couldn’t take my eyes off her.

Look somebody in the eye.
(Usually in negatives) To look directly and steadily at someone because you are not embarrassed or ashamed.
I couldn’t look him in the eye afterwards, knowing that I had lost all that money.

Run/cast your eye over something.
To look at something quickly without reading it in detail.
Could you just cast your eye over this report before I hand it in?

Keep your eye on something/somebody.
To look after someone or something and make sure that they are safe.
Razia offered to keep an eye on the baby while I went out.

Keep an eye out for something.
To hope to notice or find something.
Could you keep an eye out for my red pen? I seem to have mislaid it.

Keep your eyes open.
Spoken to watch carefully for something.
Keep your eyes open for a suitable picnic spot.

Have eyes in the back of your head.
To know what is happening all round you, even when this might seem impossible.
You need to have eyes in the back of your head to be a teacher.

Have eyes like a hawk.
To notice every small detail or everything that is happening, and therefore to be difficult to deceive.
We never got away with anything in Mrs. Naseem’s class’ she had eyes like a hawk.

Have your eye on something.
To notice something that you want to buy or have.
I have got my eye on a nice little sports car that I am saving up for.

Not see eye to eye with.
To always disagree with someone.
She never saw eye to eye with her daughter-in-law.

Not be able to believe your eye.
Used when you see something very surprising.
I couldn’t believe my eyes. There she was, stark naked.

Eyes popping out of your head.
Used when you are very surprised or shocked by something you see.
My eyes popped out of my head when I saw him lying dead on the floor.

Make eyes at somebody.
To look at someone in the way that shows you find them sexually attractive.
She spent the whole evening making eyes at other men.

Only have eyes for somebody.
If someone only has eyes for someone else, they only love and are interested in that one person.
I knew that it was hopeless ‘Shahid only had eyes for his wife.

Have your eye on somebody.
To notice someone, especially because you think they are attractive.
I hear you have got you eye on a new player for the team.

Have a (good) eye for something.
To be good and noticing and recognizing what is attractive, valuable, of good quality etc.
My sister has a good eye for colour.

In the eyes of the law/the world/ the police etc.
In the opinion or judgment of the law, the world, the police etc.
In the eyes of the law, stealing is an offence, no matter what your motives are.

To my eye.
Spoken when you want to give your opinion about the way something looks.
To my eye, the paint seemed darker than it had seemed in the shop.

Be up to your eyes in something.
To be very busy doing something.
I really can’t attend to anything else just now — I am up to my eyes in paperwork as it is.
With your eyes closed/shut.
Easily and without any difficulty.
I do not know why you are so worried ‘you can win this match with your eyes closed.

Have eyes bigger than your stomach.
To take more food than you are able to eat.
I can’t finish this cake’ I must have eyes bigger than my stomach.

One in the eye for.
A defeat or disappointment for someone else, usually used when you are pleased about it.
If we win the cup, it will be  one in the eye for Shakeel, we would not even make it to the final.

More to something/somebody than meets the eye.
If there is more to a situation, problem, or person than meets the eye, they are more complicated than they seem to be at first.
I reckon there’s more to this reemployment scheme than meets the eye.

With your eyes open.
Knowing fully what the problems, difficulties, results etc of a situation might be.
You went into this with your eyes open, so it’s no use complaining now!

Close/shut your eyes to something.
To ignore something or pretend that you do not know it is happening.
I closed my eyes to the fact she wasn’t supposed to be there, and bought her a drink.