English, baby!

bat an eyelid

Date: Jan 03 2008

Quote

1. Quote - Listen to the quote and guess what the slang means.

“The local kids would catch these snakes and people would eat them regularly, so nobody was batting an eyelid.”

- Actor Christian Bale on eating snakes while filming Rescue Dawn. (Entertainment Weekly)

Definition

1. Definition - Study the definition.

react; flinch

2. Use - Learn how the slang is used.

You know how when something comes near your face, you blink? That’s called batting an eyelid. So anytime someone doesn’t react to something you would expect him or her to, you can say that person didn’t bat an eyelid. Next time you get some bad news, try not to bat an eyelid. It will make you seem tough.

When someone does something difficult without being affected at all, they do it without batting an eyelid. While filming the movie Rescue Dawn about the Vietnam war, Christian Bale and some of the other actors ate a snake. But since he’d seen the local people eating snakes already, it wasn’t a big deal for Christian Bale and he didn’t bat an eyelid.

Examples

1. Examples - Hear some example sentences.

“She just breaks hearts all the time without batting an eyelid.”

“He didn’t even bat an eyelid when they told him his house had burned down.”

Winners

1. Winners - See who guessed the slang definition correctly.

	react or show emotion when surprised, shocked ； turn a hair； blink in surprise or astonishment by 永恒破灭者
	to show no surprise or embarrassment when something unusual happens by MVP
	not batting an eyelid means not showing surprise or shock, or any reaction by elanor_inglorion
	no body got surprised or shocked, because it's a normal thing to see around by m@nuelm@d
	people are all very calm,as if it's something very usual(eating the snakes) by Catkitten
	It means the people have no fear about eating snake and don't even blink by linjin
	to blink, to open and close the eyes. they don't react or show any emotion when surprised, shocked. by liru
	Batting eyelid is a reflex. Usually, people will have some specific reflex to the strange things or suddenly changes. If someone don't have this reflex that means he can keep cool and calm. by MWang
	NOT bat an eyelid means: without fear, treat something as a piece of cake. by babyxiao
	I think it means showing surprise about something by Rosi_j
	Shocked, surprised, spooked, afraid etc. by Divagirl
	i think it means doing something without thinking or giving it a second thought by ljiljana
	staring at surprise; finding something weird; watching impressed by saveourlives
	showing surprise by nevillepc
	pay special attention. be surprized, open your eyes widely coz of amazement by eaglewings
	it means the thing very commonly happens,people take it habitual,they are not surprised at it by xuefenbunny
	to not show any shock or surprise , dont care by omar_beyaty
	without shock or surprise, it's like something normal by luis_size
	i think it's sth like appear affected or show the emotion by panggerm