The Archive

Etymology Journal ยท W

Wear your heart on your sleeve

Meaning

To show your emotions openly rather than hiding them. People who do this are considered honest but perhaps a bit vulnerable to criticism.

Descriptive, sympathetic

Used in a sentence

  • She wears her heart on her sleeve and cries at every commercial.
  • You might get hurt if you continue to wear your heart on your sleeve at this job.
  • I admire how he wears his heart on his sleeve during their arguments.

The backstory

This phrase is famously attributed to Shakespeare in Othello. It refers to the medieval practice of wearing a token or favor from a lady on a knight's sleeve.

Heard in

Nationwide

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