Etymology Journal ยท Y
You're gonna put an eye out
Meaning
- A parental classic used when children are playing with something sharp, pointy, or projectile-based. It emphasizes the extreme risk of a minor game.
Caring, hyperbolic
Used in a sentence
- Put that stick down, you are gonna put an eye out!
- Do not run with scissors or you are gonna put an eye out.
- Stop shooting that rubber band, you are gonna put an eye out.
The backstory
This is a staple of American parenting wisdom. It highlights the irrational fear that every harmless game will inevitably end in a trip to the emergency room.
Heard in
Nationwide
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