blind (redirected from blindingly)

*blind as a bat 

1. completely blind. (Bats are not really blind. *Also: as ~.) He lost his sight in an accident and is as blind as a bat.

2. not able to see well. I'm as blind as a bat without my glasses.

3. unwilling to recognize problems or bad things. Connie is blind as a bat when it comes to her daughter's disgraceful behavior.

See also: bat

*up a blind alley

Fig. at a dead end; on a route that leads nowhere. (*Typically:be ~; go ~.) I have been trying to find out something about my ancestors, but I'm up a blind alley. I can't find anything. The police are up a blind alley in their investigation of the crime.

See also: alley, up

blind someone to something

Fig. to prevent someone from seeing or understanding something. The king blinded his subjects to what was going on by controlling what appeared in the newspapers. The lies and confusion blinded Jill to what was happening. She blinded herself to all his faults.

case of the blind leading the blind

Fig. a situation where people who don't know how to do something try to teach other people. Tom doesn't know anything about cars, but he's trying to teach Sally how to change the oil. It's a case of the blind leading the blind. When I tried to show Mary how to use a computer, it was a case of the blind leading the blind.

See also: case, leading

In the country of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.

Prov. A person who is not particularly capable can attain a powerful position if the people around him or her are even less capable. Jill: How on earth did Joe get promoted to be head of his department? He's such a blunderer! Jane: In the country of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.

See also: country, king, man

like a blind dog in a meat market

Rur. out of control. The drunk staggered out of the saloon like a blind dog in a meat market, stumbling all over the sidewalk. The kids tore through the museum like a blind dog in a meat market, touching everything they weren't supposed to touch.

See also: dog, like, market, meat

like stealing acorns from a blind pig

Rur. very easy. Getting Mary to sign the house over to me was like stealing acorns from a blind pig. Tom: Was it hard to fool so many people? Charlie: Nope. It was like stealing acorns from a blind pig.

See also: acorn, like, pig, steal

Love is blind.

Cliché If you love someone, you cannot see any faults in that person. Jill: I don't understand why Joanna likes Tom. He's inconsiderate, he's vain, and he isn't even good-looking. Jane: Love is blind.

See also: love

Men are blind in their own cause.

Prov. If you believe in something very fervently, you will not recognize the flaws in what you believe or the dangers associated with it. Jill: Lyle is so intent on converting people to his religion, that he doesn't see that his constant preaching is alienating his friends. Jane: Men are blind in their own cause.

See also: cause, men

nod is as good as a wink to a blind horse

Prov. You cannot get people to take a hint if they are determined not to. Jill: I keep hinting to the boss that I deserve a raise, but he doesn't seem to get the point. Jane: I'm not surprised. A nod's as good as a wink to a blind horse.

See also: good, horse, nod, wink

pure luck and blind luck

complete luck; nothing but plain luck. I have no skill. I won by pure luck.

See also: luck, pure

rob someone blind 

1. Fig. to steal freely from someone. Her maid was robbing her blind. I don't want them to rob me blind. Keep an eye on them.

2. Fig. to overcharge someone. You are trying to rob me blind. I won't pay it! Those auto repair shops can rob you blind if you don't watch out.

See also: rob

The blind leading the blind

Prov. Someone who is not capable of dealing with a situation is guiding someone else who is not capable of dealing with it. (See also .) Jill: Mike is helping me fill out my tax forms this year. Jane: Is he a tax expert? Jill: He read a book about income tax once. Jane: Sounds to me like the blind leading the blind. Nathan offered to be my guide through Philadelphia, but since he'd never been there before either, it was a case of the blind leading the blind.

See also: leading

There's none so blind as those who will not see.

Prov. You cannot make someone pay attention to something that he or she does not want to notice. (Used often to upbraid someone for being unwilling to notice what you are trying call attention to.) Mother: This is the fifth time our daughter has been arrested for shoplifting. Don't you think we ought to seek some kind of help for her? Father: Our girl would never shoplift. I'm sure all those arrests were just some kind of mistake. Mother: There's none so blind as those who will not see. By October, it was obvious to everyone that Richard was coming in drunk every morning. Obvious, that is, except to his devoted secretary; there's none so blind as those who will not see.

See also: none, see, those, who

turn a blind eye (to someone or something)

Fig. to ignore something and pretend you do not see it. The usher turned a blind eye to the little boy who sneaked into the theater. How can you turn a blind eye to all those starving children?

See also: eye, turn

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not take a blind bit of notice  (British & Australian informal)

to not give someone or something any attention at all Protesters were shouting and waving banners outside the embassy, but no-one took a blind bit of notice. (often + of ) They didn't take a blind bit of notice of our objections.

See also: bit, notice, take

a blind alley

a method of thinking or acting which is not effective because it does not produce any results The latest evolutionary theory may turn out to be a blind alley.

See also: alley

a blind date

an arranged meeting for two people who have never met each other before, in order to try to start a romantic relationship I agreed to go on a blind date with one of Savita's ex-boyfriends.

See also: date

a blind spot

something that you do not understand at all, often because you are not willing to try He had a complete blind spot where public relations were concerned, so his political career was doomed from the start. Languages are my blind spot - I was always terrible at French.

See also: spot

be as blind as a bat  (humorous)

to be completely blind I'm as blind as a bat without my glasses.

See also: bat

blind somebody with science  (British & Australian)

if you blind someone with science, you confuse them by using technical language that they are not likely to understand I think he decided to blind us with science because he didn't want us asking any difficult questions.

See also: science

effing and blinding  (British & Australian informal)

swearing angrily

Usage notes: Effing here represents the letter 'F' as a way of avoiding saying 'fuck' or 'fucking'. Blinding comes from an old-fashioned phrase 'Blind me!'

I could hear Bill effing and blinding as he tried to repair the washing machine.

See also: and

fly blind

to try to do something new without any help or instructions (usually in continuous tenses) We've never dealt with Eastern Europe before, so we're flying blind.

See also: fly

swear blind  (british & Australian) also swear up and down/black and blue (American & Australian/Australian)

to say that something is completely true, especially when someone does not believe you He swore up and down that he'd never seen the letter. If I ask her, I know she'll swear blind she locked the door. He swore black and blue he had nothing to do with the missing money.

See also: swear

the blind leading the blind

a situation where someone is trying to show someone else how to do something which they do not know how to do themselves I tried to explain how the software works, but it was a case of the blind leading the blind, really.

See fly blind, turn a blind eye, swear blind

See also: leading

turn a blind eye

to choose to ignore behaviour that you know is wrong I knew Hugo was taking the money but I turned a blind eye because he was my sister's child. (often + to ) Management often turn a blind eye to bullying in the workplace.

See also: eye, turn

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turn a blind eye (to something)

to ignore something close your/its eyes to something Sometimes a store might sell stolen goods because the owner has turned a blind eye to where they come from.

See also: eye, turn