Browse phrases beginning with: [A][B][C][D][E][F][G][H][I][J][K][L][M][N][O][P][Q][R][S][T][U,V][W][X,Y,Z] The hairy eyeballMeaning A glance made with partially lowered eyelids. This usually indicates suspicion or hostility but may signal other emotions too. Origin This is a US phrase from the 1960s and is largely restricted to US use. The earliest known printed record of it is from The Galveston Daily News, November 1961, in a piece that reports on an interview with Carol Burnett:
That appears to contradict the usual suspicious and hostile meaning which is evident in this slightly later piece from The New York Times, November 1963:
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