Blind spot

Posted by Lewis on April 28, 2006

In Reply to: Blind spot posted by Smokey Stover on April 28, 2006

: : : is blind spot is idiom or not.if yes whwt is its origin

: : I'm not sure. A definition from the archives:

: : An IDIOM is an expression whose meaning can't be derived simply by hearing it, such as 'Kick the bucket.'"

: : More at www.phrases.org.uk bulletin_board 21 messages 482.html

: : From Merriam-Webster:

: : Main Entry: blind spot
: : Function: noun
: : 1 a : the nearly circular light-colored area at the back of the retina where the optic nerve enters the eyeball and which is not sensitive to light -- called also optic disk; see EYE illustration

: : b : a portion of a field that cannot be seen or inspected with available equipment

: : 2 : an area in which one fails to exercise judgment or discrimination

: : Meaning 1b - example: a driver's blind spot. "When using mirrors there is an area on each side of your vehicle where you cannot see. You may not see people or vehicles when they are in these (blind) spots." www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/safety/blind.htm

: : www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/safety/image/blind.gif

: ESC has given you a complete and correct explanation, but I wish to emphasize that the figurative meaning is very often encountered, as in, "She has a blind spot when it comes to Alex; she thinks the world of him, and he's really a jerk." My imagination is weak, as regards making up examples, but it's very likely that you will encounter some such transferred uses of the expression. SS

entirely agree with SS - 'blind spot' is much more often used figuratively than literally - 'blind spot' often refers to an inability to make judgments about a particular issue, even though that person may generally have sound judgment.

hence the similarity with the area of the eye that cannot see - it is surrounded by properly functioning areas.