🦷 Give One’s Eyeteeth: The Ultimate Sacrifice for Desire 👁️
Overview:
When you would “give your eyeteeth” for something, it means you desire it so strongly that you’re willing to make a significant sacrifice. Historically, this phrase emphasizes the value of upper canines (eyeteeth) for practical purposes, but has evolved to become a vibrant metaphor for yearning and ambition.
Synonyms:
- Would go to any lengths
- Give an arm and a leg
- Pay through the nose
- Move heaven and earth
Related Terms:
- Cut one’s teeth on: To begin learning something, indicating a learning process often associated with early stages or significant experience.
- Give one’s right arm: Another idiom to express willingness to make a considerable sacrifice.
Humor-Filled Quote:
“He’s so obsessed; he’d give his eyeteeth just to autograph his own picture—twice!”
Relevant Literature:
- “Barchester Towers” by Anthony Trollope (1857): “Bertie would give his eyes to go with you.”
- “Cakes and Ale” by W. Somerset Maugham (1930): “He’d give his eyeteeth to have written a book half as good.”
Must-See Movies and Shows:
- “The Pursuit of Happyness” directed by Gabriele Muccino: A story about sacrifices for dreams.
- “The Great Gatsby” directed by Baz Luhrmann: Obsessed desires often come with great sacrifices.
Popular Songs:
- “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor: A symbol of determination and the lengths to which one would go.
- “Desire” by U2: Showcases the overwhelming sense of longing.
📚 Quizzes to Test Your Knowledge:
### Which phrase is equivalent to "give one’s eyeteeth"?
- [ ] Lose one’s marbles
- [x] Move heaven and earth
- [ ] Paint the town red
- [ ] On cloud nine
> **Explanation:** "Move heaven and earth" conveys making great efforts to achieve something, similar to "give one’s eyeteeth."
### True or False: The phrase "give one's right arm" is used similarly to "give one's eyeteeth."
- [x] True
- [ ] False
> **Explanation:** Both expressions emphasize a willingness to make great sacrifices.
### In which of the books does the phrase "give his eyeteeth" appear?
- [x] Cakes and Ale by W. Somerset Maugham
- [ ] Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
- [ ] The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
- [ ] Moby Dick by Herman Melville
> **Explanation:** The phrase appears in "Cakes and Ale" by W. Somerset Maugham, highlighting a significant sacrifice for a desired achievement.
### Fill in the blank: He wanted that job so badly; he’d give his ________.
- [ ] Arm and leg
- [ ] Salt and pepper
- [x] Eyeteeth
- [ ] House and car
> **Explanation:** "Eyeteeth" fits perfectly in the context of making a significant sacrifice for something desired.
Inspirational Thought: “Yearning is the engine of the human spirit, driving us to give all—even our eyeteeth—for what we hold dear.”
Till next time, keep your passions high and your eyeteeth intact, Fictionella Wryte
