English

Alternative forms

• bat an eye
• bat an eyelash

Verb

bat an eyelid

1. (idiomatic) To react in any slight way; to respond.

   When laptop computers first came out they were something of a novelty. These days, nobody bats an eyelid.

   • 1914, Edgar Beecher Bronson, The Vanguard‎, page 155:

     […] he got the drop on Cox, the only time I had seen or heard of its being done — had his pistol out and stuck in Cox's face before Cox could bat an eyelid.

   • 2006, Pete Takeda, An Eye at the Top of the World, page 116:

     If you were to walk into a salon in America after a few 10–12 hour days of sweaty, dusty travel with no shower, you'd probably be politely asked to leave and not return until you've cleaned up. But here in a land whose resources and infrastructure cannot sustain such frivolity, the barber doesn't even bat an eyelid.

   • 2007, Fionn Davenport, Dublin Encounter‎, page 153:

     Dublin's not a bad place to be gay. Most people wouldn't bat an eyelid at public displays of affection between same-sex couples […]

Usage notes

• Most frequently used in negative constructions, as in the examples.

Synonyms

• (react in any slight way): flinch

Translations

References

1. ↑ The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms, 1997, p. 720