| Change log entry 76401 | |
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| Processed by: | richwarm (2022-11-26 22:20:26 GMT) |
| Comment: |
<< review queue entry 72283 - submitted by 'makelan59' >> I am a 59 year old native speaker of English with a PhD. I have never heard anyone say "in a wink." I don't recall having read it either, but I probably have, as it doesn't seem outlandish. "In the blink of an eye" is a common idiom. "In a flash" is probably even more common, and more colloquial. --------------------------------------- Editor: I'm a native speaker of English too, and I'm quite familiar with the expression. It's in Merriam-Webster: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20a%20wink ... and has been in the English language since at least as far back as 1693, according to the Oxford English Dictionary. Contemporary examples: - In a wink, he began to hum the Bolero by Ravel. - In his entourage seniority can be gained in a few weeks, and lost in a wink. - A pet peeve at any museum: parents, teachers or staffers who don't let children touch exhibits and insist on explaining everything to the child. "I'd change that in a wink," he said. "Every kid wants to learn." |
| Diff: |
- 一轉眼 一转眼 [yi1 zhuan3 yan3] /in a wink/ # + 一轉眼 一转眼 [yi1 zhuan3 yan3] /in a flash/in the blink of an eye/in a wink/ + 一轉眼 一转眼 [yi1 zhuan3 yan3] /in the blink of an eye/ |