Gimlet-Eyed

Meaning

What does Gimlet-Eyed mean?

Gimlet-eyed is a popular idiomatic expression, referring to a piercing look of distrust, with a knack of finding missing details and hidden deception.

A person may be “Gimlet-eyed” if they give voice to life advice like Trust Nobody, Not Even Yourself.

Origin

What's the origin of Gimlet-Eyed?

The origin of the phrase “Gimlet-eyed” may be traced back to the mid-1700’s.

Gimlet itself is a tiny tool, with a pointy end, used for drilling and boring holes.

Documented cases of “Gimlet-eyed”, appearing in print on several accounts can be found as far back as the 1810’s, including books and magazines.

Spread & Usage

How did Gimlet-Eyed spread?

Although “Gimlet-eyed” was once a popular and widely recognized expression, going strong well into the 20th century, today it is less known, appearing in a handful of cases every year, despite the massive amount of content generated online annually.

It was first defined on Urban Dictionary on March 16th, 2005.

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