Phrase explained
Argus eyes: origin and meaning
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If you are being watched with eagle eyes, you should pay close attention to what you are doing. Here you can find out where the phrase comes from and what it means.
Argus eyes: examples
- Monika basically liked going to school. But math was her absolute hate subject. During the exams she tried to copy some of the solutions from the person sitting next to her. But she didn’t do it very well. Because the teacher kept going through the whole class and looked with eagle eyes to make sure that no one else could copy the other.
- The lions in the savannah rested under a tree in the midday sun. It was shady here and they could conserve their strength. When they spotted an antelope from a distance, they turned their gaze precisely on its movements. For several minutes they watched the antelope with eagle eyes before they finally ran to catch their prey.
- Leon may not be a gifted cook, but his favorite dish is salmon fillet with broccoli. When he stands in front of the stove himself, he always looks at the ingredients with eagle eyes so that nothing burns him and he finds the right time to serve the food.
Argus eyes: meaning
The figure of speech “Watching someone with eagle eyes” means that one looks at someone suspiciously or strictly and doesn’t let it out of sight.
The phrase can be paraphrased using the following terms:
- Watch someone suspiciously
- Observing something incessantly and tirelessly
- Be vigilant
- Pay close attention
- Don’t let someone / something out of your sight
Make-up eyes awake
Argus eyes: origin
The figure of speech “Watching someone with eagle eyes” finds her Origin in the world of the ancient Greeks, well over two thousand years ago.
Specifically, it is about the goddess Hera, the very strict and suspicious of her husband Zeus cornice. This was the most powerful of all gods and therefore extremely attractive to potential rivals.
Zeus himself was also very activewhen it came to chasing after other mortals like immortals. He kept coming up with new creative ideas to fool his wife Hera.
But Hera was clever and very often found out about her husband. When the particularly attractive Io cast an eye on Zeus, Hera discovered the matter early on. Zeus therefore turned Io into a beautiful cow in order to deceive his wife. Hera insisted on having Zeus give the cow to her so that Io could be under control from now on.
Zeus could not refuse her wish, otherwise he would be exposed. Hera now took the cow and led her to Argus, a hundred-eyed monster. This could always keep a few eyes open even in sleep and thus keep everything in view.
Zeus looked through the game and in turn sent Hermes, the messenger of the gods To put Argus to sleep and eventually kill him. Finally, Zeus gave Hera his promise to keep his hands off Io in the future in order to save her life. Hera then transformed Io back into her human form.
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