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Nov 16, 2017 · The expression forty winks denotes a short sleep, especially during the day. Here, the noun wink means a closing of the eyes for sleep. This sense has survived in the phrases not to sleep, or get, a wink, and not to get a wink of sleep, which both mean not to sleep at all.
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The slang term "forty winks" was not yet listed, which suggests that the idiom was either too new to have merited its own entry or had not yet been coined. As the earliest recorded evidence of forty winks is found in 1822, it is most likely that John Badcock was unaware of its existence.
The phrase “forty winks” is a common idiom that refers to taking a short nap or getting some rest. It is believed that this phrase originated in the 19th century, during a time when people worked long hours and often needed to take quick naps to recharge their energy levels.
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You bet it is! Forty winksis a wonderfully whimsical idiom that perfectly encapsulates those brief yet blissful moments of rest and rejuvenation we usually take on the couch on a Sunday afternoon.
While it’s tempting to think that each wink might represent a minute of sleep, giving us a total of 40 minutes, it isn’t exactly a good night’s sleep. In fact, 40 winksis just a figure of speech we use to allude to a short nap, regardless of its exact duration.
Basically, the term 40 winksjust means a short sleep or nap that you usually take during the day. It’s used when someone wants to relax and recharge their batteries without committing to a full night’s sleep. Think of it like a power nap or a cat nap.
The term 40 winks became popular during the 17th century and was first used by none other than Shakespeare himself in his work “A Winter’s Tale” in the early 1600s. The line read, “…be-spice [drug] a Cup, To give mine Enemy a lasting Winke. Forty is more ambiguous.” It was also documented in print in William Kitchiner’s “The Art of Invigorating and...
Looking for some alternatives to this dreamy phrase? Here are a few you can use instead. 1. Catnap 2. Siesta 3. Short sleep 4. Power nap 5. Quick nap 6. Snooze 7. Doze 8. Short rest 9. Brief sleep 10. Downtime Any of these terms and phrases can be used in place of forty winksbecause they all present a similar idea.
After a long meeting, I need to catch forty winks.Before the night shift, she caught forty winks to feel refreshed.He tried to get forty winks on the plane.After lunch, a quick forty winks can be really revitalizing.Now you’re all set to use 40 winksin your conversations and write like a pro. No need for counting sheep to get to sleep — you’re already ahead of the game! So next time you need to take a quick nap, don’t hesitate to catch those forty winks. You’ll need it if you want to read all my idiom guides!
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May 3, 2000 · Forty winks - "Early colonists simply would 'got to bed' or 'take a nap,' as they had in England, but in the 1820s our terms '40 winks' and 'cat nap' grew common," according to Stuart Berg Flexner in Listening to America: An Illustrated History of Words and Phrases from Our Lively and Splendid Past (Simon and Schuster, New York, 1982).
Forty winks. <p>Take a short nap usually in the daytime; dates from the early 19th century but why forty winks? No special reason except that forty has frequently been used to indicate large, indeterminate numbers.
Aug 20, 2023 · “If a man, after reading through the thirty-nine articles were to take forty winks.” From this point on, “forty winks” has meant a brief nap.
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