don't hold your breath
1
8.1
- idiom
- Informal
:
no te hagas ilusiones
- I hope they finish the project soon, but don't hold your breath about it.
Examples
-
Don't hold your breath, Mrs. Sinclair, but please wait for me.
Fiction book (1993) -
Don't hold your breath waiting for it to happen here.
Blog text (1) -
I can swim for us both as long as you can hold your breath.
Fiction book (1993) -
Don't hold your breath, Mrs. Sinclair, but please wait for me.
Fiction book (1993) -
You might want to ask for a refund, but don't hold your breath waiting for a response.
-
He promised to get back to me, but I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you.
Antonyms
How Likely
946
1.0
∞
1.0
∞
1.0
- Informal
1
8.1
- Informal
2
8.1
∞
1.4
Surface Forms
Morphology
The literal constituents ('don't' + 'hold' + 'your' + 'breath') are transparent, and the image of holding one's breath while waiting gives a plausible clue to the idiomatic meaning. However, the pragmatic extension to 'don't expect this to happen' is metaphorical and requires pragmatic/cultural knowledge beyond simple composition, so the expression is only partially predictable to a B1 learner.
Etymology
Don't hold your breath comes from the picture of someone really trying to hold their breath while waiting, which quickly becomes uncomfortable and can last a long time. So when people say it, they mean 'don't expect it soon' or 'it may never happen'.