wheels are turning
- idiom
- Informal
:
está pensando
- I could see the wheels turning in Dean's mind as he considered his next move.
Examples
-
Us big executives, we need that kind of jolt to get the old wheels turning.
Fiction book (1994) -
I could see the wheels turning in Dean's mind and smell the wood burning as he thought about letting Kate go.
Blog text (21) -
It began to slide sideways, the wheels turning under, the tee-shirted rider furiously struggling to regain control.
Fiction book (1994) -
When Matt received the news, I could almost hear the wheels turning in his head as he processed the information.
-
As she listened to the debate, I could see her wheels turning, thinking about her opinion on the matter.
Antonyms
How Reflective
1
6.2
- Informal
507
2.2
148
2.9
872
1.8
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase maps a mechanical image ('wheels' as parts of a mechanism) plus 'turning' (active motion) onto internal cognitive activity, so there is a plausible compositional/metaphorical link. However, this is a conventional metaphor that B1 learners who only know the literal meanings may not reliably interpret as 'thinking/planning' without prior exposure, so the transparency is partial.
Etymology
The phrase wheels are turning may come from the image of a machine with wheels turning inside as it works, quietly moving parts to solve a problem. So, when we say wheels are turning today, we mean someone is quietly 'thinking' or 'planning'.