to check (one's) eyelids for leaks
- idiom
- Informal
:
echar una cabezada
- When the kids were quiet, she finally had a chance to check her eyelids for leaks.
Examples
-
I need to check my eyelids for leaks before the meeting.
-
After lunch, I often check my eyelids for leaks.
-
After lunch, I'm going to check my eyelids for leaks before getting back to work.
-
He told everyone he needed to check his eyelids for leaks before the meeting started.
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After a long morning of meetings, I plan to check my eyelids for leaks for a quick rest.
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Before tackling the next project, he decided to check his eyelids for leaks on the couch.
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Whenever I feel sleepy in the afternoon, I just check my eyelids for leaks for a few minutes.
Synonyms
7
2.2
To close your eyes for a short time to avoid eye strain
1
5.5
To sleep for a short time, often during the day
To sleep for a short time
Antonyms
How Long
Surface Forms
Morphology
check + (one's) + eyelid + for + leaks
This is a humorous, non‑literal euphemism: the literal parts ('check', 'eyelids', 'for leaks') do not compositionally yield the meaning 'take a nap' in any straightforward way. A B1 learner who knows the constituent words would not reliably infer the intended sense without prior exposure to this jocular metaphor, so it is unpredictable.
Etymology
Check (one's) eyelids for leaks is a funny saying that imagines your eyelids like the roof of a house and a small leak as a sign they are closing from tiredness. One popular joke says that if your eyelids 'leak' you need to rest, so the phrase means 'to take a short nap'.