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Glite Dictionary
to turn a hair

to turn a hair

1 9.8
Show no sign of worry, fear, or surprise
  • idiom
translation icon : no inmutarse
  • During the emergency, he managed to stay calm and didn't turn a hair.

Examples

  • Nobody turns a hair.

    Circle of Friends (1995)

  • And Joe danced well, and even though the other kids hooted, he didn't turn a hair.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • Even when faced with shocking news, she didn't turn a hair.

  • Despite the unexpected turn of events, nobody turned a hair at the meeting.

Antonyms

to panic
272 2.3

To feel sudden fear and lose the ability to think or act calmly

to fret
67 4.2

Make someone feel worried or annoyed about small things

How Affected

to panic
272 2.3
to startle
131 3.7
to flinch
71 4.1
to turn a hair
1 9.8

Surface Forms

turn a hair infinitive
turned a hair past
turned a hair past participle
turning a hair present participle
turns a hair third person singular

Morphology

turn + a + hair

The phrase hinges on a metaphorical image — moving a single hair as a minimal sign of reaction — so a learner who knows 'turn' and 'hair' could plausibly infer it means showing even the smallest reaction. However, the idiomatic use (especially the common negative form 'didn't turn a hair') and the fixed collocation make the exact meaning and usage unpredictable without exposure, so it is only partially transparent.

Etymology

Turn a hair may come from a simple picture: if someone did not even turn a single hair, nothing on their face or head moved. So, the phrase means 'to remain completely calm' and not show worry or surprise.