vérszemet kap
Hungarian
Etymology
From vér (“blood”) + szem (“eye”) + -et (accusative suffix) + kap (“to get”), literally: to get blood eye. The compound word vérszem (meaning véres (“bloody”) + szem (“eye”)) is used only in this phrase. It indicates that a sudden emotional impulse often causes redness in the eyes.[1]
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [ ˈveːrsɛmɛtkɒp]
Verb
vérszemet kap
- (idiomatic) to become emboldened in an insolent way (to become demanding and audacious encouraged by an unexpected situation, favorable opportunity, or undeserved success)
- Synonyms: elszemtelenedik, követelővé válik
Conjugation
- For the verb, see kap.
- The inflected noun vérszemet remains unchanged.
References
- vérszem in Tótfalusi, István. Magyar etimológiai nagyszótár (’Hungarian Comprehensive Dictionary of Etymology’). Budapest: Arcanum Adatbázis, 2001; Arcanum DVD Könyvtár →ISBN
Further reading
- vérszemet kap in Bárczi, Géza and László Országh: A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára (’The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language’). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962.