A phrase said upon catching sight of someone's giving you a particularly nasty look of discontent or disapproval.

Etymology:

  • In chapter XVI of Bram Stoker's Dracula in a diary entry of Dr. Seward, he notes about the undead Lucy Westenra that "If ever a face meant death--if looks could kill--we saw it at that moment."
  • An ellipsis for an expression such as "If looks could kill, her look would have led to a murder of the person she was looking at."
  • A possible origin of the phrase comes from the legend of Medusa, who had the power to turn anyone who looked at her into stone.
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Submitted on September 01, 2009

Translation

Find a translation for the if looks could kill phrase in other languages:

wenn Blicke töten könnten

se aspektoj povus mortigi

si las miradas mataran

اگر به نظر می رسید می تواند بکشد

si les regards pouvaient tuer

ha a tekintet megölhetne

se gli sguardi potessero uccidere

als blikken konden doden

hvis blikk kan drepe

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    "if looks could kill." Phrases.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Mar. 2024. <https://www.phrases.com/phrase/if-looks-could-kill_4609>.

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