What it means
Means choosing to ignore something you definitely know is happening, usually because dealing with it is awkward or would cost you. Often said about bosses, mates, or officials letting bad behaviour slide. The phrase is famously linked to Admiral Nelson, who supposedly lifted his telescope to his blind eye so he could claim he hadn’t seen a signal to stop.
Usage examples
"The ref saw the handball, but turned a blind eye because it was late and he couldn’t be bothered. Crowd went mental, obviously."
"Management turned a blind eye to the overtime nobody was logging until an inspector finally asked questions."
"She turned a blind eye to her brother sneaking biscuits, she'd done exactly the same at his age."
"Everyone knew the lad was skiving on the night shift, but the supervisor turned a blind eye because they were short-staffed."
"The council kept turning a blind eye to the noise complaints till it started kicking off on social media."
Where it comes from
It’s famously tied to Admiral Horatio Nelson at the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801. The story goes he put his telescope to his blind eye so he could say he hadn’t seen the signal to pull back. That little act of strategic not-seeing stuck in the language and became this phrase.
Other ways to say it
Editors of this term
Magical Silence Tailor Official watcher of this expression
Tell me, what have you got for me?