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Steal you blind

Posted by Masakim on November 02, 2003

In Reply to: Steal you blind posted by ESC on November 02, 2003

: : Does anyone know the origin of the phrase "Steal you blind." Example: Watch out or they will "Steal you blind".

: I couldn't find the phrase in my references. But I've always thought "steal you blind" or "rob you blind" meant the person would steal everything you have including the eyeballs right out of your head.

blind 2 adv esp student fr early 1900s Completely; =COLD. Most common in the expression _steal_ someone _blind_: "Goddam car was eating me blind"--George V Higgins
From Dictionary of American Slang by Robert L. Chapman
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steal someone blind Also, rob someone blind. Rob or cheat someone mercilessly, as in "Ann always maintained that children would steal their parents blind." The alluusion here is unclear. Possibly it means stealing everything, inclusding someone's sight. [Mid-1900s]
From The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer
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rob somebody blind
informal to steal everything someone has
"The minute your back's turned, they'll rob you blind."
From _Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English_

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