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You are here: Home / Language / What does the expression “not to turn a hair” mean and Where does it come from?

What does the expression “not to turn a hair” mean and Where does it come from?

April 18, 2020 by Karen Hill

The allusion for the expression “not to turn a hair” is to a horse which, though hot, as from racing, has not become sweaty and, therefore, its hair has not become ruffled.

The horsy expression saw literary use first by Jane Austen in North-anger Abbey. When used figuratively it means unexcited, composed, unruffled.

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Filed Under: Language

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

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