under the knife
to be undergoing a medical operation
TRANSLATION
(go) under the knife = operiert werden; unters Messer kommen --- GOOGLE INDEX under the knife: approximately 121,000,000 Google hits
STATISTICS
IN THE PRESS
That’s the eighth time [American-football player Daniel Fells] has gone UNDER THE KNIFE.
(NBC Sports News)
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"There's no way my mom or any doctor would let me go UNDER THE KNIFE like that—that's just so crazy!"
(US model Kylie Jenner)
(NBC Sports News)
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"There's no way my mom or any doctor would let me go UNDER THE KNIFE like that—that's just so crazy!"
(US model Kylie Jenner)
Did you
know?
(go) under the knife
idiom
- to undergo a medical operation
(Cambridge Dictionary)
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The word knife probably has its origin in the Old English cnif, and was pronounced "ka nif" – at the time the "k" wasn't silent. This and most other words beginning with "kn", such as know and knee, have Germanic roots, but in the 1500s English speakers started dropping the "k" sound.
Using the word knife in reference to surgery was first recorded in the late 1800s. However, the medical instrument that a surgeon uses is actually called a scalpel. The blade is generally very small and extremely sharp.
Going under the knife is possibly unpleasant. But you can be under other objects, too. Here are a few more expressions:
- under the weather = to feel ill (John won't join us. He says he's feeling a bit under the weather)
- under the table = an action carried out secretly (The football manager took money under table)
- under the hammer = be sold in an auction (The airline's unclaimed suitcases are going under the hammer next week.)
- under the influence = to be drunk or on drugs (I sent Marion home. She arrived this morning under the influence)
- under someone's nose = unnoticed, although clearly in sight (Jack was stealing money right under his manager's nose)
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SYNONYMS
to be operated on, have surgery
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SMUGGLE OWAD into today's conversation
"I'm going under the knife on Thursday for my knee. Then I'll be out of the office for two weeks."
idiom
- to undergo a medical operation
(Cambridge Dictionary)
---
The word knife probably has its origin in the Old English cnif, and was pronounced "ka nif" – at the time the "k" wasn't silent. This and most other words beginning with "kn", such as know and knee, have Germanic roots, but in the 1500s English speakers started dropping the "k" sound.
Using the word knife in reference to surgery was first recorded in the late 1800s. However, the medical instrument that a surgeon uses is actually called a scalpel. The blade is generally very small and extremely sharp.
Going under the knife is possibly unpleasant. But you can be under other objects, too. Here are a few more expressions:
- under the weather = to feel ill (John won't join us. He says he's feeling a bit under the weather)
- under the table = an action carried out secretly (The football manager took money under table)
- under the hammer = be sold in an auction (The airline's unclaimed suitcases are going under the hammer next week.)
- under the influence = to be drunk or on drugs (I sent Marion home. She arrived this morning under the influence)
- under someone's nose = unnoticed, although clearly in sight (Jack was stealing money right under his manager's nose)
---
SYNONYMS
to be operated on, have surgery
---
SMUGGLE OWAD into today's conversation
"I'm going under the knife on Thursday for my knee. Then I'll be out of the office for two weeks."
