PhrasesHub

Bowled a maiden over

    Definitions

      • Impressing or charming someone
        To make a strong and favorable impression on someone, especially in a romantic or flirtatious context

      • Surprised or overwhelmed
        To surprise or overwhelm someone, often with an unexpected or impressive action or display

      • Knocked down or defeated
        To defeat or overpower someone or something with ease and confidence

    Examples of Bowled a maiden over

    • The speaker's performance at the presentation left the entire audience in awe, mesmerized by the content and the delivery style. The bowled a maiden over idiom perfectly describes this situation.

      Bowled a maiden over refers to leaving someone completely amazed or surprised. This expression originated from the game of cricket, where a bowler can deliver a maiden over, which is a complete over without scoring any runs by the batsman. This situation is quite rare, and bowling a maiden over is something that can leave a batsman completely stunned, hence the idiom's usage in situations where someone leaves another person completely amazed or surprised.

    • The new product that the company launched left the competitors completely perplexed, and they couldn't make sense of how it could disrupt the market so quickly. It bowled a maiden over them.

      In this example, the product's quality and innovative features completely surprised and left the competitors stunned, so much so that they couldn't comprehend how it would shake up the market so quickly. Bowled a maiden over is an appropriate idiom as it captures the sense of surprise and amazement that this new product had on the competition.

    • The teacher's teaching style was so captivating that it left the students spellbound, and they couldn't focus on anything else. The students bowled a maiden over by the teacher's unique teaching method.

      In this example, the teacher's unique teaching style completely captivated the students, making them so engrossed in the class that they couldn't focus on anything else. The teacher's teaching style left the students completely bewildered and astounded, and bowled a maiden over is an appropriate idiom as it captures this sense of wonder and amazement.

    • The stunning presentation by the new marketing manager bowled the CEO over.

      The CEO was completely impressed and amazed by the marketing manager's presentation, as if the presentation had knocked him out or overwhelmed him.

    • The beautiful sunset bowled me over as I watched it from the beach.

      I was completely overwhelmed and amazed by the beauty of the sunset, as if it had knocked me out or overwhelmed me.

    • The impressive speech by the guest speaker bowled the audience over.

      The audience was completely impressed and amazed by the guest speaker's speech, as if the speech had knocked them out or overwhelmed them.

    • The intriguing mystery novel bowled me over as I read it late into the night.

      I was completely captivated and overwhelmed by the novel, as if it had knocked me out or overcome me.


    Conclusion

    The idiom "bowled a maiden over" can have multiple meanings, all related to making a strong impression on someone. It can refer to impressing or charming someone, surprising or overwhelming them, or even knocking them down or defeating them.

    In a romantic context, the idiom is often used to describe someone who has successfully caught the attention or affection of another person. It implies that the person has made a strong and lasting impression, similar to how a cricket bowler would knock down all the wickets with one ball.

    In a more general sense, the idiom can also be used to describe someone who has been overwhelmed or impressed by something, such as a performance or accomplishment. This could be in a positive or negative way, depending on the context.

    Origin of "Bowled a maiden over"

    The idiom "bowled a maiden over" has its roots in the game of cricket, which originated in England in the 16th century. In cricket, a "maiden over" refers to an over (a set of 6 balls) in which the batting team does not score any runs. This is considered a successful feat for the bowling team, as it means they have prevented the other team from scoring.

    Over time, the term "maiden over" became associated with success and domination, leading to the use of the phrase "bowled a maiden over" to describe someone who has achieved a significant feat or made a strong impression. The term was first recorded in the late 18th century, and has since become a commonly used idiom in the English language.