blow one's mind -- I use this all the time. "Wow! You just (literally*) blew my mind!"
knock the/somebody's socks off
*I know some people find literally used as intensifier annoying![]()

Interested in Language
Hi,
I've picked out a group of synonymous idioms meaning "strike, amaze":
1) "To take smb's breath away" - Fig. to overwhelm someone with beauty or grandeur; to surprise or astound someone (view, picture, person etc).
2) "To knock smb. sideways" - to surprise, confuse or upset someone very much.
3) "To throw smb. for a loop" - to upset someone unexpectedly and severely (for ex: accident and even prices in the shop and others).
4) Two-value "To blow smb's mind" -
1. to disturb or distract; to destroy the function of one's brain (often used with negative connotation, for ex: annoying situation, obsession etc.);
2. to overwhelm, to excite someone (with positive connotation, for ex: a friendly atmosphere, music etc.)
5) To knock/ hit smb. for six (British and Australian) has its roots in cricket (hit which sends the ball over the boundary of the ground gives six points) (often used with negative connotation - to surprise and upset someone, to chock).
6) To knock/ strike smb. all of a heap - to stun, to take aback, to strike someone (this may be a beautiful woman as well as bad news etc.).
7) To strike smb. dumb - render speechless by surprising or shocking (unexpected news, idea etc.).
Are they used in your country?
Do you know other idioms with the same sense?
Many Thanks for all your replies!![]()
blow one's mind -- I use this all the time. "Wow! You just (literally*) blew my mind!"
knock the/somebody's socks off
*I know some people find literally used as intensifier annoying![]()
3 and 4
4 is always positive ( the second meaning).
Not a teacher.
![]()
I've never heard to knock somebody sideways but it sounds hysterical to me. It reminds me of another rather crass idiom.![]()
Not as popular as anymore dumbf*cked .
When you are so bewildered by what someone has said they leave you dumbf*cked.
We also have a saying that if you can't blind them with brilliance, baffle them with bullsh*t.
Were you expecting this much swearing when you started this project?
Not a teacher.
![]()
It literally makes me want to kill! Not really, I could care less what you write. :P For your amusement, here's a broadcaster who literally has no idea what literally means.
For Olenek:
to be left speechless
to be gobsmacked (your gob is your mouth in BrE), this means speechless
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