Eye idiom for couldn't sleep all night

[romronr]

hey,
i´ve seen that exact idiom like this I couldnt... an eye or eyelashes dunno.
my point is I know that it means the person wasnt able to shut his eyes so to speak.

I have a hunch the verb missing starts with ´p´ but it´s not pluck( or you would be doing your brows, hehe)

I´m obsessing, please could I get any help?
thanks!

 

[BobK]

Re: Eye idiom for couldnt sleep all night

The only idiom I can think of, beginning with p, has nothing to do with sleeplessness (eaxcept if the watcher has to stay alert for hours on end): "Keep your eyes peeled" - which means 'keep a careful watch'. I suppose the idea is that the eyelid is like the peel of a fruit, now I come to think of it (which I haven't done until now, although it's an odd expression) - with the bare eyeball like the peeled fruit.

b

 

[BobK]

Re: Eye idiom for couldnt sleep all night

PS
A closely related* meaning of this word is seen here: 'I'm keeping my eyes peeled for that edition': to keep your eyes peeled for something is to be on the lookout for it.

b

*Almost the same, but the emphasis is on awareness rather than attentiveness.

 

[RonBee]

I couldn't sleep a wink.
;-)