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Eipjoo Posted 13 years ago
Vocabulary

The air went out of her sails

“Oh, you poor thing!” she said. “I’m sure none of us can, but no one wanted to mention it. It was almost. . . what’s the word? Obscene. And that poor man! What a tragedy. I couldn’t sleep a wink after what happened. But then, I expect it gave all of us quite a turn, didn’t it?”
“You were on the jury at Robin’s inquest, weren’t you?”
I was becoming rather good at this. The air went out of her sails in an instant.
“Why. . . why, yes, so I was. But how on earth could you know that?”

**
What’s the meaning of the highlighted?
  

Top answer

Picture a sailboat out on the water and the wind has just stopped completely. The boat goes nowhere. There is no "power".

— Philip

  • Picture a sailboat out on the water and the wind has just stopped completely.
  • The boat goes nowhere.
  • There is no "power".
  • This expression is used in several different forms meaning to deflate one's attitude or stance.
  • "
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3 Answers
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Picture a sailboat out on the water and the wind has just stopped completely. The boat goes nowhere. There is no "power". This expression is used in several different forms meaning to deflate one's attitude or stance.

"I don't mean to take the air out of your sails, but I don't think you have a chance of winning that prize."
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It's an idiom, meaning that she lost her confidence.

Today we usually say The wind went out of her sails

Clive
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CliveIt's an idiom, meaning that she lost her confidence.Today we usually say The wind went out of her sailsClive
I thought there was something a bit unnatural as I was writing that. Thanks for the good catch.
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