Reader question: Please explain this sentence: You have my attention, like a deer in headlights. My comments: Simply put, he/she is all yours – you’ve got all their attention. Headlights refer to the shiny flashlight of the two big front lights of a vehicle, car or truck. A “deer in headlights” refers to the deer caught in such a situation. It is a terrible position as a matter of fact for the animal to be in. Instead of running straight away, the animal is often frozen in its tracks, dumbfounded, staring right at the headlights and unable to move. The deer, you see, is blinded by the dazzling light. Deer, oh deer. As an idiom, on the other hand, to say someone is like a deer in headlights is to point out that they’re unable to make a move due to shock, confusion or fear. In the top example, though, I don’t think there’s no fear or confusion involved. You simply have their full attention. Their eyes are on you, you alone. And their attention is fixed and undivided. “Like a deer in headlights” also suggests that if the attention is too much, they are caught in the moment and do not know how to respond. And yet, for better or worse, you’d better keep the light shining. For if the light goes off, the deer, too, may soon be gone, galloping into the woods. Alright, here are media examples of deer caught in headlights, both literally and literarily: |