Put the heart crossways in someone

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Meaning

Give someone a sudden severe fright or shock. Informal and emphatic. Often used immediately after a startling noise or unexpected appearance. Regional use: Ireland; Hiberno-English.

Origin

The phrase is an established piece of Hiberno-English whose vivid bodily image suggests a heart jolted out of its proper alignment. Contemporary Irish sources confirm the expression and its meaning, but a reliable early citation or specific source metaphor has not been established here. The physical explanation should therefore be treated as an interpretation, not a proven etymology.

Variants

  • Put someone's heart crossways
  • Put the heart crosswise in someone
  • Have the heart crossways in you

Usage Examples

  • That crash in the empty kitchen put the heart crossways in me.
  • You put my heart crossways in me, appearing at the window like that.

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