take aback



take aback

Surprise, shock, as in He was taken aback by her caustic remark. This idiom comes from nautical terminology of the mid-1700s, when be taken aback referred to the stalling of a ship caused by a wind shift that made the sails lay back against the masts. Its figurative use was first recorded in 1829.
See also: aback, take

Common Names:

NameGenderPronouncedUsage
Ritchie['ritʃi]
Janinezha-NEEN (French), jə-NEEN (English)French, English, Dutch, German
Beatabe-AH-tah (Polish, German)Polish, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Late Roman
Tanekatə-NEE-kəAfrican American (Rare)
Tyron-English
AndĚLa-Czech