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.

Common Names:

Name	Pronounced	Usage
Faye	['feijə]
Feliu	-	Catalan
Atherden	['æθədən]
Cathal	KA-hal	Irish
Rhode	-	Ancient Greek, Biblical Greek, Biblical Latin
Greyson	GRAY-sən	English (Modern)