Why... to 'see eye to eye'?

English as a Second Language English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
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Hello all,

would anyone know how the meaning of the phrase ‘see eye to eye’ (with someone) came about?

I am aware of its meaning (‘to agree with someone’) but I can’t see the connection between the literal and the figurative one.
I mean I can’t really say why it means ‘to agree with someone’ and not to disagree.

Any suggestions there?

[or am I just straining at a gnat…?]

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The phrase stems from the book of Isaiah which is part of the Bible. Here is the quote the phrase appeared for the first time: Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the LORD shall bring again Zion.

So I guess whoever wrote the Bible thought that if the watchmen were standing together facing the same destiny there were ‘seeing other eye to eye’. I would love to see what @Alan thinks about this.

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Are there some typos in the above? … cause I can’t understand what is said.
Did you mean to say: they were facing the same destiny so the ‘were seeing eye to eye’, that is they were of the same mind.

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In any case the question wasn’t where the expression is derived from but why it is used to mean ‘to agree’ and not rather to disagree or whatever…

Namely, what is the literal meaning of ‘see eye to eye’ and how it leads to its figurative one. :anguished:

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What I meant to say was ‘they were seeing each other eye to eye’. As for your question, I’m afraid you would have to ask the author(s) of the Bible.

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Thank you for at least giving me hope…

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I’m sure Alan will come to our rescue and shed some light on this interesting question of yours…

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Interesting. The Biblical quote suggests that the watchmen were all looking in the same direction. The expression as used in idiom is - I am glad we see eye to eye on that subject - we both agree.

It doesn’t take much of a twist to change the original into the idiom. In other words by looking in the same direction as someone else, you share the same opinion. I don’t really know why the Oxford dictionary is sniffy about this by calling it a misquotation. After all, that’s language for you!

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So, literally,… does ‘to see eye to eye’ mean two people looking each other in the eyes?
(Sorry for persisting…)

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Vivianna, I think Alan’s explanation above answers your ‘persisting’ question.

However, we may also interpret literally as ‘we look at each other, discuss the matter and nod to a unanimous view’.

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