Idiom
touch the hem of someone's garment
Meaning
To give respect or reverence to someone; to express servitude to someone; to draw strength or comfort from someone who is superior.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“He feels he cannot even touch the hem of his mentor's garment.”
“I only want to touch the hem of the doctor's garment for advice.”
“You touch the hem of his garment when you follow his wise lead.”
“The young musician was so humble that he claimed he could not touch the hem of his teacher's garment.”
“Fans waited outside the stadium for hours just to touch the hem of the champion's garment as she walked to her car.”
“The new employees act as if they are lucky to touch the hem of the CEO's garment during the annual meeting.”
“In the presence of the legendary poet, the aspiring writer felt as though he were barely worthy to touch the hem of her garment.”
Examples
simple
“He feels he cannot even touch the hem of his mentor's garment.”
“I only want to touch the hem of the doctor's garment for advice.”
“You touch the hem of his garment when you follow his wise lead.”
contextual
“The young musician was so humble that he claimed he could not touch the hem of his teacher's garment.”
“Fans waited outside the stadium for hours just to touch the hem of the champion's garment as she walked to her car.”
“The new employees act as if they are lucky to touch the hem of the CEO's garment during the annual meeting.”
complex
“In the presence of the legendary poet, the aspiring writer felt as though he were barely worthy to touch the hem of her garment.”
Origin
A biblical allusion to Matthew 9:20, in which a woman is cured of an issue of blood after touching the hem of Christ’s garment. The expression entered English as a reference to the belief that even the physical edges of a holy person's clothing might transmit restorative power.
Key words
Related idioms
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