ENGLISH
REFERENCE

would give a Jew's eye

idiom
Meaning

Would give a great deal; indicating that one desires something greatly.


Examples
SIMPLE

I would give a king's ransom to travel the world right now.

CONTEXTUAL

She loves that vintage car so much that she would give a king's ransom just to own it.

COMPLEX

The collector admitted that he would give a king's ransom to acquire the rare manuscript, regardless of the financial burden it might impose upon his estate.

Anchors to
Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth

    compensation for injury caused by a person, in the form of inflicting of an identical injury on that person.

  2. 02

    apple of someone's eye

    The object of somebody's affections; a person (or sometimes a thing) that someone strongly prefers; a favorite, a loved one.

  3. 03

    blink of an eye

    A moment (a very short period of time).

  4. 04

    camel through the eye of a needle

    Hyperbole to illustrate something that is impossible to do or to make happen.

  5. 05

    catch someone's eye

    To capture someone's attention.

  6. 06

    catch the eye

    To attract the attention

  7. 07

    close one eye

    to look the other way, to deliberately ignore or overlook (a mistake or transgression).

  8. 08

    don't give up your day job

    Somewhat sarcastic but usually good-natured advice used to criticise a person's degree of talent (especially in music or other performing arts), implying that they are unlikely to be successful.

Last updated July 12, 2026