Babies in the Eyes
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Love in the expression of the eyes. Love is the little babe Cupid, and hence the conceit, originating from the miniature image of oneself in the pupil of another's eyes.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Babies in the Eyes” mean?
Love in the expression of the eyes. Love is the little babe Cupid, and hence the conceit, originating from the miniature image of oneself in the pupil of another's eyes.
Is “Babies in the Eyes” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.