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“Blindsided” means being taken by surprise, usually in a negative way. It originated from vehicular traffic and sports, and is part of a larger category of English idioms that use automobiles as metaphors. It is commonly used to describe unexpected challenges or financial damages.
The English word “blindsided” means that something has taken someone or a group of people by surprise. This word is used in an idiomatic context from an original physical meaning. It usually refers to something negative that happens, although in some cases someone may be “blind-blind” to an event that may ultimately prove beneficial; even so, some form of heavy shock is still implied.
It would appear that the original physical definition of “blindsiding” pertains to vehicular traffic. If a car or other vehicle approaches another without the driver noticing and strikes the other vehicle, the victim is said to have been “blinded”. This stems from the idea that a “blind” driver, one who cannot see what is going on, is hit from the side with a major impact. Another darker basis for the idiom is the sports arena, where one fighter can be said to have “blinded” another with a quick and unexpected punch.
“Blindsiding,” as a vehicle or traffic metaphor, exists within a larger category of English idioms that reflect a focus on automobiles as a metaphorical object. For example, English speakers might propose to “put the brakes” on something if it’s not going well. Similarly, some may speak of the need to refuel,” which, in idiomatic usage, simply means to rest and recover from something, or to recover energy, materials, or money over time.
As a fairly modern idiom, “blindsided” is used in many abstract contexts. Some English speakers will use it quite often to refer to an unexpected challenge to groups of planners, such as officials. For example, any type of city or corporate council could be said to have been “blinded” by one of a number of unanticipated budgetary challenges, legal liabilities, or just about anything negative in general. Journalists may also use this term to refer to consumers or families, in order to show that someone has been “victimized” in the same general way as if they had been physically blinded in traffic.
One of the more frequent uses of the word “blindside” in modern times relates to financial damages. For example, someone might say that someone else was “blindsided” by an unexpected, inflated, unaffordable bill. These negative events, sometimes colorfully described as “raiding (someone’s) wallet”, are commonly described in idiomatic language to show outrage and suggest that they are extreme and usury in nature.
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