English is full of idioms, including those related to the heart. “Heart skips a beat” is a transparent idiom that accurately describes a physical reaction. Idioms that only express physical or emotional reactions are more understandable than those that depend on outdated objects or attitudes. “Absence makes the heart grow fonder” is a simple truth disguised as an idiom, while others may require a linguistic history lesson to understand.
The human heart and soul are so intimately connected that there are songs about it. There are also idiomatic phrases about it. People who can’t hide their romantic feelings put their hearts on their sleeves, and when they experience a change of heart later on, they will no doubt be heartbroken unless they see it coming and harden their hearts. It goes without saying that in such a situation, it’s no wonder that the heart skips a beat, which simply means becoming nervous or excited.
English is absolutely overflowing with idioms. Idioms tend to stick around for a long time, so sometimes a speaker might know what a idiom means but can’t explain the logic. A good example is the expression “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush”. This old-fashioned idiom comes from a time when a falconer was very happy to have his bird perched on his wrist and ready to leap after two unsuspecting partridges hiding in the undergrowth. Others, like the “heart skips a beat” idiom, are more transparent.
One way to explain why this particular expression is relatively easy to understand is to realize that the human body has very clear and strong physical and emotional responses to events. Our hearts quicken when we are anxious or excited and especially when we feel the dizzying wings of love. An impetuous heart seems to trip over itself, skipping a beat and then quickening two or three beats together to make up for it. To describe it simply, “heart skips a beat” is an accurate description of what physically happens during the situation.
This means that when someone says, “My heart skips a beat every time I think of winning the prize,” an idiom and a description of a physical reaction are being expressed at the same time. That doesn’t mean, however, that all idioms that take the human heart as their central metaphor will be equally easy to understand. Idioms of the heart that express only physical or emotional reactions will be more understandable than those that depend on long ago objects or attitudes.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder is something almost anyone who has spent time away from a much loved but somewhat annoying sibling can understand; it is a simple truth disguised as an idiom. When a friend reports that something has warmed their hearts, however, the meaning is less clear. A quick trip through linguistics from long ago may help explain this. Cochleae cordis in Latin means cardiac ventricles; it was corrupted to thistles as a name for a bivalve sea creature that, when opened, resembles a heart.
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