ein Auge riskieren

to risk a quick/furtive glance; to dare to take a peek

Origin

Traced to knightly tournaments and combat: with the visor closed the knight could barely see; when he opened the eye-slit to size up his opponent he 'risked an eye', since he ran the risk of being injured there.

Source →

Building blocks

Words in this expression

das Auge· eye doch· but das Geschenk· gift riskieren· to risk sehen· to see

Grammar that uses this word

Absolute accusative and free adjunctsAbsoluter Akkusativ und freie Angaben

Examples

Sie wollte das nicht , riskierte aber ein .
She didn't want to see the present, but she snuck a peek anyway.