The idiom "on the blink" originated from the writings of George V. Hobart, a Canadian-American author who wrote under the pseudonym Hugh McHugh. In his book "John Henry" published in 1901, he used the phrase to mean that one of his characters would become agitated, which is the first known use of the idiom in its complete form. The more general use of the word "blink" as a verb, meaning 'confuse,' can be found much earlier. The phrase is now used to describe something, typically a mechanical or electrical device, that is malfunctioning or not working correctly.

Definition und Bedeutung von „on the blink“ im Englischen

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