warm the cockles of someone's heart
English
Etymology
First documented use in 1671. Corruption of Latin cochleae (“ventricles”) in cochleae cordis (“ventricles of the heart”).[1][2] Earlier attempt to explain the etymology no longer noted in reference works: Possibly due to resemblance of cockles to hearts.[2]
Verb
to warm the cockles of someone's heart
- (idiomatic) To provide happiness, to bring a deeply-felt contentment
- 1671 John Eachard:[3]
- This contrivance of his did inwardly rejoice the cockles of his heart.
- 1989, H. T. Willetts (translator), Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (author), August 1914, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, →ISBN, page 214:
- “Surname?” ¶ “Blagodarev.” ¶ A handy name, easy to get hold of, and the ready way he gave it warmed the cockles of the heart.
- 1671 John Eachard:[3]
Synonyms
- (to provide happiness): warm someone's heart
Related terms
Translations
to provide happiness to someone
References
- American Heritage Idioms Dictionary
- “Cockles of your heart” in Michael Quinion, World Wide Words, 3 August 2002.
- Oxford English Dictionary, 1884–1928, and First Supplement, 1933.
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