Idiom – Turn Turtle

Turn Turtle – Idiom of the Day

Meaning:

Something inverted in position. Depicts helplessness of a person. It is also used to indicate that a situation is reversed, but this meaning is not widely used.

History:

History dates back to the 18th century, roughly in the early 1800s. The idiom seems to be based on the struggle that a turtle undergoes when it is having its body turned upside down.

Idiom scenarios:

Scenario 1:

Friend 1: Do you know of the accident that happened on the hill nearby?
Friend 2: No. Tell me all about it.
Friend 1: Two buses collided with one another and one of the buses turned turtle.
Friend 2: What happened to the passengers?
Friend 1: Luckily, people escaped with minimum injuries.

Scenario 2:

Queen 1: When will I get the diamonds from Africa?
Minister: I’m afraid you won’t get it. The ship carrying the diamonds has turned turtle.
Queen: What?

Scenario 3:

Kid 1 [ explaining how to handle the toy car]: This is how you should play with the car.
Infant: [Tries but nothing happens]
Kid 1: Oh no! The car has turned turtle. It won’t move. [ Then places it upright and the car moves]
Infant laughs.

Scenario 4:

Lady 1: Did you watch the movie about the famous ship?
Lady 2: Yeah I did. It’s a tragedy after the ship turned turtle.
Lady 1: Yes, it is .

Examples:

Go through the examples to understand the usage of the idiom:

1. John was in the car when it turned turtle.
2. The cockroach had turned turtle and was struggling. Tom put it back in position.
3. The child clasped the caretaker’s hand, as their cruise turned turtle.