burst someone's bubble
English
Pronunciation
Audio (Australia): (file)
Verb
burst someone's bubble (third-person singular simple present bursts someone's bubble, present participle bursting someone's bubble, simple past and past participle burst someone's bubble)
- (informal, idiomatic) To disillusion; to disabuse someone of a false notion or rationalization that has grown comfortable.
- Synonyms: bust someone's bubble, pop someone's balloon; see also Thesaurus:put a damper on
- I hate to burst his bubble, but he is going to be disappointed if he tries that idea.
- 1974 February 16, Satya, “A Human Game”, in Gay Community News, volume 1, number 34, page 4:
- I remember vividly the time I overheard one gay woman ask her lover (a prominent lesbian activist) if they could go to the movies. The absolute "NO" answer burst the bubble that said that only heteros play these role games.
- 2019 October 31, Garrick Beckett, “Beckett: How BioWare Approaches Religion & Sexuality”, in The Lutheran Column[1], archived from the original on 17 September 2020, Blog:
- Second, the romance option brings up a unique issue: having sex with an alien. It’s somewhat difficult to say what the Christian should think on this issue because, well, the Bible doesn’t talk about aliens. Probably because they don’t exist (sorry to burst your bubble). Would this be considered bestiality? Or is it not bestiality since they are also beings capable of rational and ethical thought and self-reflection unlike usual animals?
Translations
to disillusion; to disabuse someone of a false notion or rationalization that has grown comfortable