1

Can someone tell me what this expression means?

"on the eye"

It accounts for the scene I witnessed in the barracks: after a particularly tasteless dinner, which was left uneaten by most of the soldiers, the unfortunate soldier, lying on his bed, the victim of a practical joke, loudly complained that he was still very hungry and wouldn’t mind a simple meal, perhaps a pair of eggs on the eye

I found it in one of Slavoj Žižek's books and I would like to understand it.

4
  • Can you please add the whose sentence where the expression is used.
    – user 66974
    Jun 19, 2019 at 19:15
  • It accounts for the scene I witnessed in the barracks: after a particularly tasteless dinner, which was left uneaten by most of the soldiers, the unfortunate soldier, lying on his bed, the victim of a practical joke, loudly complained that he was still very hungry and wouldn’t mind a simple meal, perhaps a pair of eggs on the eye Jun 19, 2019 at 19:39
  • Maybe "easy on the eyes" meaning pleasant looking?
    – puppetsock
    Jun 19, 2019 at 19:43
  • i really have no idea. i looked everywhere xD Jun 19, 2019 at 19:48

1 Answer 1

1

I suspect the phrase is "eggs on the eye"

This is a translation of a Serbo-Croat phrase meaning fried eggs (not scrambled, but over easy in American)

But it is also a crude pun: like Spanish, Serbo-Croat uses "eggs" as a term for testicles. So in "The Seven Veils of Fantasy" in Slavoj Zizek's The Plague of Fantasies, he explains the vulgar joke

How do you make eggs on the eye? By putting the prick on the forehead!

i.e. by drawing a penis on a sleeping person's face

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge that you have read and understand our privacy policy and code of conduct.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.