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hide one's face

hide one's face idiom

Also, hide one's head. Feel shame or embarrassment. For example, You needn't hide your face—you're not to blame, or Whenever the teacher singled her out for something, shy little Mary hid her head. This idiom alludes to the gesture indicative of these feelings. [Late 1500s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.