Keep your eyes peeled

On a hike in Montana's forests, only a fool would dispute the advice to keep your eyes peeled for bears. But peeling one's eyes sounds painful. Where did that expression come from?

One proffered origin links the phrase to Robert Peel. As Chief Secretary for Ireland, Peel established the Royal Irish Constabulary in 1814. Constables, i.e., those Peel appointed to keep the King's peace, picked up the nickname "peelers." Presumably the name referred to Peel's directive that they were to keep their eyes peeled for wrong doers. In a less positive sense it identified those appointed individuals as the not always welcome eyes and ears of Chief Secretary Peel.

After returning to England, Peel served as Home Secretary twice and twice as Prime Minister. During that time, he founded the Metropolitan Police Service. Those police officers also inherited the nickname "peelers," though eventually the moniker "bobbies," alluding to Peel's first name, became more popular.

Some, however, dispute the link to Robert Peel, claiming the phrase origin has a longer history. They trace the linguistics back to the root word "pill," as in pillage. By the 17th century "pill" had acquired the spelling "peel" and a meaning closer to "remove or strip," as in to remove-or peel-the outer layer of an apple.

Since the eyelid covers the eye during sleep, to keep one's eyes peeled merely means to stay wide awake, to be alert and observant.