15 Sep. What does it mean to “have a gut feeling?”

The English expression “to have a gut feeling” is commonly used in day-to-day conversation. This article will help you understand when it should be used!

Meaning

The expression when someone senses something about a person or thing without having concrete evidence. The person doesn’t have a clear reason for thinking what they do but they believe strongly that they are correct.

Etymology

The expression only came into usage fairly recently, in the 1970s. Despite this, it is widely accepted that the idea behind the expression and the feelings and sensations associated with the gut have been around for much longer.

Some people believe that this idea can be traced back to certain verses in the Bible. For example, Psalm 22:14 which reads “”I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.”

Example

An example of the expression can be found in a quote from Barbara Streisand. She is quoted to have said “I guess if you have an original take on life, or something about you is original, you don’t have to study people who came before you. You don’t have to mimic anybody. You just have a gut feeling inside, an instinct that tells you what’s right for you, and you can’t do it in any other way.”