glint in the milkman's eye

English

Etymology

Created by analogy with similar expressions such "a glint in your father's eye", but implying the child was conceived adulterously; milkmen, visiting housewives while their husbands would have been at work, are often associated with adultery.

Noun

glint in the milkman's eye (plural glints in the milkman's eye)

1. (UK, humorous) Someone or something that has not been born or conceived yet.
   • 2010, Lisa Wright, “Album review: Twin Shadow - Forget (4AD)”, in NME:

     It’s no wonder then that, musically, from Summer Camp to Best Coast, we’ve stepped into a sepia time machine recently, transported back to a golden age where romance abounded and Justin Bieber was a mere glint in the milkman’s eye.

   • 1987, “Dish and Dishonesty”, in Blackadder the Third:

     "And which Pitt would this be? Pitt the Toddler? Pitt the Embryo? Pitt the Glint in the Milkman's Eye?"

Synonyms

• twinkle in one's daddy's eye
• twinkle in one's father's eye