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Region: General | Usage example: You can tell he is honest because he wears his heart on his sleeve.

Heart on your sleeve

Meaning

Show your emotions openly.

Usage

Compliments or criticizes emotional transparency.

Origin & History

Origin notes can vary by region and source; this page gives the commonly reported explanation and usage context.

Knights wore their lady’s colors on their sleeves during tournaments.

Appears in Shakespeare’s Othello and other early English texts.