Completely alert and conscious, not sleepy at all. Fully aware and attentive to one's surroundings.
This expression dates to the 14th century, using 'wide' to mean 'fully' or 'completely,' as in 'wide open.' The phrase originally described eyes that were fully opened rather than heavy with sleep. It became a political slogan for the Wide Awakes, a Republican Party organization supporting Abraham Lincoln in 1860.
The phrase cleverly uses the metaphor of physical eye-opening to describe mental alertness, connecting the visible sign of wakefulness with the internal state of consciousness. It's fascinating that this expression became a political rallying cry, suggesting that being 'wide awake' was seen as a civic virtue during Lincoln's era.
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