(one's) mind goes blank

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(one's) mind goes blank

One suddenly forgets or is unable to think of something. Even though I'd been preparing for the interview for days, my mind went blank as soon as they started asking questions. She went to introduce her husband to the producers, but her mind went blank when she tried to remember their names. Sarah must have pretty bad stage fright if her mind goes blank as soon as she steps on stage.
See also: blank, goes, mind
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

one's mind went blank

Fig. someone's mind has experienced total forgetfulness. He knew all his lines in rehearsal, but his mind went blank when he went before an audience.
See also: blank, mind
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
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References in periodicals archive ?
Relatable case studies share space with tests that can be used to assess short-term memory and attention, and everyday mysteries, such as why the mind goes blank under stress or how daydreaming can be fruitful, are also addressed.
It's the moment a TV reporter fears most - when you're doing a live report and your mind goes blank. It's the stuff of nightmares.
Every time, my mind goes blank, my mouth dries up and I feel the walls closing in on me.
I felt really awkward afterwards because when I get nervous I tend to word vomit and my mind goes blank sometimes.
"The weight of the bag really presses into your shoulders and your mind goes blank as you focus on finishing," said Lauren.
But nowadays my mind goes blank whenever my daughter or wife inquires about my festive gift desires.
"Some people don't test well--they tend to freeze up and their mind goes blank," explainedJohnson-Rhea.
But when you're sitting there in the 'chair' being quizzed, the pressure mounts and the mind goes blank.
Scribbling crib notes on your skin in case your mind goes blank during the big quiz has been done by middle-school kids for generations.
How is it you can think of a million put-downs 10 minutes later but at the time your mind goes blank?
Because we have made the physical memory of the piece automatic, it is quite possible, and indeed frighteningly easy for the fingers and arms to go on playing while the mind goes blank. In this way, we become an audience to our own performance.
I know the material before I take the test, but then my mind goes blank. Or, sometimes, I can't even concentrate enough to study.
Every time I go to the table I try to concentrate on my technique but sometimes, when the nerves hit, your mind goes blank as you lean down to hit the shot.
Epilepsy, in fact, comes in many forms and can range from an 'absence', where the mind goes blank, to a full seizure where the body fits.