gleam

gleam in (one's) eye

1. A facial expression that denotes happiness, amusement, or knowledge of a secret. Just when Rita thought all hope was lost, Jared got a gleam in his eye that told her he had a plan to get them both out of that sticky situation.
2. A hope or plan that is not yet in existence. You were not even a gleam in your mother's eye when that photo was taken.
See also: eye, gleam

gleam with (something)

To shimmer or twinkle with something. Katie's engagement ring looked especially stunning as it gleamed with sunlight. Lydia's eyes gleamed with emotion as she listened to the toast in her honor.
See also: gleam
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

gleam with something

to sparkle or shine with something. The crystal goblets gleamed with the sparkling candlelight. The glass gleamed with a bright reflection.
See also: gleam
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

a twinkle in someone's eye

or

a gleam in someone's eye

If a plan or project is only a twinkle in or a gleam in someone's eye, it is only at the stage of being considered as a possibility. Projects that a few years back were just a twinkle in the planners' eyes are now bricks and cement. At this point, space-launched weapons were still only a gleam in his eye. Note: You can also talk about a glint in someone's eye. The European central bank was still no more than a glint in its creators' eyes. Note: Words such as gleam, glint and twinkle can be used to describe the way people's eyes shine or reflect the light. They often suggest hidden energy, emotion, or humour and refer to the excitement of having a particular idea before putting it into practice.
See also: eye, twinkle
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

a gleam (or twinkle) in someone's eye

1 a barely formed idea. 2 a child who has not yet been conceived. humorous
See also: eye, gleam

a twinkle in someone's eye

something that is still in the pre-planning stage and on which no action has yet been taken, especially a child not as yet conceived. informal
See also: eye, twinkle
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • a gleam in someone's eye
  • gleam in (one's) eye
  • a twinkle in someone's eye
  • twinkle in (one's) eye
  • make a face
  • make a face (at someone)
  • pull/make faces/a face
  • the stink eye
  • have a face like thunder
  • bedroom eyes
References in classic literature
Certain it is, that the poetry which flowed from him had a smack of all these dainties The sixth of the party was a young man of haughty mien, and sat somewhat apart from the rest, wearing his plumed hat loftily among his elders, while the fire glittered on the rich embroidery of his dress, and gleamed intensely on the jewelled pommel of his sword.
As the funeral torches gleamed within that dark receptacle, there was no need of the Great Carbuncle to show the vanity of earthly pomp.
From Twice Told Tales
At length, the pile yielded a little, a corner of a blanket fell, and a faint ray of light gleamed into the inner part of the cave.
Last of The Mohicans
In the midst of them all Achilles put on his armour; he gnashed his teeth, his eyes gleamed like fire, for his grief was greater than he could bear.
Iliad
He closed the door behind him immediately, that he might shut in the stream of light: a few steps would be enough to carry him beyond betrayal by the gleams from the shutter-chinks and the latch-hole.
Silas Marner
Amouri Gleam, owned and trained by Ray Craggs, joins a select and very small category of 100-1 winners.
Price is right at Southwell; DOUBLE HANDFUL; John Shaw's racing betting column
Our hero product is: Gleam Body Radiance, soon to be renamed Gleam Face & Body Radiance.
TANNING WITH THE STARS... When the sunless tanners kept missing their mark on a hit TV show, makeup artist Melanie Mills took matters into her own hands
The Motorola Gleam features an FM radio, MP3 playback, a 2-megapixel camera, video capture and landscape video viewing.
Motorola unveils affordable phone in UAE
The GLEAM (Graduated Learning of Entrepreneurship through Accelerated Mentoring) programme is an internationally acclaimed business start-up programme established in 1998.
Guidance on hand for start-ups
perhaps this is not gleam but illumination, not merely his but ours.
The Elders
Ideal for giving just a hint of a gleam without making you glittery.
ideas: win or bin? Beauty
The flower is a double white, showing a hint (a 'gleam') of pale pink.
Stories of Prairie-bred rose cultivar names bred by Robert Erskine
TELECOMWORLDWIRE-8 October 2007-Verizon Wireless to offer Gleam phone by Samsung(C)1994-2007 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD http://www.m2.com
Verizon Wireless to offer Gleam phone by Samsung