sight unseen

sight unseen

Without having ever seen or inspected the particular person or thing in question. In this country, it's not uncommon to be arranged to marry someone sight unseen. Only a fool would buy a car sight unseen.
See also: sight, unseen
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

sight unseen

Without having viewed the object in question, as in He bought the horse sight unseen. This seeming oxymoron-how can a sight, which means something seen, be not seen?-dates from the late 1800s.
See also: sight, unseen
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

sight unˈseen

if you buy something sight unseen, you do not have an opportunity to see it before you buy it: We bought the table sight unseen and were pleased to find it was perfect for our kitchen.
See also: sight, unseen
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

sight unseen

Without seeing the object in question: bought the horse sight unseen.
See also: sight, unseen
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition.

sight unseen

Without previous examination; taken on faith. This term, which implies accepting something without verification, dates from the late nineteenth century. The 1898 Yearbook of the United States Department of Agriculture stated, “The intelligent farmer of today has got beyond buying ‘sight unseen’ when it comes to fertilizer.”
See also: sight, unseen
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
See also:
  • a pig in a poke
  • pig in a poke
  • marry below (one's) station
  • marry below (oneself)
  • marry below oneself
  • marry beneath (one's) station
  • marry beneath (oneself)
  • it happens
  • a (person) of substance
  • a woman, man, person, etc. of substance
References in periodicals archive
It became abruptly clear to me that the author and photographer (Ms Slessor and Mr Hurstey) must have recently been hired by you or your subordinates sight unseen, and for this reason will be forgiven for their sophomoric critique, save for the astute opening paragraph.
While scientists continue to debate whether a Europan ocean contains life, most have accepted the presence of the ocean, sight unseen. New measurements of the moon's magnetic field, taken by Galileo, add to the indirect evidence.
Says Tomasello, "The big issue in consumer relations for e-commerce sites is that many consumers don't want to use a credit card because of fear of security or because they don't trust merchandise sight unseen from an Internet source.
The trouble started when the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights protested the film, sight unseen. The League, 350,000 strong and headed by wrniam Donohue, previously boycotted the 1995 Miramax release Priest, which depicted a gay priest.
The Mail on Sunday issued a statement saying it had been in a bidding war "sight unseen" to serialise Hewitt's autobiography.
"I didn't fancy hanging about and Omagh Town were willing to take me sight unseen.
Critics claim that an age-based system, rather than a content-based one that explicitly rates shows on sex, violence, and language, lacks the truly meaningful information that will best let viewers bypass shows sight unseen. Hence, Rep.
So don't reserve a cabin sight unseen, don't take what the various cruise lines and their associations might tell you, and don't put your trust in a travel agent who's never taken a cruise with your specific disability in mind.
Sight Unseen, by Donald Margulies, is a work of modest size but considerable impact, and the Manhattan Theatre Club has extended its run at Stage 11 until March 1.
Ginsberg sold a similar "B line" unit in the same building at 108 Fifth Avenue back in December 2010 to a couple that was out of the country and went into contract sight unseen.
"I feel a total affinity to that in my own work, in which many elements are strung together in a seemingly arbitrary but structured way." Stell's designs were recently shown at Sight Unseen Offsite during New York Design Week and at American Design during Designer Days in Paris.
The other facet of the embassy's visual media outreach was the photo exhibition "Sight Unseen: International Photography by Blind Artists." The exhibit, which showcased more than 110 works by photographers who are blind or have limited sight, compelled attendees to think of disability and disabled people in a different way.
In their last sale Using Video Technology The Sarasota Suncoast Team Helped Buyers Purchase a Home Sight Unseen. They felt it was necessary to add a new component using modern technology and helping out of state buyers make informed purchase decisions without seeing the property in person.
Refer to three sources as we can not estimate values sight unseen. Blue Book of Gun Values, Standard Catalog of Firearms: The Collector's Price & Reference Guide, and Flayderman's Guide to Antique American Firearms and Their Values