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the earth/ground/floor opens

Definition

People say that they wish the earth/floor/ground would open (up) if they are so embarrassed that they want suddenly to disappear: At that moment the boss walked in and I just wanted the ground to open up and swallow me.Unfastening and opening
(Definition of the earth/ground/floor opens from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

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