expression
wide-eyed in shock; dumbfounded
Idiomatic simile describing someone's stunned, wide-eyed expression, like a pigeon suddenly hit by a pea shooter. Often used with verbs like する or なる.
突然の知らせに、彼は鳩が豆鉄砲を食ったような顔をした。
At the sudden news, he looked like a pigeon shot by a peashooter—completely dumbfounded.
鳩が豆鉄砲を食ったようになって、しばらく言葉が出なかった。
I was so stunned I couldn't speak for a while, like a pigeon hit by a peashooter.
The expression likely originates from the comical image of a pigeon suddenly struck by a toy peashooter, resulting in a wide-eyed, stunned look. The exact historical origin is uncertain.