Take the shine off something

Harbhajan Singh’s controversy took the shine off India’s victory

Add one more phrase to your spoken English arsenal. This time we talk about taking the shine off something. Let’s see how it is used:

1. India scored a glorious victory over New Zealand in the test match. However, the ugly controversy about Sachin Tendulkar’s wicket took away some shine off the fabulous win.
2. The platoon fought the enemy hard and beat them back. However, they lost their young commanding officer in the battle. This took the shine off what was a glorious military vistory.

Suppose you have just won a shining trophy after a great deal of effort and now is the time to bask in the glory. However, something happens which spoils the victorious moment or reduces the pleasure or happiness you would normally feel about it. Its almost like you won the trophy but something took away the shine of the trophy so the taste of victory was somehow spoiled. This is the idea conveyed through the phrase, take shine off something.

It is used when you achieve something but your happiness is reduced by something bad which happened while you achieved your target.

Let’s take some examples:

1. My visit to London was great. I saw a lot of famous places, ate great food and met some amazing people. However, having my wallet stolen at the airport took the shine off the visit. The money was in the form of traveller’s checks so I was saved there but my passport was stolen and it caused me a lot of botheration and trouble.
2. Mr Yadav’s party won the election and gained absolute majority. However, his own defeat took the shine off their celebration.
3. The film was super hit however, it sparked controversy in several states and had to be banned. This took the shine off what was a great moment for the young director.