Etymology

twinkle in one's daddy's eye

Today it means: Of a person, not yet conceived, particularly when referring to a time period preceding their conception. Full definition →

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The story

From a song, "When You Were a Smile on Your Mother's Lips (and a Twinkle in Your Daddy's Eye)", written for the 1934 film, Dames; derived from the presumption that prior to the conception of a baby, the father was sexually aroused, and this arousal was reflected in a pleased look in the father's eyes.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.