What does “sich nicht blicken lassen” mean in German?

It is his first day, and everyone has been very friendly. The only person missing is the boss: “Nur der Chef hat sich noch nicht blicken lassen” — only the boss hasn’t shown up yet. “Sich blicken lassen” means to let yourself be seen, so the negative means to stay away or not appear. The punchline: the boss has been standing right there the whole time — and it’s a woman.

Spoken line: “Nur der Chef hat sich noch nicht blicken lassen.” — “Only the boss hasn’t shown their face yet.” The phrase literally means “to let yourself be seen.” You usually meet it in the negative, for someone who is missing or staying away. A few examples: - “Er hat sich den ganzen Tag nicht blicken lassen.” — He didn’t show up all day. - “Lass dich mal wieder blicken!” — Come visit / show your face again sometime! (a friendly invite) - “Nach dem Streit hat sie sich hier nie wieder blicken lassen.” — After the fight she never came around here again. You’ll hear it in casual talk and in more formal complaints alike, often with a hint that the absence was noticed.