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-   -   Metaphors for 'stupid' (https://forums.tomisimo.org/showthread.php?t=11060)

Metaphors for 'stupid'


Perikles June 04, 2011 08:39 AM

Metaphors for 'stupid'
 
English has some nice metaphors/euphemisms if you want to explain that someone is seriously deficient in brain cells:

He is two sandwiches short of a picnic
He is not the sharpest pencil in the box
He is tuppence short of a shilling.
He is not playing with a full deck

German also has: Er hat nicht alle Tassen im Schrank

Are there any Spanish equivalents?

Thanks

aleCcowaN June 04, 2011 09:30 AM

Me vienen a la mente las típicas y nada amables:

(No) Tiene (ni) dos dedos de frente.
Tiene tres neuronas.
No puede caminar y mascar chicle al mismo tiempo.
Le falta un Einstein para ser Einstein. (o "Le falta un Einstein para llegar a Lassie" :wicked:)
Está dado ... del todo. ("es tadado ...")

o las más moderadas:

No es muy despierto(,) que digamos.
No le pidas que piense.

Las imágenes en las que falta alto para completar un todo están más relacionadas con la salud mental, al menos en mis lares:

Le faltan caramelos al frasco.
Le faltan (un par de) jugadores (al equipo).

Perikles June 04, 2011 09:37 AM

Thanks :thumbsup:

AngelicaDeAlquezar June 04, 2011 12:56 PM

Some of those often heard in Mexico:

No le sube el agua al tinaco.
No le gira (bien) la piedra.
¿Sabes por qué su cerebro mide dos centímetros? Porque se le hinchó.
Le faltó oxigenación al nacer.
Así, muy listo, no es.
Tiene la cabeza hueca.
Le falta materia gris.
...

chileno June 04, 2011 01:05 PM

Corto de frente.

pinosilano June 04, 2011 04:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AngelicaDeAlquezar (Post 111748)
¿Sabes por qué su cerebro mide dos centímetros? Porque se le hinchó.
...

;):applause:;)

aleCcowaN June 04, 2011 05:45 PM

Me había olvidado ese de "le faltó oxígeno durante el parto".

El día que asignaban cerebros, llegó tarde.

La luz de su intelecto ilumina .... (add accordingly: la luz de stand-by del televisor; el dispersador de aromas; el piloto del repelente de mosquitos; etc)

Parece/Cuentan que una vez un pavo/pollo lo engañó...

El día que por fin entendió el jaque mate pastor*, se lo hizo a sí mismo.
*Scholar's mate, four-move checkmate
Para estar a la altura de su intelecto hay que treparse a un bonsái.

Si estás esperando que sea una lumbrera, llevá linterna.

[En la escuela; tanto por motivos intelectuales como por otros motivos] Atila [El rey de los (h)unos]

Es una luz ... mala [luz mala = will-o'-the-wisp (ignis fatuus)]

Perikles June 05, 2011 02:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AngelicaDeAlquezar (Post 111748)
No le sube el agua al tinaco. ...

:lol::lol:

Quote:

Originally Posted by aleCcowaN (Post 111758)
Para estar a la altura de su intelecto hay que treparse a un bonsái.

:lol::lol:

Awaken June 05, 2011 05:47 AM

Some other English ones just for the pure fun:

He is not the sharpest knife in the drawer.
He is not the sharpest tool in the shed.
He is dumb as dirt.
He is dumb as a bag of bricks.
He is dumb as a doorknob.

chileno June 05, 2011 07:59 AM

Caído del catre.

:D

Sancho Panther June 05, 2011 08:09 AM

A couple more English ones:-

The light is on, but there's no-one in.
A couple of bricks short of a load.
The lift doesn't go upto the top floor.
Thick as two short planks.

I also know a Spanish one, but as it's muy, muy feo I'm not placing it on this topic as I fear I may be banned!

I did tell it to my Spanish-born wife who laughed a carcajadas, then told me told me what she'd do to me if were ever to repeat it; it is that rude!

aleCcowaN June 05, 2011 03:13 PM

También me había olvidado de "caído del catre" o "caído del árbol, de la higuera, del techo, del naranjo, etc.".

Es nuestro (Forrest Gump) residente. [() = replace accordingly to your locale]
Es un idiot savant pero sin lo savant.
(Corky) lo asesora.

O el de Mafalda:

Susanita: -Comencemos el cuento echando a volar nuestra imaginación ... (lo mira a Manolito) ... claro, los que tengamos plafond"

Ronnmacc80 June 06, 2011 04:10 PM

"He/she was born yesterday" works very well, referring to extreme lack of common sense.

By the way, I came across a spanish reply to how to address somebody who sizes you up as "Born yesterday": "De que me viste la cara"

Is this typical usage in Latin America?

AngelicaDeAlquezar June 07, 2011 07:25 AM

"¿De qué me viste la cara?" / "¿Me quieres ver la cara?" can be used when you perceive someone is trying to fool you.

"No nací ayer" means one is not so naive as to let oneself be fooled.

irmamar June 07, 2011 12:52 PM

Here is very common: "No llega" or "No da más de sí". :)

In Catalan: "No hi és tot" (no está todo, no está entero). :D

poli June 07, 2011 02:46 PM

dim
dim witted
thick
thick as a brick
sharp as a button
obtuse

Sancho Panther June 10, 2011 11:09 AM

British proverb "Not so green, as he's cabbage-headed!".

No, I'm not 100% sure what it means, either!

Perhaps another, more sagacious brit would be so kind as to explain it to me; my parents employed often fifty-odd years ago!

I'm still waiting for the green light for my very funny (but extemely rude) Spanish one!

Ain't no way I'm posting it without a guarantee of immunity, no sirree!

aleCcowaN June 10, 2011 11:15 AM

You may send it to us by private message ;). We promise not to tell.:shh:

Perikles June 10, 2011 11:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sancho Panther (Post 112017)
I'm still waiting for the green light for my very funny (but extemely rude) Spanish one!

Ain't no way I'm posting it without a guarantee of immunity, no sirree!

But that was the whole point of my starting the thread!!

You could post it and use the 'hide' function, where a reader has to click on it before it is visible. That it allowed (I think :rolleyes:)

Like this

Hidden Text: Show/Hide
Click to show hidden text - Da click para revelar el texto oculto


Sancho Panther June 10, 2011 11:18 AM

¿Cómo?

Oops - crossed post.


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