ABC

Meaning

The "ABC" idiom is used to indicate that someone has no knowledge or experience of a particular topic. It is often used in a negative context to suggest that someone is ignorant or clueless about something. The figurative meaning of the idiom is that the person's behavior or attitude is like that of a child who is just learning the alphabet and doesn't understand anything yet.

Usage

• "I was surprised when I heard that she had never read a book before. It was like she knew nothing about the ABCs of reading."
• "He asked me for advice on how to cook, but I could see he was just learning the basics. It was like he didn't know anything about the ABCs of cooking."
• "I was disappointed when my friend couldn't answer my question about science. It was like she had never studied anything beyond basic biology. She was really lacking in the ABCs of science."
• "She didn't understand the rules of the game, and it showed in her behavior on the field. It was like she didn't know anything about the ABCs of sports."
• "I couldn't believe he had never watched a movie before. It was like he had never learned the basics of storytelling. He was really lacking in the ABCs of cinema."

Roots and History

The origin of the "ABC" idiom is unclear, but it is believed to have emerged in the United States in the mid-20th century. It may have originated from the idea that children learn the alphabet as a foundation for learning more complex things later on, such as reading and writing. The idiom was likely used as a humorous way to suggest that someone had missed the ABCs of something and was therefore clueless or ignorant. Over time, the usage of the idiom has remained relatively stable, although it is now commonly used in both formal and informal language. It has also been adopted by other languages, such as Spanish ("ABC") and French ("ABC ou BCB").

Synonyms in English

• "No clue"
• "Clueless"
• "I have no idea"
• "No knowledge"
• "Unaware"

Synonyms in other languages

• Spanish: "Sin saber nada" (literally, "without knowing anything")
• French: "Je ne sais pas" (literally, "I don't know")
• German: "Ich weiß nichts" (literally, "I don't know anything")
• Italian: "Non so niente" (literally, "I don't know anything")
• Chinese: "我不知道" (literally, "I don't know")

Similar Idioms

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• a miss is as good as a mile

• act of God