to be a skaapie
- idiom
- Offensive
:
ser ingenuo
- Don't be a skaapie; always question things that seem too good to be true.
Examples
-
Stop being a skaapie and double-check the details before signing anything.
-
He felt embarrassed after realizing he'd been a skaapie and fallen for the prank.
-
Don't be a skaapie and trust everyone blindly!
-
Why would you be a skaapie in that situation?
-
Don't be a skaapie; always think critically about the advice you receive.
-
He was embarrassed to be a skaapie after falling for such an obvious scam.
-
You shouldn't be a skaapie when making important decisions; do your research first.
Synonyms
88
2.1
Act in a foolish or playful way without taking things seriously
3
8.0
To behave in a silly or embarrassing way to get attention
3
9.2
To act foolishly and let people trick you
2
8.1
To act in a silly, embarrassing way to make people laugh
1
9.4
Act in a foolish way and ignore good advice
1
9.9
To behave in a rude, stupid way
1
9.9
To behave in a silly or clumsy way
1
9.9
To act in a foolish way
To behave in a foolish, clumsy way that makes people laugh
To behave in a foolish and clumsy way
Behave in a silly, careless way to avoid serious talk
Behave in a silly, clumsy way to make people laugh at you
To behave in a rude and annoying way
To do silly things that make problems for yourself
To behave in a silly, awkward way that looks foolish
To behave rudely or foolishly in a way that annoys others
To act in a silly or stupid way
To behave in a silly way without thinking when nervous or tired
Behave in a silly, not very smart way
Behave in a silly, clumsy way
To do something silly without thinking
To behave foolishly or clumsily
Act in a foolish, clumsy way
To behave foolishly and show little common sense
Act in a silly or stupid way
Behave in a silly or foolish way
To behave in a stupid and rude way
To behave in a silly, rude way and break rules
Antonyms
Surface Forms
Morphology
be + a + skaapie
The headword contains a dialectal/nonce noun 'skaapie' that is not a standard English lexical item here, so a B1 learner who only knows the constituents 'be' and 'a' cannot derive the idiomatic meaning. The intended sense ('foolish/naive') depends on knowledge of the culture-specific word (likely a diminutive of 'sheep') rather than transparent composition, making it unpredictable for general learners.
Etymology
The phrase be a skaapie may come from the Afrikaans word for a little sheep, skaapie. The picture of a small sheep that just follows others explains why it means 'to act foolish or naive'.