black art
- noun
- /blæk ɑrt/
:
arte oscuro
- The data are sketchy, and to interpret incomplete data is a black art at which both you and Westexas excel.
And I don't know, there just seemed to be some kind of like black art.
- And I don't know, there just seemed to be some kind of like black art.
Examples
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For some, mastering traditional woodworking techniques is a black art that demands dedication and practice.
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It's such a black art that there are no real clues, yet every self-important exec acts as though he's an expert.
Blog text (34) -
Creating such a thing is a domain-specific black art if there ever was one.
Blog text (23) -
Many people think that cooking is a black art that only a few can master.
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In our field, data analysis has become a black art that requires years of experience to truly understand.
Synonyms
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun 'art' clearly denotes a skill and the adjective 'black' commonly carries metaphorical senses of darkness, secrecy or taboo, so a learner can partially infer a meaning like a secret or obscure skill. However, the figurative extension (not literal colour) and the cultural/idiomatic nuance are not fully predictable for a B1 learner without exposure, making the expression only partially transparent.
Etymology
Black art came to be used for skills that seem secret and hard to learn because black meant 'secret' and art meant a skill or craft. That's why people sometimes call a tricky or mysterious skill a 'black art'.