stupidity tax
1
8.9
- noun
- /stəˈpɪdəti tæks/
- Informal
:
impuesto a la estupidez
- When he ignored the warning signs, he ended up paying a heavy stupidity tax in lost savings.
Examples
-
Making reckless investments can often result in what we call a stupidity tax.
-
"They're assessing me the Stupidity Tax!"
Fiction book (1998) -
She learned that skipping important research usually leads to a stupidity tax later on.
Synonyms
A small cost you pay because of a careless decision
How Costly
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound directly combines 'stupidity' (foolishness) with 'tax' and can be read as the figurative cost or penalty of being stupid; many learners will map 'tax' to a non-literal sense of burden or cost and thus grasp the general meaning. Because this relies on a metaphorical extension of 'tax' rather than a fully literal composition, the sense is inferable but not purely compositional, so it is best classified as semi-transparent.
Etymology
Stupidity tax paints a simple picture: stupidity, meaning doing something foolish, and tax, meaning a payment you must make. So it means 'a penalty' or 'a loss' you suffer because of a foolish choice.