couldn't find his ass with both hands
- idiom
- Offensive
:
no encontrar ni el culo con las manos
- When it comes to fixing cars, Jim couldn't find his ass with both hands.
Examples
-
Honestly, during the meeting he acted like he couldn't find his ass with both hands.
-
No matter how many times you explain it, he couldn't find his ass with both hands.
-
He couldn't find his ass with both hands during the meeting!
-
Can you believe he couldn't find his ass with both hands?
-
During the presentation, he couldn't find his ass with both hands, making it clear he was unprepared.
-
She was so disoriented at the event that she couldn't find her ass with both hands.
-
Even with help, Mark couldn't find his ass with both hands when asked to complete the simple task.
Synonyms
49
5.0
Not good at something and often clumsy
7
7.3
Acting awkward and clumsy in movement or when handling things
3
9.9
In a clumsy way that does things in the wrong order
2
9.9
To be unaware of what is happening around you
Not able to do simple tasks, often confused and disorganized
A person who is very foolish and bad at what they do
A person who acts very foolishly and cannot do simple tasks
Very foolish and acting without thinking
A rude British phrase that says someone is very bad at organizing events
Antonyms
How Competent
3
3.5
172
3.5
945
1.4
114
3.6
141
4.9
- Offensive
Surface Forms
Morphology
couldn't + find + his + ass + with + both + hand
The phrase uses literal constituents to create a vulgar, hyperbolic image (unable to 'find his ass even with both hands') that suggests extreme incompetence or disorientation. A B1 learner who knows the words could probably infer a general sense of cluelessness or inability to perform simple tasks, but the idiomatic exaggeration, register (vulgar/informal), and precise pragmatic force are not fully predictable without exposure.
Etymology
The idiom couldn't find his ass with both hands gives a rude, funny picture of someone so confused or clumsy they could not find their own ass even using both hands. That's why people use it to say someone is 'very confused' or 'extremely bad at a task'.