memory of a goldfish
- idiom
- Informal
:
memoria de pez dorado
- I have the memory of a goldfish when it comes to remembering names.
Examples
-
She joked about having a memory of a goldfish after forgetting her keys again.
-
If you have a memory of a goldfish, you might want to write things down.
-
Wow, you have the memory of a goldfish!
-
He has the memory of a goldfish!
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I often forget where I put my phone; I really have the memory of a goldfish.
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Friends tease me about my memory of a goldfish when I forget our plans.
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After misplacing my wallet for the third time this week, I admit I have a memory of a goldfish.
Synonyms
40
3.4
A problem when a person cannot remember information or past experiences
11
3.5
A habit of not remembering things like names or keys
A person who often forgets things and is not careful
Antonyms
How Good
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase literally compares someone's 'memory' to that of a 'goldfish', so a learner who knows both words can infer it refers to a kind of memory. However, the specific evaluative meaning (that goldfish are stereotypically very forgetful) depends on cultural knowledge that a B1 learner may not have, making the relation only partly predictable.
Etymology
The phrase memory of a goldfish comes from a popular idea that a goldfish only remembers for a few seconds, so it seems to forget things all the time. That's why saying someone has a memory of a goldfish means they 'forget things quickly'.