shit for brains
7
9.9
- idiom
- /ʃɪt fɔr breɪnz/
- Offensive
:
gilipollas (ES)
- I can't believe you tried to fix that car; you're such a shit for brains sometimes.
- got shit for brains
Examples
-
Oi, shit for brains, I'm talking to you!
-
I've been at sea 60 years, you shit-for-brains moron.
-
Probably good advice if you have shit for brains.
Fiction book (1998) -
What I'm saying is that you have shit for brains.
Fiction book (1999) -
Got shit for brains, and that's a fact.
Fiction book (2001) -
Hillbilly has tons of talent but shit for brains.
Blog text (27) -
You shit-for-brains, man!
-
But anyone who sticks their retirement into GM or Chrysler stock from now on should consider themselves 'shit for brains.'
Blog text (19) -
You really are a shit for brains if you think that plan will work.
-
When he forgot my birthday, I told him he was a total shit for brains.
Synonyms
475
9.9
A rude or unpleasant person who treats others badly
293
9.9
A very rude and insulting word for a person you strongly dislike
55
9.9
A rude word for a person who is very stupid and unpleasant
5
9.9
A person who behaves in a very stupid or careless way
5
9.2
A person who behaves foolishly and who others often insult with this word
2
8.7
A person who is not very smart
1
9.8
A rude word for a person who is very stupid
1
9.9
A rude person who treats others badly or unfairly
1
9.9
A person who behaves in a silly, annoying way
A rude name for someone who seems very foolish
A person who acts very foolishly and makes many mistakes
A person who is very foolish and bad at what they do
A rude, stupid person who annoys others
A person who does not do their share and causes problems
A very rude and foolish person
An insulting word for a rude or stupid person
A person who acts foolishly or is bad at what they do
Antonyms
How Stupid
Surface Forms
Morphology
The insult literally juxtaposes 'shit' with 'brains' to imply a person has 'shit instead of brains'—so the idea 'very stupid or incompetent' is derivable from the constituent meanings. However, the construction is a crude metaphorical substitution using 'for' and relies on pragmatic vulgarity and idiomatic ordering, so a B1 learner might infer the sense but it is not a fully regular compositional pattern and may be unexpected without exposure.
Etymology
The insult shit for brains comes from a strong image: imagine someone with shit where their brains should be, so they cannot think clearly. That's why people use it as a rude way to call someone 'very foolish' or 'incompetent'.