a closed book
Meaning: Something one knows nothing about, or someone impossible to understand.
Language: English
Literally: (Already vivid in English)
Example: “Car engines are a closed book to me.”
Category: Daily Life
Origin: A book that stays shut tells you nothing. The phrase is common from the 19th century, alongside its opposite, "an open book."
Equivalents in other languages
- Russian: книга за семью печатями (kniga za sem'yu pechatyami) — literally: a book under seven seals
More idioms — Daily Life
- a trump card — A decisive advantage kept in reserve.
- hide one's light under a bushel — To keep one's talents hidden.
- charity begins at home — One's first duty is to one's own family.
- a load of nonsense — Something completely untrue or silly.
- all or nothing — With no middle way; everything is risked on one outcome.
- an accident waiting to happen — Someone or something very likely to cause trouble or harm.
More English idioms
- up to one's ears in debt — Deeply in debt.
- hand on heart — Said when swearing that something is completely true.
- you'll live — Said to someone making a fuss over a small injury or setback.
- with an iron fist — With harsh, absolute control.
- not turn a hair — To show no reaction at all.
- all brawn and no brain — Physically strong but not clever.
From our tongue twisters
- Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. — A relentless 'p' plosive drill; a peck is an old dry measure of about nine litres.
- Unique New York. — Three words that jam the 'y/n/k' sequence together — repeat it and it collapses into 'you…
- Pad kid poured curd pulled cod. — Alternating repetition — the consonants swap at the start of every other word, which is w…