IdiomBody & Senses
English
Englishbe tone-deaf
Meaning: To be unable to tell musical notes apart; also, to have no sense of how others feel.
Example: “I'd sing along, but I'm completely tone-deaf.”
Origin: A term from 19th-century musical writing for the inability to hear differences in pitch. The figurative sense, of someone blind to the mood around them, is recent.
Equivalents in other languages
Russian: медведь на ухо наступил (medved' na ukho nastupil) Literally: A bear stepped on one's ear
More English idioms
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Explore another collection: Tongue Twisters
Tricky phrases to practice out loud, from languages around the world.
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