have all one's marbles
Meaning: To be of sound mind.
Language: English
Literally: (Already vivid in English)
Example: “At ninety-five she still has all her marbles.”
Category: The Absurd
Origin: The positive form of "lose one's marbles," American slang from the early 20th century, where marbles stand for one's wits. It is usually used in the negative.
Equivalents in other languages
- Czech: Mít všech pět pohromadě — literally: To have all five together
More idioms — The Absurd
- off one's trolley — Crazy or foolish.
- Ça ne casse pas trois pattes à un canard — It's nothing special or impressive.
- C'est comme pisser dans un violon — A completely pointless effort.
- Da steppt der Bär — It's going to be a great party.
- Ich glaub mein Schwein pfeift — I can't believe it! That's outrageous!
- Estar como una cabra — To be completely crazy.
More English idioms
- thumb one's nose at — To show contempt or mockery for someone or something.
- saw off the branch one is sitting on — To harm one's own position or interests.
- go around the houses — To take a needlessly long or roundabout way.
- do the heavy lifting — To do the hardest part of a job.
- a bad workman blames his tools — People who do poor work blame their equipment instead of themselves.
- ask for trouble — To behave in a way likely to cause problems for oneself.
From our tongue twisters
- How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? — A 'w/ch/ck' drill that accelerates comically — and nobody really knows the answer.
- The sixth sick sheikh's sixth sheep's sick. — Believed by Guinness to be among the hardest in English — 'six/sick/sheikh/sheep' blur in…
- Betty Botter bought some butter, but she said the butter's bitter. — A 'b / t / tt' plosive drill that bounces between Betty, butter, and bitter.