IdiomThe AbsurdEnglish

it's all Greek to me

Meaning: Incomprehensible or unintelligible.

Example: “I looked at the tax form, but it's all Greek to me.”

Equivalents in other languages

See all 3 languages side by side →

Origin: From Shakespeare's Julius Caesar (1599), where Casca, reporting a speech Cicero made in Greek, says "it was Greek to me." Medieval scribes had a similar Latin note, Graecum est; non legitur (it is Greek; it cannot be read), for Greek passages they could not copy.

More English idioms

Explore another collection: Tongue Twisters

Tricky phrases to practice out loud, from languages around the world.

Browse all tongue twisters →

Keep exploring

Explore all idioms →