mind like a sieve

English

Etymology

Since a sieve has many holes, the thoughts in such a mind might be imagined to fall out.

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Noun

mind like a sieve

1. (simile) very poor memory

   Synonyms: memory like a sieve, brain like a sieve, head like a sieve

   Antonym: mind like a steel trap

   Oh, that's right. You said that yesterday, didn't you? I have a mind like a sieve.

Translations

poor memory

• Finnish: pää vuotaa kuin seula
• French: mémoire de poisson rouge (fr)
• German: ein Hirn wie ein Sieb haben, ein Gedächtnis wie ein Sieb haben (de)
• Italian: avere la memoria corta
• Latvian: caura galva
• Russian: па́мять как решето́ (pámjatʹ kak rešetó), голова́ дыря́вая (golová dyrjávaja)
• Tagalog: may buslong butas

See also

• leak like a sieve

Further reading

• “memory mind like a sieve”, in Cambridge English Dictionary, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: Cambridge University Press, 1999–present.
• “mind like a sieve”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
• “a memory like a sieve” (US) / “a memory like a sieve” (UK) in Macmillan English Dictionary.
• “memory like a sieve”, in Collins English Dictionary.
• “have a memory like a sieve” in Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Longman.
• “have a brain like a sieve”, in Collins English Dictionary.