know beans about
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English[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Audio (AU) (file)
Verb[edit]
know beans about (third-person singular simple present knows beans about, present participle knowing beans about, simple past knew beans about, past participle known beans about)
- (chiefly US, in negative constructions) To know something, even if only a little, about.
- 1881 February 7, “Notes of the Fine Arts”, in New York Times, retrieved 22 September 2009, page 3:
- But the great artist doesn't know "beans" about driving oxen. He has put his driver on the "off" side of the yoke.
- 1963 March 12, “Dear Ann Landers”, in Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, retrieved 22 September 2009, page 17:
- If this self-styled expert in the field of human relations knew beans about handling people he'd get more work out of the women and fewer tears.
- 2008 July 14, Charles Paikert, “Ken Fisher”, in InvestmentNews, retrieved 22 September 2009:
- If wealth managers actually knew beans about anything, they would be in asset management.
- (chiefly US, idiomatic) To know nothing, or almost nothing, about.
- 1986 August 22, “Editorial: The Cabinet Races”, in Gainesville Sun, retrieved 22 September 2009, page 18A:
- His primary opponent, Raphael Herman, is a real estate salesman who frankly admits he knows beans about insurance.
Usage notes[edit]
- Often used in grammatical constructions containing a negative, as for example "He doesn't know beans about it."
- Also simply "know beans", to know anything at all.
- Sometimes emphasized by an extension, for example not know beans for buttons about.[1]
Translations[edit]
to know nothing, or almost nothing, about