Living under a rock
What is an idiom? An idiom is a phrase or expression. They are tricky to understand as their meanings do not directly relate to the individual words used in the phrase.
Definition:
The English idiom "living under a rock" means to be unaware of (to not know about) things that are common knowledge.
It is used to describe someone who is unaware of important events or information that most people know about. It suggests that the person knows so little about what's happening in the world that it's like they have been isolated or hiding away. As if they were literally living under a rock.
Origin:
The phrase "living under a rock" does not have a specific historical origin or a known first use in literature. It has evolved as a metaphor in everyday language.
The concept is simple: if someone were literally living under a rock, they wouldn't see or hear much of what is happening in the world around them. Over time, this idea was turned into the idiom we use today to describe someone who is isolated from common knowledge or current events.
While there's no precise date or event that marks the beginning of this idiom, it reflects the human tendency to create vivid, concrete images to describe abstract concepts like ignorance or isolation.
Examples:
This idiom is used today to describe someone who has little knowledge of current events.
Here are some examples of how these idioms are used in sentences:
Cultural context:
Person A: "Who's Taylor Swift?"
Person B: "You don't know who Taylor Swift is? You must be living under a rock!"
Retail context:
Person A: "Did you hear that the new iPhone was released last month?"
Person B: "No, I had no idea. I must have been living under a rock!"
Political context:
Person A: "I didn't know there was an election coming up."
Person B: "Are you living under a rock? It's been all over the news!"
"I must have been living under a rock — I had no idea the sun was shinning!"